Battery ?? For 32 hiboy owners

what battery are you guys running??? something that can fit under the car and not be seen...now that i have the body off it will be easy for me to build a battery box for my A and was curious what batteries you guys are using.
thanks tom

 

Just remember that wherever you put it you'll have to get to it if you need to. I had my battery on my pro 40 Chevy P.U. under the bed and it was a pain in the ass. I now have my battery ( Optima ) on my 29 roadster behind the seat, access is from inside the trunk, works great.

 

my 31 sedan has the gas tank in the back seat and i dont know if i wanna mix the two... i was thinking under the floor with maybe a door to access it...

 

Five years ago I installed a Odyssey PC 925 in the stock location battery box on my '32 Roadster . Access is through the original floor board opening. I use a battery cutoff switch when not in use and keep a Battery Tender connected and charging. Great size for the amount of current and no problem with acid leakage. I will buy another for my next build.

 

those are kinda spendy arent they??

 

I just built a battery box for a small Optima that drops thru the floor area under the seat on the right side. Short cable to the shut off and short cable to the ground bung welded in the frame. Just remove the seat bottom and presto it's right there.

 

I use a shoe box ford battery box on the back of the K member. It takes a standard sized battery. You do need to pull up the floor board to change it. Not visible from the side. I put the battery tender on the starter lug. Very traditional but no web sites that I know of, to order one. My first 32 had one that was done in the 50s. Since then I keep one in stock.

 

I like Tommy's approach. make it acessible from the top by cutting a removable piece of the wood big enough to lift it right out or get at terminals ans caps, not the tiny little hole that Ford provided. Use a battery with lifting strap or add a strap to make getting it out easy.
The various small modern batteries are tempting, but if your battery box only holds a small aftermarket battery, what are you going to do if you need a battery on the road and K-mart is the only game in town?? Make box to fit something common and make cables a touch long in case the only battery you can find in East Overshoe has the terminals on wrong edge.

 

cool... i guess i better go the auto parts store with a tape measure and a pocket full of $1s lol

 

I used an optima yellow top made for the Honda guys. It is super small and fits under the dash of my little 27.

 

Check with some of the street rod shops. There are several companies that make a battery box that bolts to the frame and can be dropped down real easy for access.

 

This is the type that I was talking about. This one is from Parr Automotive, but it could be made pretty easy. You release the arms on the side and the box holding the battery drops straight down.

 

I have an Odyssey gel battery (the small one) mounted on a box on the frame under the floor.

 

Got an Interstate in mine and it's been there for over 9 years. Now I'm sorry I said that; it will probably flake tomorrow. Home made battery box under passenger floor board, top terminals , removable from under the car.

 

I was leaning tward 2 motor cycle 6v'ers on my model T on 32 rails....

 

Why a drop-down? It goes down easily, but is still under the car! Just make a solid box, make a hole in the floorboard same size as battery, and a simple hatch. Now, you roll back the corner of the rug and you have immediate access to terminals and can lift out the battery as needed with no fuss. Especially easy if in front floor area of an early Ford.

 

WOOD BOX!
I just bought a standard sealed battery and built a battery box from white pine, and strapped it to the floor in the truck. Did have a hinged lid on it with lunch box latches but found ya couldn't open the lid fully in the confines of the truck. So I made a new lid that simply lifts off. Drilled a couple 1" air holes in the sides of the box and added a barn door handle to the end facing to the rear. Looks good, fits the theme of the car and easy access to the battery! Left it unpainted and hit it with a little oil. Have maybe $5 in the thing (I bought new wood).

 

You mean kinda like this. In my tudor right behind the passenger seat.

 

Perfect! Hidden, instantly acessible, as easy to remove or tighten as it would be under the hood.
I cannot understand the idea of lowering a battery to the floor so you can jack up the car and crawl under to get to it.
Ford, of course, stuck it under the wooden floor in front, but provided only a little hatch for checking water level (necessary with no regulator). Really getting at the bat required removing several fasteners and getting the main board out, but it was an easy design to redo right.

 

yes just like that.. thanks for the picture

 

Planning on going under the floor and using an access door from an early '50's Chevy pickup.Easy to find and CHEAP!

 

I have mine under the seat in my 3W and my roadster

 

I plan to use a shubox battery box and the floor-mounded lid from a 53-55 F-100 in my 34..