Quote:
Originally Posted by 60sStuff
I’ve always loved this ‘66 442 W-30.
From the front bumper with scoops for the Ram Air 3x2 to the rear trunk compartment with the battery mount makes this car ridiculous.
Every time I see this photo of the battery in the trunk it reminds me of a wrecking yard I was in, in the very early 80’s.
Looking for GTO items in the GM section I come across a 442 with the battery cables and battery tray still in the trunk.
No, I did not remove it as I was on a mission for goat parts ….. idiot me.
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I missed the battery in the trunk upon first viewing.
Our GTO already had the battery relocated to the trunk when we picked it up. I suspect it was done in the PMD garage, because the car did not spend much time at Royal before we picked it up IIRC.
The original install was a little shady, as they just took the front fender bracket and modified it to work in the rear. We made the more rigid welded construction early on at the behest of the NHRA tech inspectors, who were not comfortable with the original setup.
[It is now, once again, not NHRA legal since rear mounted batteries are now required to have a master electrical cutoff switch accessible from the outside. I am loathe to do that.]
For some reason the battery would go dead often. Since dad worked second shift he would not be available to come jump us if we were out in the evening, so mom would have to call a friend or a tow company to get us going.
I remember sitting the in back hollering "The battery's in the trunk! The battery's in the trunk!" while the tow truck drivers approached the driver's window.
The tow truck driver would look annoyed, like "lady can't you shut this kid up?". He would then pop the hood, root around a bit, and then return. "Lady - where is the battery in this thing?".
Sheepishly, mom would say "well - the battery's in the trunk", as if to say: the kid knows what he is talking about.
K