the battery i have now is a group 27, 850cca, and the date is 4/2011 if i charge it before i take the car out, it works ok, but parking it overnight with the negative cable disconnected, it discharges to anywhere between 11.9 and 12.1 volts. good tips on going to a group 34 battery and checking out a junkyard. thanks ! my one buddy has a nephew that works at a scrap yard, and they get batteries in all the time. i'll have him keep his eye out for one..........