Show me your battery (not ignition) cut off switch location.

[Dudeland]

Last weekend I got the tabs mounted to the bottom of the car for the fuel lines.  It was cramped, hot and awkward, but I got it done. 

 

I am turning my attention to the relocation of the battery.  I want to put a battery cutoff switch up front, but am wondering where to locate it.  I am feeling like mounting it in my center console, but with the prospect of the 6-speed and turbo, the center console may not stay in its current form, if at all. 

 

Is there a good location on the dash? Perhaps by the headlight switch?  My dash is toast and will have to be rebuilt at some point, so I am not worried about holes, as I would rather get it sorted out before I refinish the dash. 

 

Just wondering where other people put their switches. Obviously, I need to put it in some place where it is easily accessible by the driver. 

 

Thanks in advance. 

 

Edited August 29, 2023 by Dudeland

[slowbert]

It isn't obvious to me that the cutoff switch needed to be in the cabin. But I only want it to lock out the battery for extended storage, not to ward off thieves (the manual transmission does that by default).

 

Also, I did a big fat switch as I like overkill. 

 

Edited August 29, 2023 by slowbert

[Son of Marty]

You can also mount it to the rear seat lower support shelf right behind the drivers seat, get the kind with the removable key as a theft deterrent.

[Dudeland]

How is the Red Top working for you?  "0" gauge cable correct? 

[slowbert]

1 minute ago, Dudeland said:

How is the Red Top working for you?  "0" gauge cable correct? 

 

Too premature to know.  I *hope* I can start the car this weekend for the first time since tearing it to pieces about a year and a half ago.

 

I think it was "0" gauge cable - ran it to the front with a couple distribution bars (one positive, one negative).  Used 6 gauge cable from there to the alternator & starter (positive) and engine block (negative).

[Dudeland]

2 minutes ago, Son of Marty said:

You can also mount it to the rear seat lower support shelf right behind the drivers seat, get the kind with the removable key as a theft deterrent.

I have one like this, also a spare.  Someone told me that they can go bad. 

 

[Dudeland]

Just now, slowbert said:

 

Too premature to know.  I *hope* I can start the car this weekend for the first time since tearing it to pieces about a year and a half ago.

 

Boy, I feel ya.  I will hopefully have mine moving under its own power in about 3 weeks.  It has been about 2 years for me.  

 

[slowbert]

The only thing holding me back is the constant waiting for nit picky parts.  Nevertheless, it looks far more pretty now than it has in the 32 years I have owned it.

 

[Son of Marty]

8 minutes ago, Dudeland said:

Someone told me that they can go bad. 

I suppose anything can fail but I haven't heard of one failing, O gauge is plenty good you should only need around 200-250 amps to start cranking and that's in sub zero weather, I used 2/0 welding wire because it was free and it's way more flexible and has a much tougher jacket and again it was free plus the only good kill is overkill. I also use a 350 amp fuse to guard against a dead short.

[slowbert]

I ran *both* positive and negative to the engine bay, so I have twice the length of battery wire (and twice the resistance) as if I had run just the positive cable and grounded the battery in the trunk. 

 

I upgraded to a 90 amp alternator from an E21 (I think) which deleted the voltage regulator.  I also added a newer model starter that uses more juice.  Figuring 15 ft each direction or 30 feet total, 0 gauge is overkill.  It will never see 90 amps continuous service, and I probably could have used 4 gauge, at least according to this chart:

 

 

After reading all the posts about problems with poor grounding, I did home run wiring for all grounds to the terminal in the engine bay.  This included adding a ground from the instrument cluster directly to the negative terminal in the engine bay.  I also added relays for horn, high beams, low beams, fan, and fuel pump.

 

I have no interest in chasing problems if I can avoid it.

 

The picture below is the engine bay right now (before getting tidied up.)  Everything seems to work OK, but I haven't tested with the engine running, so I am holding off on the final wrapping of the wiring harness.  The terminals for positive and negative are below the relay box.

 

 

 

 

 

[Cabbage Fumes]

[Dudeland]

11 hours ago, Furry Camel said:

IE fibreglass dash?

 

[Cabbage Fumes]

Yes, the Rally, I think it’s called. 

[Stevenc22]

Back seat bulkhead

 

['76mintgrün'02]

19 hours ago, Dudeland said:

I want to put a battery cutoff switch up front, but am wondering where to locate it. 

 

Mine was made by HEYCO. 

 

10mm for the positive and 13 for the negative.

 

 

It's got a magnet behind it.