I haven't seen much talk about battery boxes around here...

My car is almost a daily driver. I don't like the idea of having it out in the rain... I'm particularly concerned with the battery being exposed enough to get wet and drip corrosive drops into my hellhole. I want the 914 to be able to handle the weather. (The rustoration is coming. After repair and POR15 and decent paint it will be more resistant, but then I'll probably been even more protective.)

So, I could move the battery into one of the trunks as I've seen done. But why not just put it in a weatherproof box (vented appropriately)???

In my driver my battery tray collapseted. Thats when I found out that sheet metal screws don't work well in fiberglass. My hole inner fender and hell hole are glassed. I expet that this car will fold on me.
Just put in an Optima.
Joe

QUOTE (RandyLok @ Mar 9 2005, 07:27 PM)

... I'm particularly concerned with the battery being exposed enough to get wet and drip corrosive drops into my hellhole.

we don't talk about them because most of us have learned to use an Optima 34-R or a small SLA/AGM like a Hawker Genesis ...

totally sealed. mount in any position. totally sealed.

The Mazda Miata uses a small sealed gel battery that can be adapted to the 914.
CCLINSEALEDINGEL

Ok, sealed battery is the way to go. But all the guys who relocate the battery with the intention of getting it out of the elements are just missing this?

QUOTE (RandyLok @ Mar 10 2005, 01:18 AM)

But all the guys who relocate the battery with the intention of getting it out of the elements are just missing this?

first, most of the guys who relocate the battery do it with the intention of altering the weight distribution -- mostly, they want the weight lower.

but a lot of relocations were done before the widespread availability of sealed batteries. the cars are 35 years old but the Optima is much more recent. so lots of owners ripped out their failed battery trays and decided to do "something else."

especially on early no-rain-tray cars.

unless i were lookinf gor max concours originality points (not likely...) if i had a caar with a relocated battery, i doubt i'd weld in a new tray and put the battery back into its original position. i'd probably just continue using the relocated position - but i'd probably use an Optima because they are sealed, and they can be mounted in any position, which gives you more mounting flexibility.