Sometimes our classic cars don’t keep up well with modern times. While a lot of specific replacement parts like body panels, interior bits and trim pieces continue to be available in quality reproduction form, other more common wear-item needs like tires and batteries are, ironically, getting…
Question,
What prevented you from just shortening the bolts or having new one made to adapt the lower profile battery in this case?
Dug
True, behind-the-scenes story: The lead photo was taken on my desk. 
Some classics are easy to retrofit and some aren't.
The Triumphs are easy - big box under the bonnet at the back of the engine compartment = 5 minute change time.
My MGs are a bit harder - they used twin 6V under the car. easy solution, replace with single small 12V - simple plywood spacer to space it up above the angle iron stock cradle, plus a simple hold down kit to keep it in place.
At the other end of the difficulty spectrum is my Solstice GXP coupe - remove front fender to access battery buried down low under the firewall. Anyone got one with even harder to change battery?
In reply to wspohn :
I didn't know that about the GXP coupe. Sounds, um, fun.
Just putting this here in case it helps anyone: how to fit an Optima battery into a Porsche 911.
Some battery problems are factory-generated. THe once-popular Porsche 914 battery was installed ON TOP OF THE ECU! The chosen place is almost inaccessible, at the left rear corrner of the front of the engine, accessible only from the underside AFTER the battery is pulled from the top, I believe (My 1974 914 went away in the last century so details are hazy).
And even grade school kids know that corrosive fluids come out of car batteries.... Predictably, some factory ECUs look like garbage-dump rejects by the time the owners notice the problem. Structural attacks on the subframe rails also abound on neglected examples.
BTW - nice MGA Twin Cam in the background (I have a couple of those). Their batteries were twin 6V, one on either side of the prop shaft in front of the rear axle. Almost always converted to a single 12 V that requires only small mods to fit.
It's been a long time but I seem to remember the 88 BMW 750 had 2 batteries under the power back seat.
bosswrench said:Some battery problems are factory-generated. THe once-popular Porsche 914 battery was installed ON TOP OF THE ECU! The chosen place is almost inaccessible, at the left rear corrner of the front of the engine, accessible only from the underside AFTER the battery is pulled from the top, I believe (My 1974 914 went away in the last century so details are hazy).
And even grade school kids know that corrosive fluids come out of car batteries.... Predictably, some factory ECUs look like garbage-dump rejects by the time the owners notice the problem. Structural attacks on the subframe rails also abound on neglected examples.
Sorry but your memory is wrong. Battery is on the passenger side, over the fuel pump right under the gap between the engine cover and body. The stock battery had a cover to keep rain water off it, but everyone lost that so water doused the battery and the acid-y solution dripped on the fuel pump and lines causing fires when fuel leaked on the heat exchangers which were nearby. The ECU is on the driver side.
The easy button for most is a prius agm battery which is very small and can mount sideways or even upside down. The challenge there is the durn battery posts which are too small for normal stuff.
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