72 Battery tray, box, hold down...

[Raze]

Hi everyone,

I'm fixing this basketcase of a 72 and after looking at parts catalogs, searching around looking at pictures I've determined the header is custom since it matches nothing, looks like a home made header flange and comes within an inch of the battery tray. This wouldn't be a big deal if there were a box or some sort of heat shield or tie down, alas there is none on either the battery or the header. The only thing holding the battery in place are the wires.

I pulled the battery and the rubber gasket it was sitting on and the tray has some rust through (surprise). Looks like a PO patched it too with a piece of sheetmetal and 2 wood screws. It has also rusted through. I'm going to strip the affected area, cut away all rusty bits but leave the two support arms as they appear to be in good shape. I'll coat them to prevent further decay and I'm planning on building a box out of sheet aluminum which will then get sheet metal screwed in place (in case I want/need to remove it, I hate drilling rivets).

I was wondering what I could use as an appropriate tie down for the battery as the box won't have a cover. I've seen ones with long threaded rods on either side with some sort of bracket going over the top of the battery. I'm all ears.

Thanks.

[baltobernie]

Hi Raze,
I had the same problem with my '73, and decided to relocate the battery to the trunk like later model Spiders. I used this bracket http://www.southwestspeed.com/?sec=view_part&id=1915, which might also work in the original battery location.



PS If you refer to her as a "basket case" rather than "in the midst of a makeover", you're asking for trouble down the road

[Raze]

WOW that's ironic, I was debating that but finding an appropriate box was tough for the price. Also, I use SouthWest Speed for my AutoX/Track Merkur XR4Ti rear drop springs and even have their stickers on the car! Thanks for the suggestion, I'm going to go ahead and go that route, I liked the rearmount idea far better anyway!

[baltobernie]

You're welcome. I'd strongly suggest welding the $^#T out of it to the rear bulkhead, as there's a lot of cantilevered weight there. BTW, with this box, if you hold it up a few inches so that your trunk boards are still usable, you'll need a shorter battery than OE. Use size 34. And the removable key master switch is a pretty good theft deterrent, (unless you're around Craig, who is carrying a red plastic key waiting for me to leave Gina unattended)

[Raze]

nice pictures, I have a couple questions though about them, did you de-bumperette your front bumper? did you fill the holes and have it rechromed or do you have chrome headed bolts in there? I'm digging the multi-color turn signal lense, I've seen those in the catalogs, I think I'm going to switch mine. you say yours is a 73 yet you have 68 turnsignals? did you swap the whole fenders over or did you fill/cut for the older style turn signals (of which I'm a big fan)?

Thanks!

Basically you've done alot of what I want mine to eventually look like. Oh yeah one more thing, is there anyway you have pictures of the bumper attachment locations and feed-throughs on both the front and rear, my car has both filled and smoothed, to the point I can't figure out where they are to reattach them!

[baltobernie]

"De-bumperette"? I'm sure Bablefish would have trouble with that but yes, that's what I did. I frenched the side marker lights, and used an early-style marker with a 10w halogen bulb as a repeater for the turn signals. Sorry, no photos of the bumper attachments; mine were the shock absorber type that I modified, so they wouldn't be relevant to your application anyway.

I am thinking of adding a late-model OE black front spoiler. A PO did not do a very good job in making the front valence straight, and the car really floats at highway speeds, particularly with some wake turbulence.