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Not sure if anyone does anything to cover the battery of their VW-based MGTDr.
In my case I realized I was putting so many things in the “trunk”, under false hood (bonnet, whatever), that I knew if I didn’t do something quick I was going to end up with a metal wrench or something making contact with both battery terminals!Idea was to find a suitable food container made of plastic or rubber that would fit neatly over the battery and still not take up much space. So I found a Rubbermaid TakeAlongs rectangular food container, 1.1 gallon (4.4 liter), that was as good a fit as possible after cutting it down in height by a little.Basically that meant just using scissors to trim away the sealing edge and about that same width below it. And cutting a space for each cable down to the bottom or very nearly so. The best thing about the TakeAlongs was it being only about $4 and sold in pairs so if I cut wrong first time I had a second to get it right. And since I did good I had the other for its actual intention for food storage… hmm, or maybe stuff storage– in the trunk!🙂Wish I had done this before now, because I managed to spill gasoline on my new battery not once but twice while I was fixing its leaks and replacing the fuel hose. Lucky enough the battery vents didn’t get gas inside and foul the electrolyte judging from its steady voltage.Great idea for anyone with a front mounted battery!
ÂI wish you a clerk in the grocery store had stopped to offer assistance in the Rubbermaid section.“May I help you sir?”“No thank you, I’m good. Just looking for battery covers.”ÂClerk walks away confused.ÂPMOSSBERG2015-05-05 13:37:36
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
This is not necessarily “better” than the Rubbermaid fix, but the battery(ies) in boats are usually mounted in a “battery box” which comes with a strap and a cover. West Marine and other suppliers.
Paul, I’m sure some people were wondering why I was in the battery section of Walmart putting the container on top of a battery there. Especially since it would be too shallow to fit the whole battery!
I don’t think a battery box would fit without pulling the carpet out. Mine is a snug fit just for the battery alone. Maybe everyone didn’t carpet the entire inside of their trunk/hood compartments.🙂Ed, I see where you are going with this. Another Hindenburg?? Lordy.
Curiously though, I have never seen a boat’s battery box cover with a hole in it.Â
With the cuts for the cables being to the top (or bottom of container) that should vent all hydrogen gas.
I think battery boxes do have some kind of venting, some way or another, just wouldn’t be safe otherwise.I got a picture of it today because I knew these kit cars have differences and only some people would have the same configuration as mine for this particular thing to be right. And it isn’t elegant by any means, but like I was saying at first I was really risking trouble from throwing stuff in there and driving around. With that thought in mind, I should also anchor the cover down somehow so nothing jostles it off the battery. Maybe just taping the cables to the cover slots, or tape underneath the cables on the cover itself, might be enough to secure it.
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