[rrwhitman]

If you have a battery topper and are dissatisfied with the look of the Delco Eye cap that comes with it, a really great replacement is available from a seller on Ebay.

Delco Eye, Reproduction, Battery Topper,Buick,Chevy,Olds,Pontiac,GS,SS, GTO | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Delco Eye, Reproduction, Battery Topper,Buick,Chevy,Olds,Pontiac,GS,SS, GTO at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Mike was great to work with - I got my eye in two days. Here it is on my 1970.

 

[rrwhitman]

Following up, Mike asked that I post his email - he can be contacted directly instead of via Ebay if that is preferred. His email is [email protected]

 

[Coppertop]

That is by far the best recreation of the original I have seen!

Perhaps a bit too yellowish when installed, but that's okay.

You see, with the originals, when the water level was good, it was mostly just a clear/darkesh tube you were looking at. When the water was low, the bottom tip of the eye was no longer submerged and they would "glow" yellow.

I've gotten into a lot of arguments with people. The original "eyes" were NEVER NEVER EVER green like the later maintenance-free batteries.

Anyone that doesn't believe me needs to read an original service manual or Delco advertisement from the era.

 

[rrwhitman]

I actually put a small piece of green painters tape under it to give it a little more of a hew, haha. You almost have me convinced to take it off. Almost.

 

[Coppertop]

I actually put a small piece of green painters tape under it to give it a little more of a hew, haha. You almost have me convinced to take it off. Almost.

You!!!!!!

 

[rrwhitman]

 

[Shane 69 Hugger]

I actually put a small piece of green painters tape under it to give it a little more of a hew, haha. You almost have me convinced to take it off. Almost.

I have yet to see Coppertop be wrong about something.

 

[Robinls5]

Here is what I did, I got a REAL clear plastic ( eye from one of my old wet repo. Batt.) Then I ground it down so it sits about 1/8" from the top of the ( flat top, NO raised areas on my Batt. ). Polish the hell out of the bottom of the clear plastic piece, Then some green TESTORS model paint on " top " of the Batt. ( NOW, Look through the " EYE " and you see GREEN ! Then I added the Plastic type tag and a red felt washer.
Also on the bottom of the TOPPER I added some thin SOFT foam rubber glued on. NOW when you touch or hit the topper is sounds solid and not hollow.

 

[Robinls5]

P.S. Yes I know the 1970s were not green. Here is what I do know. How many folks that are OLD like me know the correct details of a lot of old car stuff. When you are old and the folks that DO NOT know about this old stuff,,, Will look at it and swear " BY GOD ITS TRUE I SAW ONE ".......... At my age, I call it charming the squirrels.
Did you know, A 1951 Chevy power glide had a IN-LINE ( water cooled ) Tranny cooler mounted in the lower Rad. Hose. When my Dad bought his CAMEL smokes in the fiftys, They were 23 cents a pack, There were TWO pennys in the side of the cigarette pack, I got to keep the two pennys. ( Its called the old folks date code ) LOL

 

[dyno jonn]

Did you know, A 1951 Chevy power glide had a IN-LINE ( water cooled ) Tranny cooler mounted in the lower Rad. Hose. When my Dad bought his CAMEL smokes in the fiftys, They were 23 cents a pack, There were TWO pennys in the side of the cigarette pack, I got to keep the two pennys. ( Its called the old folks date code ) LOL

FACT. My 51 was a powerglide car that had been converted to a three speed. The cooler was there, but I replaced it with a hose when I rebuilt the engine. Back in 51, glide cars came with a 235. Stick shift cars got the 216, but 99% of the other parts were the same excepting for the rear axle ratio. Ditto on the smokes. I was there, and am still kicking, but I quit the smokes in 1993.

 

[blm]

I went to Home Depot and looked through the sample cards in the paint section. Found the one I wanted. Trimmed it down and used double face tape to stick it to the battery under the eye.
Don’t usually attend car shows where they judge the car and some friend of the judges wins a gaudy plastic trophy. However few years ago I was at a judged show and some guy came up to me to tell me he voted for my car because it had the original battery in it.

 

[Cam]

FACT. My 51 was a powerglide car that had been converted to a three speed. The cooler was there, but I replaced it with a hose when I rebuilt the engine. Back in 51, glide cars came with a 235. Stick shift cars got the 216, but 99% of the other parts were the same excepting for the rear axle ratio. Ditto on the smokes. I was there, and am still kicking, but I quit the smokes in 1993.

On the Canadian cars there were no Powerglides in '50, but in '51 when the Powerglide made it's debut north of the border the 235 was also used for the 3-speed syncro-mesh & they ditched the 216. That was true for 1951-52.

 

[Robinls5]

This is for us GEESERS,,,,,,,,,, What was the color of the three slider / radio / & dash knobs in a 51 Chevy, 52s had the same knobs ... BUT were a different color. And the colors were. ???? & ?????
The canadians will spell the one word a bit different. P.S. My Dads 1948 Chevy had a " ? - - - - ? " shift three speed, " AND " he had the little green air deflectors on the wing windows.
The Early Chevrolets of that era had the stoplight located Where? It was held in place by two screws? This is way to much useless trivia. Its also fun ! Also if you were driving a 1953 chevy Standard shift the oil press. gauge would read 0 - 15 -30, If you had the NEW engine and a POWER GLIDE the oil press gauge would read 0-30-60, NO dippers on rods, The new engine, " Blue Flame Six " had a FULL PRESSURE oiling system. Who knows what BABITT Bearings are? & remember the little shims in the rod caps. The little rod shims were in the shape and looked like the metal pieces that are under the bolts that hold down the valve covers on a 70 B. Block engine,,,,,, O K Thats enough about old chevys. C - YA

 

[dyno jonn]

Grey and Black? I converted a high school buddys 48 to a floor shift using a later side cover. Had to add a little braze to the transmission case and grind out a bit of the case for clearance because the opening on the earlier transmission case wasn't exactly the same shape, and the NON VACUUM side cover and interlock link wouldn't fit and seal. The later side cover did have the same bolt pattern though. I could swap a transmission in the 51 in twenty minutes, never getting under the car. Pulled the carpet, removed the tunnel pan, removed the Sparkomatic™ floor shift, took out the transmission bolts (no lower cover on flywheel), rotated the transmission till the side cover was facing up and removed the side cover. Slid the enclosed driveshaft bell back and removed the bolts from the u-joint. Held the propeller shaft up with a hunk of rope and a tire iron. One time I powershifted and blew the whole bottom of the case off, cluster gear and all. Luckily boneyard rebuilts only cost 20 to 25 dollars at the time. As an aside, my 51 with split exhaust and a 3.55 axle would get up to 107 (indicated) on a two mile run. At that speed, the dual glasspacks sounded really sweet. I could only get the family 55 Roadmaster up to 105 on the same run. The Roadblaster was way quicker up to 60 though.

 

[blm]

Ok this thread has inspired me to correct the color on my Delco Eye. I installed it about 5 years ago but think the example that is in there now is a little too green. All I do is tape one of these paint sample cards under the eye. So which of these would you say is the most correct. I have whichI think but curious what others think.

 

[Coppertop]

Ok this thread has inspired me to correct the color on my Delco Eye. I installed it about 5 years ago but think the example that is in there now is a little too green. All I do is tape one of these paint sample cards under the eye. So which of these would you say is the most correct. I have whichI think but curious what others think.

View attachment 761998

Brad,

Whatever is most "yellowish" would be correct in my book.

'Lime tree' would "work".

Here's some originals:

NOS Vintage Delco Battery Eye - Screw In Type hot rod rat rod project 12 volt | eBay

Delco eye and caps - The Supercar Registry (yenko.net)

NOS GM DELCO BATTERY EYE | #149256256 (worthpoint.com)

Delco Eye Color | Team Chevelle (chevelles.com)

 

[blm]

Ok here is a pic of my attempt to correct the color in my Delco Eye. It looks pretty yellow to me. I used the “Lime Tree” paint sample card from above. The Delco Eye plastic battery cap has a little bit of yellow color to it even though the tube is cut off flush with the bottom of the cap. Think the yellow color is embedded in the plastic. So if someone were to use a yellow paint on the battery or perhaps a yellow paint sample card then I’m thing after it’s all assembled the eye would be very yellow.

 

[Coppertop]

Ok here is a pic of my attempt to correct the color in my Delco Eye. It looks pretty yellow to me. I used the “Lime Tree” paint sample card from above. The Delco Eye plastic battery cap has a little bit of yellow color to it even though the tube is cut off flush with the bottom of the cap. Think the yellow color is embedded in the plastic. So if someone were to use a yellow paint on the battery or perhaps a yellow paint sample card then I’m thing after it’s all assembled the eye would be very yellow.

View attachment 762115

It's not green, so it gets my vote.

 

[PSkahill]

Im curious where did you get the warning tag?

Ive got a replica battery on order but they told me it wont be at least until June. I think ill go the topper route now as well.

Also curious what size battery works or should I wait and get the top and go match it up..I should but I wont and ill do it all twice lol .

Thanks,
Pat

 

[rrwhitman]

The warning tag came from DrDecal.com. I’ll check the battery size later this weekend when home.
Robert