Hello, not much of a forum poster but I have been lurking and reading all the great info on the site. It has already helped me a lot with maintenance. Thanks to all those that have contributed to the knowledge base! One maintenance item I searched but couldn't find good info on was finding a battery that would fit in the original battery box. Best the search could find me was that a lot of people seem to use lawn mower batteries or make a stand to put a full size battery on top of the box. That's what mine came with but I didn't like the exposed look of the battery sitting on top of the battery box or the idea of running a low amp mower battery. I did some digging online and found a Mazda Miata battery part# 8AMU1R will fit in the box with a bit of room to spare. AutoZone had them on the shelf as a Duralast Gold with 5 year warranty and 460 cranking amps/370 cold. Don't know if anyone else has discovered it but figured I'd try and give back a little. Hope it helps
Uhhm, the Miata takes a group U1r battery. Which is a small tractor, and lawn mower battery. But basically, unless you have greatly changed things from what the engineers who deigned the vehicle had in mind, i.e. your somewhere it gets to forty below, or putting in a much larger engine. Buying the battery, that fits in the space available, with the highest cold cranking amps you can find is always a good choice. Having a bunch of accessories doesn’t mean you need a bigger battery. It means you need a higher output alternator. Welcome aboard, and keep posting.
Perhaps it is just a mower battery by a different name but I couldn't find a battery in the lawn section with a real warranty or decent reviews for long term use.. That (and fitment) was the main reason for buying it. I'm aware the alternator is what drives the accessories, just posting specs for those interested.
