mikefocke, thanks for the info, I will definitely check out what you posted.
The position of the pole connections is something that concerned me, as I know someone who ran into that problem when purchasing their yellow top (though it apparently came with a plastic mounting plate included that raised the battery up to the proper height, which would've been nice had the poles been in the right position), so if it's not all that involved I'd definitely like to do it and have the peace of mind of having a battery that can handle all the heavy draws (like operating the top) and things that run constantly on this car.
Thanks again!
EDIT: I decided to take a look at your link in the same sitting, saw that you listed the Battery Tender Jr. as a good item to use. I do have one of these that I use more for the bike's battery, and just ordered the cigarette adapter that I'll need to take care of the car battery over the winter...now if you we could do something about the 2+ feet of snow lingering around here...
It seems that D34R is a tricky item to track down, mike. I checked that 1st-Optima link you supplied in your writeup, but they don't seem to have it listed (only the D34 and D34/78). Do I have to contact them and ask about this particular model?
EDIT 2: Um...or am I mistaken in my thinking that they actually make a D34R Yellow Top? I see it listed under the Red Top, but I was looking for a Yellow Top...would be disappointing if they don't have a reverse one of those...