I think I might have to crawl a bit here and accept that - with the huge currents being drawn during cranking - it's quite likely that the extra-hefty cable will make a noticeable difference.

Even tho' there will only be fractions of an ohm difference between the two cable resistances, this could still account for a few extra amps being delivered. A quick calculation shows that even a one-hundredth of an ohm difference can mean 11 Amps at 12V.

And, if your existing cable warms up even a tiny bit during cranking, that could make a genuinely-significant further difference.

(Wheeee - page three of 'battery size'... )

Holy smokin' (cheap) jump leads, Batman...

I burnt a set of jump leads trying to start my old spare engine in the garage
The jump leads where no thinner (or thicker !)

Cranking power when cold is important as is maintaining your battery.I have a Varta 43 amp hour fitted to my 2CV and have never had any starting problems even in the coldest weather.My car lives outside so when it's cold so is the car and battery.On maintenance front the electrolyte level should be kept topped up with distilled water,it follows that if it's a sealed type you can't. Terminal posts should be clean bright,tight and protected with Vaseline.The top of your battery should also be kept clean and dry. Your other connections to the starter and earth should also be clean and tight. A few minutes spent cleaning them up and protecting them can reduce the drop across a crappy joint,which in turn will give you more power to start.

If you only do short runs a nice steady trickle charge will keep things in tip top shape,but don't boost charge and this can cause the lead to be shead of the plates and will knacker you battery. I have a solar charger which I use when the car is left standing for a couple of weeks away from a mains power source,gives me peace of mind .

Whilst cleaning your terminals make sure your earth and live feeds to the rest of your car are good to, mind there's a lot of really naff connectors in the wiring which could do with a clean and the like

I have H4 headlights and driving lamps, a 4 speaker audio system and a few other gizmo's drawing power. All of which are not switched on until I've started the car which is good practice to my mind with any car

Jameswallace,

Please note that these "china made" jump start cables only look like standard cables comparing the outside diameter.
The inside hides one or two hair thin wires.
I've allredy changed mine with industrial rate ones.

Chust to confirm that the 079 battery fits perfectly and looks completely at home - the securing clamp barely needs to be opened out any further than on the standard battery. Side-by-side against an original 063, it's about 1cm taller - that's it. And comfortably over 10% extra capacity at 50Ah.

size discussion always gets things going.