AaronC

I was thinking about putting that heavy bastage in the trunk. Anyone done this yet? What did you use to secure the battery?

cschow

I think Vomit, who used to post quite frequently here, was looking into that?

There might be complications for relocating the battery to the trunk, as the battery is normally vented to external atmosphere and the trunk is non-vented. You might want to check the BMW boards to see whether any special type of battery is recommended for trunk mounting, as many BMWs, including the current 3-series use trunk mounted batteries.

AaronC

I had thought about the venting factor, but I thought the battery in our car was sealed, since is directly below the HVAC intake. If it isint, I suppose I could get an Optima battey with the same specs. Does anyone know what the specs for our battery are?

cschow

Well, I'm not really saying that our battery require special venting, but just raising it as a potential issue to investigate along the way. I just seem to recall BMWs needing some sort of special battery due to their trunk location.

deuce zer0

what would be the reason you would need to relocate the battery?

smgC32

BMW batteries in the E36 were very large and heavy and had a special security bracket as well as a vent hose. There is also a small hole below the battery that is directly open to the underside of the car for venting as well as leakage. Moving the C32 battery to the rear would be very helpful in the corner balancing of the car since the driver's side is the heaviest. No big deal to move it as long as you are willing to rip up all your carpet and re-install it. You will need the proper insulated cabling and secure the battery to the rear quarter panel and deck. If venting is a concern, drill a small pilot hole through the floor board in the trunk, or remove your spare and install the battery there. The optima will save significant weight.

AaronC

It would probably be easier and better to just get an optima, since it is sealed and is much lighter. Summit Racing sells a nice relocation kit here. I have installed amps in the trunks of cars before, and routing the wiring is not too hard, but just time consuming to do it right. I am pretty sure that one of the local audioshops would probably do it pretty cheaply, especially if I provide the hardware.

I will see if I can get any specs off the battery when I go to lunch, and see which optima batteries are compatible.

CynCarvin32

SMG,

Get the Optima battery! That "pig" of yours needs to go on a diet! Batt, seats and no spare well be a huge weight savings! 1 second a lap I bet!