Ok, so I finally found the correct Optima Red Top for the WRX-

It is a direct fit and does NOT require you to jerry-rig your cables.
You can retain the oem battery box and hold-downs, too.
A 1" spacer is included to make it as tall as the original battery, or you can choose not to use it and the battery sits 1" lower in the tray.

The part # is 35-910, and I ordered it here:
http://www.remybattery.com/350/shope...ies&subcat=166

It took a little over a week to arrive, and was well packaged (inside box surrounded by expanded foam).

So, forget dealing with the "universal-fit" optimas that most places carry (that don't fit) and get the right one. My 2 cents anyway!

 

What is the difference between the red top and the yellow top?? I know the yellow top is for cars that will be running a stereo or something that will drain your battery.

 

The red top is to be used in applications where you don't drain the battery down over and over, as you would with a deep cycle battery. There should be pretty good descriptions online, and at the site I gave the link to.

-Hella

 

I picked up the 35/75 from walmart in Sarnia, Ontario. then went to my friend's stereo shop and got 2 "thread in" battery posts.

I layed the battery on it's side and hooked up the terminals. The optima can be mounted in any position, so it won't hurt anything.

 

Whats stupid is that the tray that holds the battery is plastic which is only held in place by a little plastic indented circle. Then the battery tie Down piece is attached to that plastic tray......hmmm...whats that mean? Think about it.

 

It's been out for a while now, I have a page up here with detailed pics and info:

http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4405

 

While I agree that the 35 is the best choice as it is a direct fit and uses the OEM cables, the 35/75 does fit as well. Physically it has the same dimensions and the capacity is the same, the only difference is the terminal configuration. When I bought my Optima over 2 years ago only the 35/75 was available so I had no choice, but making it work was not that difficult. All that was needed was a longer starter cable for about $5.

 

Agreed. There are a lot of people like me who want a direct fit, so jerry rigging or replacing battery cables is out of the question.

 

The battery tie down attaches under the tray, into metal.

 

Why is that stupid? It keeps any acid that may spill out of the battery off of the metal, I think it's smart. And as stated the hold downs go into the metal under the tray.

 

Hmmm... that is an expensive battery! Is it really better than stock in any measurable, noticeable way? My factory battery has survived two AZ summers so far, and friends of mine who actually rally their WRXs have never had to replace theirs (no cracking or leaks)...

 

Your experience with the stock battery is not typical. They are known not to last very long and their rated cranking capacity is not that good to begin with, although that is less of a factor in AZ than in states with colder winter climates.
Read here for an explanation of the differences between Optimas and conventional batteries-
http://www.1st-optima-batteries.com/

 

Well, that's marketing-speak, not facts, but at least it isn't as ludicrious or hyperbolic as the claims Monster Cable makes about their products :-)

Arizona summers are actually much tougher on a battery than any US winter; I used to go through a battery a year with my previous car, and I was buying the $65 DieHards and other name-brands... that's why I've been so surprised, up to this point, by my 02 WRX factory battery -- especially considering the underhood temps of the car! But when this battery dies, I'll definitely look into the Optimas; I didn't know until I read this thread that they had a direct-fit model.

 

More expensive than stock? You mean the OEM batt from the dealer? I doubt it.

I noticed that my suby cranked slow from day one, and remembered how putting an optima in one of my older integras had changed the cranking speed.

There was nothing technically wrong with my old battery (except it being time to add distilled water, as the levels in the cells have gone down to the lower level).
I had heard about some people having the OEM battery fail at around 3 years, and I don't want to take that risk when I have an infant in the car and go to tahoe.

As far as the typical Exide replacements that Kragens and others carry, they typically leak at the terminals and are overall crap. Just a couple weeks ago I had to clean the terminals on my wife's car that has an exide replacement, using baking soda to neutralize all the acid that constantly leaks out of it. I know from experience with Exide that this is "normal."

Anyway, back to the Optima. My suby does crank noticeably faster, and now I don't even have to think about the battery for another 5 years.

 

Well marketing aside, the Optima and similar batteries have the advantage of no liquid electrolyte to spill or evaporate ever, truly 100% zero-maintenance. No deposits will form on the terminals. And even the Red-Top has some deep-cycle capability, not nearly as much as the Yellow but a few discharges won't kill it like a standard battery.