battery trickery

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thom

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 25, 2009
Messages
132
Location
western NC
I mounted the battery tray on the passenger side firewall on my '55 Studebaker truck. I hate the looks of a plain old battery up front and up top like that but I didn't want to put it under the floor or in a box in the bed so there it will sit. I'm thinking about making it interesting, at least. I have a Delco side post display battery, meaning it is a "real" battery, except it is an empty case. I'm probably going to mount a smaller "real" battery inside it and hide the cables from view. So the battery will sit in the tray with no cables attached. Maybe onlookers at cruise-ins will scratch their heads wondering how it starts and runs with no cables from battery to starter, etc.
Another option would be to use a "high-end" battery like an Optima or reproduction vintage battery. That probably won't happen due to the high cost.
 
I mounted the battery tray on the passenger side firewall on my '55 Studebaker truck. I hate the looks of a plain old battery up front and up top like that but I didn't want to put it under the floor or in a box in the bed so there it will sit. I'm thinking about making it interesting, at least. I have a Delco side post display battery, meaning it is a "real" battery, except it is an empty case. I'm probably going to mount a smaller "real" battery inside it and hide the cables from view. So the battery will sit in the tray with no cables attached. Maybe onlookers at cruise-ins will scratch their heads wondering how it starts and runs with no cables from battery to starter, etc.
Another option would be to use a "high-end" battery like an Optima or reproduction vintage battery. That probably won't happen due to the high cost.

You can get a cover that simply covers the top of a new battery and makes it look like a vintage battery. I think they're pretty inexpensive.

I think your display battery is probably worth more as a collectible than to use for that purpose, but I could be wrong.
 
Using the fake battery would be fun, if you want it to show.

I am also thinking about where to hide a battery given the rules you have already determined. My 04 Dodge Stratus has a tiny battery hidden in the front of the left wheel well behind a panel. Huge PITA to access. Remove tire, remove panel, disconnect battery and retainers, pull battery. Reverse process. I just get the guy at the battery shop to do it.

That said, I believe there would be space for a battery behind the tire in the fender well of your Stud. You would need to use an enclosed battery box or some kind of protection for it, but it would be out of sight. Cables could be mostly hidden, and would only be seen running from the wheel well to the starter. You could hide some jump-start posts in a more accessible place if needed.

I didn't think of this before I put my battery behind the cab under the bed, otherwise I would have done it. The custom positive cable cost me as much as a battery!
 
Using the fake battery would be fun, if you want it to show.

I am also thinking about where to hide a battery given the rules you have already determined. My 04 Dodge Stratus has a tiny battery hidden in the front of the left wheel well behind a panel. Huge PITA to access. Remove tire, remove panel, disconnect battery and retainers, pull battery. Reverse process. I just get the guy at the battery shop to do it.

That said, I believe there would be space for a battery behind the tire in the fender well of your Stud. You would need to use an enclosed battery box or some kind of protection for it, but it would be out of sight. Cables could be mostly hidden, and would only be seen running from the wheel well to the starter. You could hide some jump-start posts in a more accessible place if needed.

I didn't think of this before I put my battery behind the cab under the bed, otherwise I would have done it. The custom positive cable cost me as much as a battery!

A friend had his battery hidden behind the passengers seat. One day he was working on his truck in his garage and the battery shorted out internally. He was able to save the truck, but it was basically a total rebuild (paint, wiring, upholstery, etc.)

I'm a firm believer in not hiding batteries. I don't care how it looks, if it's easily accessible so that my truck won't burn completely, it's going on the firewall.
 
A friend had his battery hidden behind the passengers seat. One day he was working on his truck in his garage and the battery shorted out internally. He was able to save the truck, but it was basically a total rebuild (paint, wiring, upholstery, etc.)

I'm a firm believer in not hiding batteries. I don't care how it looks, if it's easily accessible so that my truck won't burn completely, it's going on the firewall.
Good point snopor, I once had a battery get shorted out in my VW Bug. No fire, but scary enough.

A well placed battery shutoff switch is likely a great idea for a hidden battery. Even if it wouldn't necessarily address your concern.
 
Several people wanted me to move my battery to the trunk, I said no way. I'm not building a drag car where I need to move weight to the rear, and I prefer to be able to get to it in a hurry if need be. Mine is going to be in the factory spot on the passenger fender against the firewall. It balances out the firewall IMHO, because you have the brake booster on the other side.

The idea of a battery in the empty case is funny, you could put a bluetooth emblem on it and tell anybody that asked that it was wireless.:eek::cool:
If you go that route you could run the cables inside a box down the firewall, but I would want a cutoff switch close to the battery in open sight in case of something happening, it might not be you that needed to cut the power, so it should be easy to spot.....
 
When I put a battery in a hard to get to location I put a plug on the battery and one on a set of jumper cables, then if I have trouble just plug and go.
3BY20_AS01
 
I had a couple of those empty showrooom batteries. I was carrying one like it was heavy, then threw it at a fiend and said "catch". He jumped back, spewed several expletives of vulgarity until I started laughing.
 
I was working in a Chevrolet dealership parts department when Delco Battery Co sent them out to Delco retailers. We had fun tossing them to the techs when they walked into the parts department. I wish I had video of their reactions. I gave one to a Baptist preacher friend to use as a visual aid when he delivered a sermon entitled "Being real or being a fake". I sawed the top off and reattached it with hinges on one to make a lunch box. A friend of mine operates a store here locally that sells only batteries . They will buy old cores from the public. A fellow sold them a pallet with several batteries on it one day. After he had taken the cash and quickly disappeared they discovered that some of the cores were fakes.
 
I agree that trunk mount batteries on a street car

are not the way to go for the most part... I mounted the battery in the truck on my Pontiac and I've regretted doing it ever since... thank God I didn't drill any holes in anything to run an outside shut off... but I think I'm going to put it back where it belongs... my 63 isn't a drag car either... I like the under hood look of no battery but opening the trunk all the time to shut down the kill switch is a pita. I too am not real impressed with the Optima's... I had one go bad in less than a year and I'm hoping this one survives for a few years...
 
I just said the heck with it and put a new Delco battery in the tray. Looks ok. Gotta move on to other things. I want to drive this thing soon.
 

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