Anybody performed the modification were you relocate your battery to the passenger side storage area behind the seat ? I measured the area and determined that the "Optima" dry cell battery will fit with a custom built tray / hold down assembly... ( yet to be built ) Is there a kit sold for this modification anywhere ? What size cable should be used ? The battery has 985 CCA... The battery requires no ventilation that I know of... Would I just run a short ground cable to the frame ? Would I also ground the battery cable where the battery was to the frame ?
Thanks in advance...
Ted
90 ZR-1 # 334
Sun City, CA

 

Why in the world would you want to hack up your car to relocate the batery about 36 inches to the rear from where it's located now?

That's not going to add enough weight to the rear tires to even speak of.
It won't take enough weight off the front to speak of.
( I CAN show you how to run the weight and balance to prove my assertion!)

You will have to make some specially built cable wires to run to the front of the car to tie back into the power distribution buss.
They will have to be HEFTY cables to.

There is NO frame to ground the battery to in that area.
Do you REALLY want the hydrogen gas a charging battery makes in the passenger cabin with you?

With all due respect, quit listening to whoever gave you this idea!

My advice: Don't chop up your Vette to do this hairbrained scheme.
This is just BEGGING for trouble you don't need.

If you just have to have more weight in the rear, get yourself a sandbag and throw it in the back.

Modify a ZR-1 this way? You may look in the yellow pagea to find a phychiatrist that can help you.

Good luck.

 

Bigvmaxx:

I was looking to relocate the battery underneath the rear of the car. I need the battery to try to get space for a cold air intake for my supercharger.

I found a cool battery box on HorsePower TV show: http://www.bitchinproductsinc.com/product.htm

I just need to get time to find a good spot underneath the car for it.

 

VetNutJim, don't hold back tell us what you really think :lol: :lol: :lol:
With that being said I agree with you 100%

 

When I saw this the first time I was tempted to say pretty much exactly what Jim said, but didn't. Since he did. I will say I agree with Jim 173%!! Sounds like trouble and a waste of time energy and a nice car.

 

The optima batteries are sealed, i don't think they emit any gas? I might be wrong, but thats what i thought. (i have one in my 78)

Jim-K

 

Ted,
A racer at my local track has done this. It is neat and looks good. I've been thinking about doing it also. I don't know anything about "Optimas", but there is a chemical reaction going on in there, and I would both seal the compartment lid and provide a vent. In case you care, NHRA requires both. NHRA has other hoops you must jump through if you plan on racing it. You can consult the NHRA rule book or ask me, if this is a concern. Is the weight bias insignificant? If you're looking for straight line traction, it is a step in the right direction. Remember, the best way to remove a pound of weight is to remove an ounce in 16 places. As to altering your car, that's a whole other subject.

CFI-EFI


[Modified by CFI-EFI, 11:11 AM 11/15/2001]

 

So many nay sayers...

I moved mine there and like it a lot. I'm getting ready to mount a oil cooler with electric fan where it used to be. I tossed the cruise control as well so there is a lot of room where the battery was.
As far as the fear of the battery venting... I've got a red optima and they don't vent any gas. I don't have it vented, but could easily do it if required. I don't think theres a requirement with the optima's.
You'll need a good cable (I bought some of that crazy stereo shop huge wire) and I had to provide an extra engine ground to make a solid path since the battery was grounded in the rear.
As a tip it's a lot easier to work at mounting the darned thing if you take the storage doors off completely by removing the panel that both doors attach to. You can put them back on after install if you wish but I made a new panel out of thin aluminum sheet that weighs half as much.
If you really want to take some weight off the front end... ditch the AC system. Should net you a loss of 60lbs or so right there. There's lots of places to lose weight on a Vette if you look hard enough. How about that BOSE system. None of those pieces are light by any means :)

Cory (one of the real racers)

 

call Exotic Muscle www.exoticmuscle.com

they make a kit for it.

I've opened up other threads about the subject, the people that have done it seem to think it was worth it.

 

Ted,
I have relocated the battery as you want to do. If your goal is to help get a 50/50 car it will help. I used a dry cell battery that weighs 11pds. I also mounted studs to jump the car from the front incase the battery dies. I would be happy to send you pictures. I do not know how to post them here.
Send me your email address.

 

Anyone running NHRA to move the batter to the rear of the car it must be mounted to a battery box welded to the frame or roll bar, must be in a sealed container if it is within the driver area reguardless of what type of battery it is, and you must have a power kill switch located at the rear of the car (EXTERNAL) that anyone can get to.

 

Ah come on Jim, hydrogen don't explode that bad! :lol:

 

WOW VetNutJim that was a rugged response. :eek:

I've seen that on a non-ZR1 90 the body distibution is 50/50. I do not know the weight ratio of the ZR1. Given that if the LT5 engine is heavier than an L98 I think the wider rear on the ZR1 could help even that out. If not then relocating the battery would even it out or get it close to 50/50 would'nt it? After installing all the hardware needed to do the job my guess is that the rear ratio would exceed the front in this case. How does relocating the battery to the rear NOT change the weight characteristics of the car? :confused:

-John

 

It does change the ratio from front to rear. In my case, buy removing 40 pounds from the front and adding 12 to the rear plus 3 more pounds in equipment I have done 2 things. Removed 35 pounds from the car and moved weight. The front is 40 pounds lighter and the rear is 15 pounds heavier. The z is very nose heavy!!!!!!!!!

 

your also moving it from the driver's side to the passenger side.

BTW Summit sells remote battery kill switches.
Some with extention handles

 

Where are the center caps for Johns wheels??????? :smash:

 

you can order them with or w/o

Since these are my race wheels, and both the SCCA and NCCC make you remove them. I decided to skip it. :D

 

Thanks for all the responces... pro and con... Be aware Jim... I talked to the shrink... she says I have an incurable "ZR-1 syndrome"... there no known cure to date... :-)
1. I won't be hacking up my vette... I am a mechanic, not a butcher... Anything I change that is not 100% reversible... so what... I bought it to modify as I see fit... not keep it for some guy, " some day" who is looking for a "pure stocker" with low miles... this will probably be the last vette I own unless I buy another ZR-1...
With all the imput ( C-4 vs C-5 ) from forum members and elsewhere... It seems to me ZR-1 owners have the right " politically incorrect" vette for the forseeable future... as in... not chevrolet powered... don't misinterpret that... I love rats and mouses that have power and reliability... my last C-4 was a 35th Anniversary which served me well for over 6 years...
So, can a ZR-1 be improved considerably ? Sure it can... However...it is nose heavy... and the right rear wheel is the lightest wheel on the car... the Z can be improved in a lot of ways... Some we know about... and some we don't... That is the great aspect of this forum... you can tap into other people experience and draw your own conclusions... Perhaps we should write a parts list and a step by step instruction manual for this mod... lets see... where is my big heat shrink ? Just don't slip the heat shrink over your head Jim, the doctor says it will create a dead short that is "terminal"...
Yea... i get a little obnoxious sometimes...
Ted
90 ZR-1 # 334
Sun City, CA
20 lb estinguisher next to mouse pad