Welding cable is perhaps the BEST material to make this out of! Be sure to "sweat" the copper ends.
Jim
More strands, more current!! Electricity runs on the outside of the wire strands so thats why its the best. I run some double insulated welding cable that was used for a huge generator on a commecial building. The guy over ordered and just gave me 100+ feet so that his office didn't know his error. I run it in the car I race and one day I will make some killer jumper cables.
One thing with having the battery in the trunk is the battery need to be in top condition or you will end up with hot start problems. Bigger is better as far as the cable goes. I got sick of the battery in the trunk and now it's back up front.
I have a set of 20 FT welding cable jumpers with solid copper Belden clamps that I made back in 1975. I store them in a WWI horse gas mask canvass bag that I bought at a gunshow. I NEVER loan them out.
solid copper wire is no good. Like six8bird said, current flows around not through the wires. More strand= more surface area= more current traveling to the starter. Remember: a car can not have too many grounds. And you also need a disconnect switch out the back of the car.
Make sure to secure it in the trunk nice and tight too. They bounce around back there a lot more than in the engine compartment. I found that out the hard way with one of my Novas.
The battery in my Miata is located in the trunk by the factory. Never realized it until I tried to help jump start my neighbor's car.
Dead right, I was horsing around with the Formula one day and got a bit carried away. I didn't know it but the battery box anchors sheared off and the battery slept on it's side that night leaking acid all over the trunk and dripped down onto one of the nicely polished tailpipes.
Make sure you weld plates onto the frame below the trunk to attach the battery to. That might be what the brackets are for that are under the battery in your picture.
Battery in Trunk?
Posted - 06 Mar 2010 : 09:05:58 AM
