ok well i have no room in the engine compartment so the battery is "outa-there" hehe sorry its late. anyway, i was planning using an OPTIMA RED TOP and putting it in the passengers side bin to balance out drivers weight... but ive run into a problem. ive recently aquired a set of JDM rear seats (ill post pics when im back home), but now that the seats will be back there where will i put the freakin battery???

a few ideas have come to mind... tell me what you think (remove the spare and put in in the well... im not too fond of that idea as im sure i will need a spare at some point, but it keeps the center of gravity low), mount the battery on the passengers side in the trunk as close to the back of the seats as possible (downsides are that the center of gravity is MUCH higher, and im affraid it will be too tall to close the cargo cover properly), other option is to do the same thing but with one of those TINY batteries (problem with that is i need all weight i can get in the rear to offset the extra (at least) 100lbs of weight under the hood). i cant think of anywhere else to put it . if you can tell me, or let me know which you think is the best mounting point.

thanks, heath

 

chuck it in the boot, thats what I did and its great, although it may interfere with the fuel system I install in the near future, and unless your gonna be running your FD in the Le Mans 24hr enduro race, I dont really think that the shift in gravity is gonna be too much of an issue is it??

 

I need to do that too. Is there a good kit that relocates it to the hatch area or does everybody just Home Depot it?

 

loose the rear seats and put it in the rear bins. rear seats are useless anyway.

 

I have the Hawker Genesis G26EP. It has just under a 7 x 7 inch footprint, but is only 4.9" tall. That one should fit under the rear cargo cover. It weighs approximately 23 pounds.

 

I have a Optima 51 in my cubby behind the seat. Fits perfectly. It is used in Hondas so there is plenty of powah for starting.

 

I fit mine under the bin between the frame... hawker mini... You would have to trace my power cable to find the battery in my car, i love it now god forbid i have to replace it...

 

Couldn't agree more.

 

I have a lawn tractor battery in the rear bin. No fast and furious sound sytem with tv's and amps so it has more than enough power, weighs less than the hawker I had before and was about 1/5 the price. Thats not a home depot specials, that is craftsmen special! 2 years and still going.

Bob

 

I too agree

 

My only reservation about putting the battery in the bins is some tracks and drag strips WILL NOT let you pass inspection, regardless of what kind of battery it is. They want it in front of the firewall or in a sealed trunk, not in the passenger compartment

 

no i just specifically bought the rear seats to replace the bins... the seats are kinda useless but i wanted the extra weight to offset my extra weight in the engine compartment... im trying to move as much weight to the back as possible and keep the center of gravity low..... and it will be nice to have those seats in a pinch

also, im worried that one of those teeny bateries wont have enough juice to turn over my motor (it has an extra rotor you know ) ... but its worth a try. anyway, what im trying to say is that extra weight in the trunk is a + but im worried about how high the battery will sit

 

The majority of the time the stipulation to that is that there needs to be a master cutoff switch that's accessable from the rear of the car. I don't remember if it has to be external or not, but so long as it's properly mounted and a sealed model, I don't think there are any issues.

EDIT: Need to be in a box.

From the NHRA site:

Any car with a relocated battery must be equipped with a master electrical cutoff, capable of stopping all electrical functions including ignition (must shut the engine off, as well as fuel pumps, etc.). The switch must be located on the rear of the vehicle, with the "off" position clearly marked. If the switch is of a "push / pull" type, then "push" must be the motion that shuts off the switch, and plastic or "keyed" typed switches are prohibited. Also, the battery must be completely sealed from the driver and/or driver compartment. This means a metal bulkhead must separate the trunk from the driver compartment, or the battery must be located in a sealed, metal box constructed of minimum .024 inch steel or .032 inch aluminum, or in an NHRA accepted plastic box. In cars with a conventional trunk, metal can simply be installed behind the rear seat and under the package tray to effectively seal the battery off from the driver. In a hatchback type vehicle the battery box is usually the easiest solution, since the alternative is to fabricate a bulkhead which seals to the hatch when closed. At present, Moroso is the only company which offers an NHRA accepted plastic battery box, part number 74050.

 

so do you guys think large or small battery in the trunk?? i need the weight back there but would i be better off not putting all that weight so high up and using a smaller lighter battery??

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by RotorMotor
[B]no i just specifically bought the rear seats to replace the bins... the seats are kinda useless but i wanted the extra weight to offset my extra weight in the engine compartment... im trying to move as much weight to the back as possible and keep the center of gravity low..... and it will be nice to have those seats in a pinch


Heath-

If you weigh the bins and then your rear seats. I think you will find the seats weigh less.

//Oliver

 

Yeah, but if he races with 2 kids strapped in the back seats it helps the weight distribution !

 

come to think of it thats a great idea@!! i can borrow my friends 2 boys (4 and 5)... they will perfectly balance out my car!!

as far as the seats... i just assumed they'd be heavier (once you include the buckels, and all that other good stuff...) those bins were pretty light... i was ablt to pick them up with one hand EASILY. either way it doesnt matter... the bins are absolutly useless... all i ever used them for was to hold an extra quart of oil, and my registration. now i need to find another spot for the oil but besides that the rear seats will be much more usefull. im able to drive the car comfortably (a little cramped but doable) w/ the seats one click up from the very front. that should give people in the rear room as long as they are short.

PS i think one of the reasons the FD did not sell well in the US is because its not made for big tall americans.... its made for short japanese people. short people have no problem with the FD's or miata's... the car fits like a glove for me... but tall people in mazdas look silly with their head out of the sunroof, and the seats pushed all the way back, and knees at the steering wheel