Power is first necessity in automotive vehicles, and this old truck needs a battery and new cables. So I am going to replace both. I have tested the battery and found it is kaput, so changing just the leads will not help me to get it moving. Therefore, as my new tyres are on their way, I will make this my first step in truck recovery!First, a peek at the old cables:Es no bueno. Es, in fact, muy malo.So, in order to strip these, wisely drape an old pair of dungarees o’er the terminals (as a car battery that is effectively dead still has juice to zap you).Then the metal tools can come out.First, I use my cutting blade to see how far back the major corrosion I the leads goes.Pretty far.We check on this to determine how badly the dying battery has sent it’s last charge back through the thick battery terminals. In old weather, dying batteries can ionize in the wrong direction, causing especially bad copper corrosion on the negative lead. (This is why, sometimes, your cold-shocked battery starts better when you put the negative lead on the car body instead of the negative terminal.) Clearly, one day before winter, I will have to change out this cable at least. For now, in high summer, however, this will suffice, provided I strip a bit further, then polish off the copper corrosion.Let us check out the positive cable.It is better, as our box cutter shows us. Poor battery, it’s only good for so much lead reclamation, now.We now take our handy replacement terminals and pop the leads into them.We open up the aperture to fit both cables of the negative leads, then place inside. The first time I tightened them, I buggered it up a bit… Leaving a gap of exposed copper wire. This will cause all weather ionization at my terminal, resulting in discharge- of my shiny new battery! This is the sort of gap or loose connection to be avoided at all costs. The first Solar flare or background ionization field and boom! no more battery charge.