....Add that to the list! ...Mark
‘64 Battery
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 4,264
Likes: 803
From: Georgetown TX
2025 C2 of the Year ('64-'66) Finalist - Unmodified
2021 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2019 C2 of Year Finalist (stock)
2016 C2 of Year Finalist
Slip a short piece of red hose over it!
Team Owner
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 31,497
Likes: 1,313
From: Huntsville AL
Just went through the battery cable debate on my 64.
The black positive cable had a cut in the insulation. I have a new red cable laying around so it is now on the car.
What I don't need is someone (probably me) mistaking the black cable for the negative cable some time in the future.
I got rid of the spring clip cable ends for bolt on cable ends. I cannot stand those spring clip ends.
I also added a battery disconnect to the negative terminal.
The black positive cable had a cut in the insulation. I have a new red cable laying around so it is now on the car.
What I don't need is someone (probably me) mistaking the black cable for the negative cable some time in the future.
I got rid of the spring clip cable ends for bolt on cable ends. I cannot stand those spring clip ends.
I also added a battery disconnect to the negative terminal.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 32,992
Likes: 6,523
From: Rochester NY
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '26
Unless someone is into NCRS or similar efforts of exact originality, the red/black as is usually used seems safer. While I *usually* look at the symbol on the battery before applying jumpers, there have been occasions when for whatever reason I just went with the color of the cables to tell me where to clip. And even on my own car, after decades of "black is ground" thinking, it would be easy to have a brain fart and mess it up.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 7,444
Likes: 2,625
From: Really Central IL Illinois
Couple of things that I have encountered with batteries that seem kind of 'DUMB'.
1. A friend calls up and said he put a new battery in his truck and it was dead so he took it back and got a second new battery and it was also dead. I ran into his house and started doing some troubleshooting - no lights, no starter, no click at all. Went to check the cable ends and noticed the positive post of the battery was red and the negative was black rather than the normal lead gray - He had left the plastic protectors on the posts and spread the cable clamps to get them on. DUH? Scary part is he is a supervisor at a Nuke Plant.
2. I tried to help a friend tune up his old grain truck. 327 with points. Went to check the timing and my timing light wouldn't work. Went and got a new timing light and it wouldn't work either. Close inspection found the red cable going to the negative post and the black going to the positive. He put new (used) cables on and didn't care about the color, just function. I PAID FOR MY DUH!!! Now I have two timing lights in case I loose one.
3. My grandson jumped a buddy with his fox body Stang. They crossed the cables and didn't notice because his buddy's battery was flat and a little sparking didn't make him ask why. He fired up his Stang and melted the insulation from the cables that were laying across his fender. - He needs a new paint job now.
1. A friend calls up and said he put a new battery in his truck and it was dead so he took it back and got a second new battery and it was also dead. I ran into his house and started doing some troubleshooting - no lights, no starter, no click at all. Went to check the cable ends and noticed the positive post of the battery was red and the negative was black rather than the normal lead gray - He had left the plastic protectors on the posts and spread the cable clamps to get them on. DUH? Scary part is he is a supervisor at a Nuke Plant.
2. I tried to help a friend tune up his old grain truck. 327 with points. Went to check the timing and my timing light wouldn't work. Went and got a new timing light and it wouldn't work either. Close inspection found the red cable going to the negative post and the black going to the positive. He put new (used) cables on and didn't care about the color, just function. I PAID FOR MY DUH!!! Now I have two timing lights in case I loose one.
3. My grandson jumped a buddy with his fox body Stang. They crossed the cables and didn't notice because his buddy's battery was flat and a little sparking didn't make him ask why. He fired up his Stang and melted the insulation from the cables that were laying across his fender. - He needs a new paint job now.
Last edited by R66; Apr 17, 2019 at 09:26 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 10,559
Likes: 8,359
From: San Antonio, TX/Mahopac, NY
2024 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C7 of the Year Winner - Modified
Given the strange conventions and that most of us own multiple old cars from different OEMs, the best approach is to always follow the cables. In a negative ground, the positive cable almost always goes to the starter solenoid and the negative to the engine block or frame. Hard to miss which is which.
To the OP, glad you sorted it out!
To the OP, glad you sorted it out!
