Just a quick question. Which side of the car in the rear would be the best for this battery mount as far as weight is concerned. There is a good little platform on either side in the trunk area where it could be mounted.

I figured the passenger side might be best for turning the car since it would be opposite the driver. However, I also know a lot of drag race guys put it on the drivers side since the battery would be above the tire with the least traction during acceleration.

This Optima red top, bracket, and FAT 1/0 gauge cable is some significant weight back there, over 40 pounds, so I want to make sure I weld it down in a good spot.

I will get my gallery of photos for this project up soon for everyone to see. Right now the 94 almost looks like those spy shots of Lou's Z06 from back in the day. The only things still on the car are the pedals and parking brake lever. Other than that it is a shell sitting on 4 jackstands. Hopefully my weight will be closer to 3,000 lbs. than 3,500 when it's all done. Anyway...

Thanks for the help!

I wouldn't put it very close to the sides of the car...guys like to stick em in the spare tire area...bad idea if body contact can ever occur....here is a pic of mine...



Good idea to keep it as low as possible as well.

Darn, that spare tire area looks perfect for the thing too. Car looks good Randy, one word describes it. CLEAN.

I agree with rmackintosh in his placement.
.....but yes, the passenger's side is best for what we do.

Hope to see you this next year ! !
....I'm doing a "little" work on mine as well

Yeah thats what I hear...

Shady racers.

Glad you are getting the 'Bird back together. Lord knows we don't want you in a BMW.

... same as Randy's location, in the well.

Go to the link in my sig and you can see where mine is mounted - right-rear. (I don't know where the picture of the battery is in the album since I am at work and the webshots page is blocked by our firewall). I think there are arguments for the middle of the rear as well. I like the fact that the battery is as far as possible from my stock gas tank filler neck... The primary reason for it being placed there is to offset the additional weight of the driver on the opposite side. With this in mind, the (very heavy) battery cables are also to the right all the way back...

wouldn't you ideally want it inboard of the rear axle?

... many people fit it next to the driver in the empty passanger area, or the spot where the right rear passenger seat was. Next would be well if you still have more than one seat in the car. With roll cages that extend past the rear axle it is protected (to some degree).

Randy,
Doesnt your battery have to be in a sealed box or invironment? Or do you have some type of bulkhead covering that area that isnt seen inthe picture?

I would love to put mine in that same spot but I have a feeling that I am going to have to do some cutting back there to allow space for a fuel cell.

We've got it in the passanger rear seat indentation area in a plastic marine battery box. I made some custom brackets that ain't pretty, but the top of the box covers it. I put it there so that it was inboard of the rear axle.

Jason

I have a nice shiny aluminum bulkhead that seals off the entire area down there.....makes it all flat across the back...you can see the dZus button bracket just above the battery!

You obviously have too much time on your hands Randy.

Is that stick what you use to keep the hatch open? After seeing a 1 X 1 from the garden, and seeing it flex under all that weight, I put the hatch shocks back on. They don't weigh that much and the hatch does. I got a couple of spares if you want them...

Jason

Wolfe Racecraft bulkhead?

Well...my shocks were shot so...they went in the garbage...

I first had a 1/2" dowel in there I BRUSHED IT SLIGHTLY working in there one day.....IT SNAPPED!.... ...I jerked out of there but it ALMOST TOOK MY HEAD OFF! The 1" dowel there works fine now!

...Nope....custom Mackintosh Motorsports fabricated piece!

The previous owner gave me the thicker half of a fishing rod to hold my hatch open. It bends a little but doesn't get scary.