Bob..on the red plastic on the end..yes they come off. Most cut them instead of taking off when they do things to the cars.

While it'* off and being cleaned I would suggest a new spacer and bolt going into the battery. Both are sold at parts stores.

Even though you shined up the ends and your connectors, don't be fooled into thinking it'* as "good as new". It isn't. That corrosion wicks its way down the positive cable and eats it from within. Learn from my mistake and replace the cable now. There'* nothing quite as convincing as being stranded with a car that won't start because you didn't replace your corroded positive cable. I did the whole polishing thing with wire wheel on the connectors. It'* a false sense of security. I've been through this now with 5 Pontiacs: 74 Ventura, 78 Bonneville, 88 Grand Prix, 97 Bonneville, and 01 Grand Prix GT.

Dude, replace your cable. Trust me on this one.