battery relocation

The Master Cylinder said:
Synchro, Is your battery an Optima or a lead/acid battery. Either way that is an excellent life span for a battery.
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It's lead acid and as I said, physically smaller than the norm.
Maybe it's because it never gets really cold here but 10 years is at least what I expect out of a battery in an old car. That is, one without the parasitic draw of a modern one.
 
Oldbluoval said:
Still waiting on “why”?
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“Forward, the Light Brigade!”
Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the soldier knew
Someone had blundered.
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred."
 
This car came this way 15 years ago when we bought it. It was "restored" in 1957. I consider this firewall battery setup a novelty, so I left it as is. The rest of the car is a time capsule of what some people did to Model A's back in the 50's. Piece of history sort of thing.
Never had any problems with this, but we only run about a tank full of gas through this car in a year. It hardly gets driven because it's a roadster in Wisconsin, which is not an ideal climate for open cars. This is what your engine compartment will look like if you move your battery to the firewall. The consensus is that you should leave your battery where it is under the floorboards, and I would agree.
 

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If you don't have a battery disconnect switch, suitable spots for battery charging are available in the engine compartment. If you do have/want a switch, the fused harness leads for a charger can be brought forward from the battery to the engine compartment. I did that with my 6V Battery Tender.
 
I have remote battery posts on both of my A's as well as the trailer. Makes it easy to charge a battery as well jump starting. About $20 from Speedway plus the cable.
 
In the first place, he just asked a simple question, not our opinions on why he doesn't leave it as-is. I made a bracket and put mine behind the rear crossmember, right side, on my wide-bed. On my speedster it is under the driver's seat. Both are 12v. and have disconnect switches. The problem with both is access, but that isn't needed very often. On my tudor I put it under the rear floorboard, decent access but only from the back seat. Use big cables and put it wherever you want, it is your car.
 
Another firewall installation, my brother's coupe, in the '50s.
 

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Jim Brierley said:
In the first place, he just asked a simple question, not our opinions on why he doesn't leave it as-is. I made a bracket and put mine behind the rear crossmember, right side, on my wide-bed. On my speedster it is under the driver's seat. Both are 12v. and have disconnect switches. The problem with both is access, but that isn't needed very often. On my tudor I put it under the rear floorboard, decent access but only from the back seat. Use big cables and put it wherever you want, it is your car.
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I think it is important to answer the question but also to say why it may not be a good idea not to do something. If you just answer the question you are implying that the change is a good idea (which in this case, I don't think it is a good idea).

Charlie Stephens
 
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updraught said:
https://www.bidspotter.co.uk/en-gb/...0035/lot-955cbc2b-e1c9-41c0-841c-a5d900b03312
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Running board.

Never got more than 4 years out of a battery. Lately ... lucky to be two.
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I assume you are talking about in your modern car. That sounds about right for those. The best I have heard of was my father in his 1969 Peugeot put in a rebuilt battery years ago and it lasted 23 years. 1969 was before cars had that parasitic drain they all have now and which kills batteries.
 
I was a “why seeker” as it’s hard to answer a question without knowing what one is trying to achieve or what the actual problem is ......
 
Methinks the reason a lot were relocated "back in the day" is that the batteries were more problematic back then and money was hard to come by for a lot of folks.
 
In the first place, he just asked a simple question, not our opinions on why he doesn't leave it as-is..........


aint that the truth!
 
Jacksonlll said:
Don’t put it in the trunk or far away from starter. Way too much voltage drop unless you use a one inch diameter cable.
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I have a friend with a '36 three window coupe and he insisted on moving the battery position so the dual exhaust would clear.He tried the trunk and couldn't figure out why cables were hot and not enough cranking power.So he got shorter but heavier cables and rides around with it behind seat,still has warm cables so must not be heavy enough.
 
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