Do I have to have an external shut-off switch. I'm gonna take the Chevelle to the track, and wondered if this was necessary for a street car? Also, does anyone have a link to the NHRA ruies, looked around their site, but couldn't find them.

Yes I believe you will have to have a kill switch and a certified battery box. GOODLUCK, in my personal experience moving the battery to the trunk can be a more trouble than it's worth, unless your willing to do it right the first time. Nothing sucks more than going to the track and being turned around at tech. Just my opinion...

What I understand is that you need a certified box, if it's not seperated from the interior. I bought a complete kit, with one gauge cable.

to do it right, you need an external cutoff switch, also it has to kill the engine when thrown(you would be suprised how many dont)-your alternator has to be wired to the bat side of the switch, meaning you need to run the wire from the alt. to the back, and you need to use at least a #4 wire, or the resist. will keep the alt. running hot(trying to charge all the time) depending on how fast your car is, they may not bother you, but main thing some look at is for a puke bottle on the radiator

GOODLUCK, in my personal experience moving the battery to the trunk can be a more trouble than it's worth, unless your willing to do it right the first time. Nothing sucks more than going to the track and being turned around at tech. Just my opinion...
I agree...on a street driven car, hardly worth the effort. :thumbsup:

You will need a certified box for sure.
Make sure you have low guage wires to it because it is not the same as if it were under the hood. The lower the guage the better because there is alot of resistance. Otherwise, you will be re-wiring it after a short time. Make sure it is grounded well.

For some reason too I think the tray has to be bolted to the frame for NHRA standards. If the car did ever flip there would be less chance of the tray coming loose than if it is bolted to the trunk floor pan.

I did my old Camaro that way,,,I used 00 welding wire from battery to starter. I thought it was the thing to do,,,the Chevelle works fine with the battery up front where its supposed to be.

Here is a link to where you can purchase one.

http://store.nhra.com/product.asp?0=230&1=231&3=54

I'm not doing it for any kind of traction or wieght ratio gains. My thought was more to clean up under the hood, for the look I wanted. But I guess it is time to sit back, and have a good hard thought on the subject. Guess I'll have to crack open a Pepsi, and sit on my creeper and stare at it for awhile.:D Thanks for the help.

To be legal, you can not use a "J" hook for your hold down. Either weld the J end closed, or use all-rod throught the trunk floor for your hold-down.

You do NOT need a battery box at all as long as the trunk is sealed from the drivers compartment. The only time you need a sealed box is if the trunk is not sealed or if it's a hatchback. You DO have to secure the battery properly, this means it must be attached to the frame (no J bolts, unless the ends are welded closed). There are several ways you can do it, 3/8" all thread, or buy a battery tray that bolts down with the proper hold downs installed.

I agree it looks 100% better with the battery in the trunk it really cleans up the engine compartment. It is not a 2 hour job to do it right. It takes time and if you are going to do it you might as well do it correctly or not even bother.

Yes, you MUST have a cutoff switch. They "may" let you slide one time (depends on the tech). If you plan on going ot the track more than once, then doing it right is a must. Many switches are also breakers and they will help prevent your car from burning up, if you get a short.

Well, I'm gonna hold off for now. Just got too many little things to get done, and not enough time before the show. I am going to mount it in the trunk, But it must be NHRA legal, as it will see some track time now and then. Thank's for the help.

How about a compromise that makes your engine compartment look more interesting, while avoiding all the negatives of a trunk mount battery. I installed an Odyssey PC680 battery that gets a lot of attention because of its small size. I bolted a bracket to mount the battery on the firewall and the battery cables are only ~ 20" long. Because it is mounted close enough to the distributor I have a little fun with the less sharp spectators - I ask them if that isn't the biggest ignition coil they have ever seen. I smile when they nod their head and take a double take and say "wow".

Thomas

P.S. My experience says that even on a dedicated drag car the relocation of the battery really isn't worthwhile. My PC680 only weighs 13 lbs.

this is the kit that I got http://www.madelectrical.com/catalog/tm-1.shtml its a great set-up I have had no problems with it.

What track are you planning on going to? How fast do you think it will go? I have visited a few IHRA tracks, with no problems with my front mounted battery. I run 11.99 @110mph with no tech problems.

If you decide to use a trunk mount battery, you can also run your hot wire from the battery up the frame through a piece of heater hose to help protect it.

http://members.tripod.com/MY5LTR/NHRArules.html

What track are you planning on going to? How fast do you think it will go? I have visited a few IHRA tracks, with no problems with my front mounted battery. I run 11.99 @110mph with no tech problems.

Its not required to move it to the trunk. I've had many low 1.4 60fts with the battery up front and most of us know Ed has gone quicker than that.