im at the point on my floor installation to do something with the battery box. i am not going to be using it. it would need to be rebuilt. i plan on using a firewall mounted box. anyone have any ideas should i keep it? if so what do i do with it? or should i just ditch it all together? thanks- Robert
My 2 pennies ROBERT I would keep the battery box where it's at. I would rebuild it or buy a new one and this way it will keep your engine compartment clean. My two pennies. Robert
thanks, i considered that but i already have the new box and it looks pretty nice installed. i was trying to figure out another use for the hole in the floor. anyone know how big of a battery it can hold? thanks- Robert
Really??? Robert, I want to do this also. Could you post a picture so I/we could see how it looks? I also have been thinking of putting one in the inside fender. (Cut out and install) Firewall seems a lot quicker though.
I built this batt. box about 5 years ago when i was in highschool while in metal shop. its just some 20 ga. galvanized sheet metal and spot welds. it mounts in 2 places, on the firewall and on the inner fender via the small tab at the bottom. its pretty easy to make if you got a press brake and a spot welder. -Robert
That's an idea~ I need to get a shot of how a local rod builder did his. It was in the inner fender and looked pretty slick. Ideas, ideas... As far as the space under the cab~ I'd like to put something down on the floor that I won't be lifting up. Even if it's the rubber mat, I still want to put it down and not take it back up. Another reason why I want to go with a firewall mounted MC. I think I'll go without the power part, but get a dual reservoir. That way I can nail down my floor covering and do nothing to it but keep it clean.
well the batt. box is gone for now. i decided the sheetmetal rot was to far gone. i could still make a box but would have to make a new cover recess. im thinking i will just ditch the box completely.-Robert
I have somewhere a battery mount for a later model 55, or 56, if I find it I'll temp mount it and see what it looks like and how much room it takes up under the hood and firewall. If I remember right the heater connection is in the way.
Firewall Battery Box Is totally and completely in the way of ALL service you might want to do later on..... especially on InLine engines If you bring your truck to my shop for tune up or starter work , it'll cost you extra . Plus , the battery looks ugly , with to-day's modern long life battires there's no need to have if out in plain view , that goes against everything Hot Rodders stand for .
thanks for the input but: #1- i dont have an inline engine #2- i will probably never see your shop #3- i like the battery to be accessible while working on the engine #4- sorry i never read the hot rodder rule book but i think it looks good with all that said i do appreciate your reply. one can never have too many opinions. thanks- Robert
Ooooooo K... Apparently you can jump these 12 volt versions by hooking the hot to the starter post and the ground to the frame. (If the 12 volt battery is under the floor...) But I don't want to have to pull up whatever I put down for floor covering just to get to or replace the battery. You know I'm big on "mullin' things over", and it's not set in stone until it is actually installed in -or on- my truck. I love the wealth of ideas I've gotten from here. The battery in a recess pocket in the fender well was a slick idea that a local builder came up with for the same reason as Robert's and mine. Serviceability. With side-mount posts, the battery top is flat and provides a great surface to set your ...beverage of choice... Since it sets down in a ways, not much to lean over, either. Plus, you already have the heater hoses, the battery cables run right with them. Unless I want to crawl under the truck, there really isn't any other place to mount a battery, right? Evan~ you ever stash a battery in a cool, out of the way, easy to access location? Thanks for any ideas beyond this!
Remote Battery Location Well ; You alls know I'm a Yankee Farm Mechanic right ? grew up around Milking Shorthorns ? . So , in the 60's the salted roads meant rusted away battery boxes all the time , we'd take an insulated , galvanized milk bottle box off someone's porch and mount it on the running board right aft of the passenger's door , run the battery cables out of the back , add a couple rubber grommets so's the battery cables wouldn't chafe . Most of the milk boxes back then had the local dairy's name and logo painted on the outside so it looked O.K. , I'd think this would fit in well with to-days ' retro rod / Rat Rod ' (wannabe) look..... Maybe For those who are too young or grew up in hot climates , there once was a time when the Milk Man delivered frsh milk to your doorstep in the wee hours of the morning , they'd leave this nifty double walled , insulated , BCI Group 24 battery sized box for the milk bottles to sit in so they'd not freeze and break.... Those boxes were handy for lots of different uses, in rual areas they made great running board tool & battery boxes . There was even a novelty song about The Milkman.... ' There's a man comes to our house , every single day , Papa comes home and the man he goes away..... '
Jewel T, Helms were some of the other daily home products and lets not forget the ol' insurance sells person that came around and wrote down in a booklet it you paid bill. But on a rat truck a milk crate would be look good as a battery box.
Hey... sombody almost as old as mee. I used to run a milk route before high school each day. Pretty good part time job, but had to go to work at midnight. PS glass bottles are easier to carry than paper cartons. Jim
have you considered the drop down box that goes under your floor. so long as you don't have a low rider you should be able to get to your battery without opening your floor... http://www.classicperform.com/tech_articles/Battery-Box/Drop-Out-Battery-Box.htm and it works with the hot rodder code of conduct GT
