# Which positive battery cable is correct for a 70 GTO?



## Bobs70GTO (Jun 1, 2018)

Hello all - this is my first time posting on this forum, so go easy on me! I am replacing both battery cables for my 70 GTO convertible (since both were "Kmart style" red and black cables when I bought it 10 years ago and I am trying to get the car back to stock appearance). My question is regarding the positive battery cable - the GTO assembly manual shows a single cable routed to the starter motor. However, when you go to OPGI and other resto parts suppliers, they offer both the single wire cable and a double wire cable with the extra wire coming from the terminal connection. (Pictures of the cables are attached to this post). I assume the single cable is correct, but is there any advantage to the two wire style? If so, where does the skinnier wire attach to - the alternator? I am also replacing the engine wiring harness too, so I'd like the solution to be compatible with it; I have a new stock type 61 amp alternator w/ external voltage regulator, but I'm not running any additional high current devices like electric fans since my cooling system has behaved flawlessly with the stock setup. Thanks for your help.


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

The top post spring ring cable with no secondary lead is correct. The style of *side terminal* positive cable with a secondary lead was a mid 80's GM "thing", never used on a late '60's -mid 70's Pontiac. 

Delco for decades produced and sold boxed service replacement side terminal positive battery cables with the smaller guage secondary lead. Catalogue vendors like Year One in the late 80's to who knows how late a time period, actually jumped on the "Delco" being "correct" insanity. Offering that particular Service Replacement positive cable for "restoration" usage for the '71 and 72 Pontiac A-body's factory built with 455 & side terminal battery. Totally incorrect, offering anything to make a sale 

One way to avoid the hucksters offering incorrect restoration parts is to purchase & acquaint oneself with the reproduced Assembly Manuals that are available for several years of GTO & Firebird production. Besides the incorrect junk that end up in many reproduction parts vendors catalogues, there is also their fair share of poorly reproduced items. A good example is the '68-69 LeMans/GTO fenders, quality wise, fit wise, they are lower than absolute junk, yet they are in OPGI's catalogue and on their website with no disclaimers.


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## Bobs70GTO (Jun 1, 2018)

Thanks for the great feedback, Pinion Head. I do have an assembly manual for my GTO (I bought it shortly after I bought my car) which has been a big help - that is where I got the assembly picture I posted. It's a shame that the restoration suppliers don't do a bit more homework on the products they sell, to make sure they are really "original" reproductions. Thanks again!


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