Convertible battery -> boot?

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Ziggy
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Post Tue Feb 09, 2010 11:18 am

I've moved the battery into the boot of my car, using a cable from a tin-top E30. I found the cable wasn't quite as long as I'd have liked. Has anyone else done this? What cable did you use and how did you route it?
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Rav335uk
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Post Tue Feb 09, 2010 11:28 am

It should fit.
It routes from the bulkhead behind the steering coloum, down the inner arch, behind the front speeker in the footwell, along the sill, then up the side of the rear seat, through a hole at the top of the rear bottom bench( don't think cabd have this, through to the boot space, along th boot following the rear wheel inner arch and to the battery.
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Ziggy
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Post Tue Feb 09, 2010 11:33 am

It fits, but not currently as well as if it had a wee bit more slack! :)

Have you done this to your car?

Where should it run along the convertible sill? Inside it? Or inside the car?
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Rav335uk
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Post Tue Feb 09, 2010 11:35 am

Ziggy wrote:It fits, but not currently as well as if it had a wee bit more slack! :)

Have you done this to your car?

Where should it run along the convertible sill? Inside it? Or inside the car?
IT should run inside the large black sill cover, i think there's enough space.
I have a battery in boot kit, but too lazy to fit it yet. :mad:
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DanThe
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Post Tue Feb 09, 2010 12:44 pm

E36 cable is a bit longer, although it has a different lug on the engine end
Ziggy
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Post Tue Feb 09, 2010 12:48 pm

DanThe wrote:E36 cable is a bit longer, although it has a different lug on the engine end
Nice one. I'll have a look at where I took it through the bulkhead first - there might be room for improvement & it doesn't need much... I'll be sure to get the terminal as well if I end up trying an E36 one! :thumb:
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Ziggy
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Post Fri Feb 19, 2010 7:55 pm

Bump. Anyone actually done this in a convertible? Still not certain where's best to route it between the bulkhead and the sill. :?
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Rav335uk
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Post Fri Feb 19, 2010 7:57 pm

Ziggy, on tintops, there is a rubber grommet to the left of the battey tray where the cable is fed through, i haven't looked at mine yet, but is that not present??
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DanThe
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Post Fri Feb 19, 2010 9:37 pm

That cable looks crazy tight at the battery Will, the junction box can be mounted on the bulkhead and covered up with the M3 panel
Ziggy
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Post Fri Feb 19, 2010 10:51 pm

Cheers Will! That knock-outable bit is what I needed to find! How is it routed from there? Out at the speaker hole and down the inside of the sill with the rest of the cables that go to the rear of the car?

Already sorted the tray :thumb:
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DanThe
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Post Fri Feb 19, 2010 11:15 pm

Order the M3 panel from the dealers, it costs just over £10 here
Ziggy
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Post Sat Feb 20, 2010 10:21 am

Great stuff Will. Thanks again! :cool:

If the M3 panel is over-priced there, I can always get you one here & send it on...

What's with the E34/36 steering wheel btw?!
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DanThe
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Post Sat Feb 20, 2010 12:19 pm

Ziggy wrote:
What's with the E34/36 steering wheel btw?!
And how did you squeeze that great big servo behind the RHS strut turret!

Im guessing you swapped the pedal box and column for an E36 setup for the V8 conversion? :)

The panel will fit in a large jiffy bag BTW
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Post Sat Feb 20, 2010 1:12 pm

Ziggy wrote:Cheers Will! That knock-outable bit is what I needed to find!
Ah balls. The reason I didn't find it before is because it's not there to find! Anything else behind there to be careful of whilst cutting a hole??
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DanThe
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Post Sat Feb 20, 2010 1:16 pm

Are you sure? Did you look really closely? The outline is often covered with paint
Ziggy
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Post Sat Feb 20, 2010 1:39 pm

Ok, so it was there, just invisible until I got a punch out to mark for a hole saw! :mad:
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Ziggy
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Post Sat Feb 20, 2010 1:40 pm

DanThe wrote:Are you sure? Did you look really closely? The outline is often covered with paint
It was totally invisible! So I spent a good 10 minutes searching for a hole cutter! :x :lol:
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DanThe
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Post Sat Feb 20, 2010 1:45 pm

Hammer and chisel FTW :)