'71 T Coupe - Battery Choices/Configuration

[62S-R-S]

Strongly agree with David’s recommendation. I used these readily available covers on the positive terminals..

Common practice is to cover them, yet with a clean trunk, no floating projectiles, covers takes all the fun out of a trunk imo. Visibility forces you to monitor, maintain the battery more than buried, or covered..that's the benefit. To draw a comparison to fuel head, fuel lines, traversing your engine, and potential fallout from that.. vs. terminals. Hmmm.

[RSTarga]

Common practice is to cover them, yet with a clean trunk, no floating projectiles, covers takes all the fun out of a trunk imo. Visibility forces you to monitor, maintain the battery more than buried, or covered..that's the benefit. To draw a comparison to fuel head, fuel lines, traversing your engine, and potential fallout from that.. vs. terminals. Hmmm.

The consequences of exposed terminals in an accident is what would worry me.

[62S-R-S]

The consequences of exposed terminals in an accident is what would worry me.

A valid point. It's a mystery whether their decision to have batteries built into the corners was based on this, rather than better handling performance.. With few options available to them, they came up with a good compromise, that addressed most of the concerns.

[911MRP]

Common practice is to cover them, yet with a clean trunk, no floating projectiles, covers takes all the fun out of a trunk imo. …

Hope if making a decision to have exposed terminals “all the fun” doesn’t rapidly become “much more fun and games than you ever imagined”

Video
https://youtu.be/xESCXFz8ZQE

The factory had two covers on each +ve and secured batteries for good reasons … the parts #3&4 often go AWOL


Steve

[lkadams]

This is the most recent thread going that I thought I'd jump into - in my 69, the passenger battery box was removed in a past life (to run a fender mount oil cooler) so I just have the driver's side box left, so have to run a single battery. Battery capacity is a concern for me (cranking capacity) so I don't get stranded anywhere. My car is not a fair weather car and while I don't drive it in the fun Canadian winter, I do drive it days when it's near freezing, so CCA matters! My Bosch battery that's been in there for a few years now is telling me it's due for a replacement.

I can never seem to find a battery that fits in the box well and can be mounted securely. The point about exposed terminals is well taken - a couple of years ago my battery shifted and the metal tie-down strap shorted the terminals, which was a code brown moment when smoke started coming in through the dash. I'm not concerned about being period or concours correct - just a good battery solution, so interested to know what those in the "single battery club" run.

Thanks!

[edmayo]

Advance Auto carries a wet cell with sealed caps and vents that can be directed overboard via plastic tubing and is the correct size to fit the box, cables and clamping and use the original positive pole protectors. It s a MT-4

[lkadams]

Thanks Ed - hopefully I can find an equivalent as we don't have Advance Auto Parts north of the border. Would you happen to have more specifics so I could cross reference it?

[edmayo]

I would think that whatever auto parts store you have there should be able find one using that battery code. It should be universal.

[62S-R-S]

I can never seem to find a battery that fits in the box well and can be mounted securely. The point about exposed terminals is well taken - a couple of years ago my battery shifted and the metal tie-down strap shorted the terminals, which was a code brown moment when smoke started coming in through the dash. I'm not concerned about being period or concours correct - just a good battery solution, so interested to know what those in the "single battery club" run.

The challenge for a mount is for the hardware and battery to be solidly affixed, not loosen in any way. Most of the fun alluded to was along these lines.. How many have their hoods up in the garage when parked -- keeping an eye on the battery, on a regular basis ? The whole industry has now adapted the idea of 'nesting' a battery(s) into tight spots, which gives me the willies.

Maybe it's just me..

[lkadams]

Advance Auto carries a wet cell with sealed caps and vents that can be directed overboard via plastic tubing and is the correct size to fit the box, cables and clamping and use the original positive pole protectors. It s a MT-4

I think I found the one Ed - the Interstate equivalent is an MTP-T4 - 6-⅞ x 6-⅞ x 8-⅛

https://www.interstatebatteries.com/...oductline=auto