[DeTomaso] details on locating the battery box when you drop it through the floor

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

As Dan said, you really don't have much choice in its location. The rear 
cut will come right up to the firewall under the old battery tray and the 
front cut will stretch to the steering rack crossmember.   you do have a little 
leeway with the side cuts depending on the size of the battery you intend to 
use, but don't get too close to the clutch master line or vacuum booster 
hose. A sheet metal cover can be fabricated; mine is aluminum held in with two 
Dzus buttons.

A second point: one really doesn't need a battery box once the hole is cut: 
the battery will be restrained back & front by the firewall and the 
steering rack crossmember, and the steering shaft/clutch line to the left; all 
thats needed is a spacer between whatever battery you use and the right side 
upper frame section. I use a 2x4. A simple rail-crossmember between the lower 
frame rails for the battery to set on is all thats needed and this mount 
optimally vetillates the battery of charging gasses & acid. It has the advantage 
of slightly bracing the lower frame rails & lower a-arm attach points, too. 
Mine has been there since the early '90s without a problem. 

A few more notes: a totally stock 'hot' battery cable will fit if pulled 
through its grommet and re-routed to the new lower location; the short stock 
ground connects to a rack-mount bolt. You should use a top-post battery due 
to the close fit to the rack crossmember for side-mounts; if its a dual-mount 
battery with side mounts too, leave the little red plastic plug in the hot 
side-post to keep the 12V opening from touching any metal. To clean up the 
rest of the trunk, re-rout the front brake lines from inside the trunk to 
below the trunk floor. Do not be too surprised by the battery-acid corrosion on 
the brake line that ran behind the battery in its stock position.
Hardest part is making the first cut. After that its self-directing. Good 
luck, Kenn- J Deryke