[DeTomaso] Dropped Battery Box - No cut in Front Trunk?

Thu May 20 15:25:18 EDT 2021

First, a 'box' is not needed, A stock battery when dropped is bounded by the front firewall in back, by the big sheet metal steering rack support in front and the steering shaft itself on the left; all that's needed is some sort of crossmember or platform for the battery to set on. A bungee strap retains the battery against upward motion from road bumps. Done correctly, the bolt-in crossmember (aluminum 2" angle-iron) also stiffens the front suspension as well as supports a battery. With no box in our '72, it's very well vented so no corrosion damage yet. On the right side, i dropped a loose 6" long piece of wooden 2x4 between the battery case and the right inner fender panel, to keep the battery from shifting around a trifle. Zero welding needed except for fabricating the crossmember. 

The stock battery ground wire connects to an available rack mount bolt under the trunk floor while the stock positive cable goes thru the former A/C drain hose grommet that's right there. It comes out under the dash and everything is long enough to hook up nicely. The stock A/C drain now drops straight down thru a small hole in the console floor, without a dogleg bend. And while you're at it, for safety reroute the connecting hard line for the right front brake. As stock, it runs behind the stock top mount battery, "protected" by a piece of usually torn shrink tubing! I wrote this up 4 decades ago in the Newsletter. No changes have been necessary yet.

Second, you NEED a big hole for battery access! Not having one means worse access than rear mounting the battery in front of the right rear wheel (which I also tried. Bad choice.) The first time you need to tighten a battery clamp, there you are jacking the nose up. So you can climb under and tighten the clamp, in the rain while getting soaked & dirty, on a road or parking lot somewhere in the dark, you'll bitterly regret not having direct access. Sure, I went out and looked at our Pantera's front trunk for weeks before I worked up my courage and finally cut the access hole- 40 yrs ago. I also cut off the protruding rail & brackets that held the stock battery mat and the hold-down turnbuckles. It took 5 minutes to form a sheet aluminum cover that's held with two slotted tabs and a single dzus button. The reupholstered front trunk, with upholstered battery cover, looks stock. Recommended mod. 

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike & Elizabeth <mbefthomas2 at gmail.com>
To: detomaso at server.detomasolist.com
Sent: Thu, May 20, 2021 10:49 am
Subject: [DeTomaso] Dropped Battery Box - No cut in Front Trunk?

  Doug Braun and I plan to drop the battery in the front of our cars as
  part of our current restoration process.  All of the drops I've seen or
  read about involve cutting a hole in the floor of the trunk and welding
  in a box or frame to mount the battery in, then fashioning some sort of
  removeable cover to have access to the battery.  Many also leave the
  ground stud at the back of the trunk next to the pedal box, still in
  full view.

  During discussion of the plans yesterday at the shop Doug offered the
  idea that the battery could be mounted under the front trunk without
  cutting a hole in the trunk floor.  Cable connections can be redone to
  afford charging/jump capability elsewhere in the car (in the front
  trunk or at the rear) and it would leave the front trunk floor uncut
  and eliminate the need to hide any cabling in the trunk.  This is not
  too different from many newer supercars/sports cars and how often do
  you really need have direct access to the battery.  The frame on which
  the battery would rest could be bolted in to the lower frame/structure
  so it would be removed to r/r the battery when/as needed.  We aren't
  really interested in moving the battery to the back as there is enough
  weight there already, and dropping the bat between the front wheels
  would lower the center of gravity at the front of the car.

  Has anyone of you ever done or considered doing something like this?

  Any and all thoughts and comments are welcome.

  Thanks

  Mike Thomas

  Panteras Northwest
_______________________________________________

Detomaso Email List is not managed by POCA
Posted emails must not exceed 1.5 Megabytes
DeTomaso mailing list
DeTomaso at server.detomasolist.com
http://server.detomasolist.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso

To manage your subscription (change email address, unsubscribe, etc.) use the links above.

Members who post to this list grant license to the list to forward any message posted here to all past, current, or future members of the list. They also grant the list owner permission to maintain an archive or approve the archiving of list messages.
-------------- next part --------------
   First, a 'box' is not needed, A stock battery when dropped is bounded
   by the front firewall in back, by the big sheet metal steering rack
   support in front and the steering shaft itself on the left; all that's
   needed is some sort of crossmember or platform for the battery to set
   on. A bungee strap retains the battery against upward motion from road
   bumps. Done correctly, the bolt-in crossmember (aluminum 2" angle-iron)
   also stiffens the front suspension as well as supports a battery. With
   no box in our '72, it's very well vented so no corrosion damage yet. On
   the right side, i dropped a loose 6" long piece of wooden 2x4 between
   the battery case and the right inner fender panel, to keep the battery
   from shifting around a trifle. Zero welding needed except for
   fabricating the crossmember.
   The stock battery ground wire connects to an available rack mount bolt
   under the trunk floor while the stock positive cable goes thru the
   former A/C drain hose grommet that's right there. It comes out under
   the dash and everything is long enough to hook up nicely. The stock A/C
   drain now drops straight down thru a small hole in the console floor,
   without a dogleg bend. And while you're at it, for safety reroute the
   connecting hard line for the right front brake. As stock, it runs
   behind the stock top mount battery, "protected" by a piece of usually
   torn shrink tubing! I wrote this up 4 decades ago in the Newsletter. No
   changes have been necessary yet.
   Second, you NEED a big hole for battery access! Not having one means
   worse access than rear mounting the battery in front of the right rear
   wheel (which I also tried. Bad choice.) The first time you need to
   tighten a battery clamp, there you are jacking the nose up. So you can
   climb under and tighten the clamp, in the rain while getting soaked &
   dirty, on a road or parking lot somewhere in the dark, you'll bitterly
   regret not having direct access. Sure, I went out and looked at our
   Pantera's front trunk for weeks before I worked up my courage and
   finally cut the access hole- 40 yrs ago. I also cut off the protruding
   rail & brackets that held the stock battery mat and the hold-down
   turnbuckles. It took 5 minutes to form a sheet aluminum cover that's
   held with two slotted tabs and a single dzus button. The reupholstered
   front trunk, with upholstered battery cover, looks stock. Recommended
   mod.
   -----Original Message-----
   From: Mike & Elizabeth <mbefthomas2 at gmail.com>
   To: detomaso at server.detomasolist.com
   Sent: Thu, May 20, 2021 10:49 am
   Subject: [DeTomaso] Dropped Battery Box - No cut in Front Trunk?
     Doug Braun and I plan to drop the battery in the front of our cars as
     part of our current restoration process.  All of the drops I've seen
   or
     read about involve cutting a hole in the floor of the trunk and
   welding
     in a box or frame to mount the battery in, then fashioning some sort
   of
     removeable cover to have access to the battery.  Many also leave the
     ground stud at the back of the trunk next to the pedal box, still in
     full view.
     During discussion of the plans yesterday at the shop Doug offered the
     idea that the battery could be mounted under the front trunk without
     cutting a hole in the trunk floor.  Cable connections can be redone
   to
     afford charging/jump capability elsewhere in the car (in the front
     trunk or at the rear) and it would leave the front trunk floor uncut
     and eliminate the need to hide any cabling in the trunk.  This is not
     too different from many newer supercars/sports cars and how often do
     you really need have direct access to the battery.  The frame on
   which
     the battery would rest could be bolted in to the lower
   frame/structure
     so it would be removed to r/r the battery when/as needed.  We aren't
     really interested in moving the battery to the back as there is
   enough
     weight there already, and dropping the bat between the front wheels
     would lower the center of gravity at the front of the car.
     Has anyone of you ever done or considered doing something like this?
     Any and all thoughts and comments are welcome.
     Thanks
     Mike Thomas
     Panteras Northwest
   _______________________________________________
   Detomaso Email List is not managed by POCA
   Posted emails must not exceed 1.5 Megabytes
   DeTomaso mailing list
   [1]DeTomaso at server.detomasolist.com
   [2]http://server.detomasolist.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso
   To manage your subscription (change email address, unsubscribe, etc.)
   use the links above.
   Members who post to this list grant license to the list to forward any
   message posted here to all past, current, or future members of the
   list. They also grant the list owner permission to maintain an archive
   or approve the archiving of list messages.

References

   1. mailto:DeTomaso at server.detomasolist.com
   2. http://server.detomasolist.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso