Optima Performance Battery; Yellow Top (79-10 Mustang)

Video Review & Installation

Hey, everybody. Alex with americanmuscle.com. Today, I'm bringing you my quick review and breakdown of Optima's YellowTop performance battery, fitting all 1979 through 2010 Mustangs. So Optima's YellowTop performance battery that we have here today is going to be a great option for any generation Mustang owner out there, that's going to be running something like a heavy-duty Xenon or an HID conversion kit. But more importantly, for the guys out there that are going to be running a pretty serious sound system, and I'm talking a couple amps and at least a couple sizeable subs. But being said, if you are after a great replacement battery, but you're not running a heavy-duty sound system or some kind of aftermarket headlights or taillights, Optima's RedTop performance battery is going to be more than enough for a suitable replacement. Before we get down to the specs on what makes this that much more different than most, if not all other batteries out there, I will tell you that you're going to be looking at a very easy one out of three wrenches on the difficulty meter here, probably about 5 to 10 minutes to get this installed. I'll have a little bit more for you on that later. But like I said earlier, no matter the generation of your Mustang, this is going to be a great option for any car out there and the owner that's not too keen on running down to your local auto parts store, and picking up off the shelf. Which I'll tell you right now, may actually be a little bit more inexpensive. But you're not going to have the technology, as well as the build quality that went into this, something that is going to help your car start that much more effectively, no matter the weather conditions. So additionally, I'll throw it out there too, guys, that if you're sitting on a garage queen, maybe even a purpose-built track car that doesn't have the factory-style charging system in place due to weight savings, this is also going to be another viable option for you. Especially, if you're looking to shave as much weight as possible out of the car. Now, construction and materials-wise here, what you're looking at, at the outside, and what you cannot see on the inside is going to be that much more modern and newer than some of the batteries that we've been accustomed to for the past 20 or 30 years. Especially on the inside here, which with some of the older batteries, they essentially have sandwiched pieces of lead. Which I can tell you from personal experience, can result in acid leaks, which is just something you don't want to have to deal with. So the technology that's going to come along with this battery internally is actually pretty cool. What we're going to see is that this is going to feature Optima's SpiralCell Technology, which is essentially going to be using a gel, as opposed to a water. Now, while it's tough to see, this thing slightly does look like a six-pack of cans. Imagine on the inside that these are going to be packed with glass mat separators, which are going to help keep that gel into place. Something great about that is that it's going to cut down on the probability of this spilling or having any type of leakage issues. Now, additionally, those are going to be so tightly compressed that it's going to cut down and alleviate any type of issues that you might experience in the event that this is going to be jostled or vibrated. But to piggyback on the safety issues here, or lack thereof, with older batteries, for example, if you were to leave your parking lights or headlights on overnight, they're going to emit some gases, which I can tell you will definitely be on the dangerous side. That's not something you would have to worry [about with this] battery in the event you needed to get a jumpstart. So now you know why you might want to get into Optima's Yellow Top, you should expect to be spending about $215 for this battery. I'll stop you right there. I know it sounds like it's definitely on the steep side. I would take this into consideration, comparing that to anything off of your local auto parts store shelf, as that honestly is not going to have the build quality or the technology that went into this piece of equipment. Now, if that's not enough to justify the pricing here, I would definitely recommend clicking the link in the description of the video below, and taking a look at some of the reviews on the product page, as they simply speak for themselves. Switching gears to the installation portion of the video, or lack thereof, I know I've got to say it right now, guys. You're looking at a very simple one out of three wrenches on the difficulty meter, and about a 10 to 15-minute job, potentially less if you've ever swapped a battery out before. The only thing you're really going to need here is just a little bit of elbow grease and a basic socket set. So to begin, you're going to need to crack your hood, and then locate your battery under your hood, which should not be all that difficult at all. Then, you're going to need to start by disconnecting your negative battery cable and just a little tidbit here. No matter the battery, it's always important to start with that negative side first. So once that's done, depending on your Mustang's bracket, or lack thereof, depending on who's owned the car before, if you've removed it for any reason, you'll need to get that out of the way, shimmy your battery out, and then get your new battery in place. Now, once it's in place, it's a great idea to hit those new terminals with some battery protector. But if you don't have it, there's really not much of a need to run down to your local parts store. If you have it on your shelf, give it a couple taps. You're good to go. After that, you're damn near done. It's essentially going to be attaching your positive battery cable, along with the negative, securing it down, and then you're good to go, guys. Okay, guys. So just to wrap things up here, some final thoughts. If you're the Mustang owner that's running a pretty heavy-duty sound system, I'm talking a pair of subs, a pair of amps, or even a new head unit, as well as maybe an HID conversion kit, and you are after a premium battery that's going to help you cycle when you need it most, I would definitely suggest checking this out for your car. So I'm Alex, and that's my quick review and breakdown of Optima's YellowTop performance battery, fitting the 1979 through 2010 Mustang, available right here at americanmuscle.com.