<VV> Moving battery to the trunk

[Bill Elliott]

In the BMW cars, the battery is located where it is because of 
packaging, not necessarily because of handling. I'd suggest that if BMW 
could have readily fit the battery in the normal underhood location, 
they would have done so... but in the case with most of the M series, 
there isn't much room left ( my daily driver is an E36 M3 vert). If the 
battery location made enough of a difference to warrant the 
re-engineering alone, then they would likely do it with their non-M cars 
as well.

In a street weight Corvair, I'm not very convinced that you will find 
the results even noticeable...

Bill

Edelstein and Payne wrote:

>Folks,
>
>     I want to thank everyone who responded, both on the list serve and privately.  It's been helpful, and lead me to re-think exactly how Doran (my son) and I will do the battery.  I'm still convinced that moving it will be helpful in reducing oversteer, at lesat partially.  Between eliminating the spare tire totally (lightening the car as well as taking weight off the rear) and moving the battery, there should be a noticeable effect.
>
>     Warrren, I agree with you about the "polar moment" caused by moving the battery.  My understanding of these "physics" is that you probably want the weight between the axles if at all possible.  On the other hand, the other make of cars (other than Chevies) that I own and work on are BMW's.  My 88 M5 came from the factory with 255 hp out of 213 cubic inches (it now makes about 290) and idles and runs fine as a daily driver.  The 01 MCoupe I recently bought my wife makes 315 hp out of about 195 cubic inches and is fine as a daily commuter.  These folk do know a thing or two about making performance cars, and on the M5 the battery is in the trunk, BEHIND the right rear wheel.  I have often thought that it is too far to the rear, but that may be the result of where there was space. (The MCoupe has it under the rear floor, centered, but still just behind the reare axle.) The car has run through the merry-go-round at VIR in very "spirited" fashion and then turned 120 on the front straight, all with me and 4 Boy Scouts in it (during the "parade laps" that they let you buy).  It is a heavy car --- about 3600 pounds --- but very balanced and almost "tossable".  So I'm convinced that getting the battery off the rearend is the right thing to do, but maybe as low as possbile in the trunk, between the front wheels. 
>
>                     Travis Payne    65 Monza Coupe
>
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>  
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