[mannix]

Hey all - I don't have a battery box, never had one.

It LOOKS as though the battery box is held in by velcro and magic - is that the case?

If it is, removing it could fit under 3.3.3.1 or whatever.

If it is NOT - if it somehow securely fastens in the car - anyone got one for sale?



Iain

 

[Gunpilot]

Elaborate more! Please................

 

[mannix]

heh, the autocrossers who take it way too seriously know what I'm after.

Basically, 3.3.3.1.B or something in the SCCA rulebook says that "any loose items must be removed from the car."

At some point, there was some "is there a fastener involved" wording that seems to have been added to the CONVERSATIONS, but not the book itself.

In Street category (aka Stock), you can remove the spare tire/jack, and anything that becomes "loose" once the tire/jack is removed can go with it.

Naturally, eliges have no spare, so...yeah.

The battery box - it APPEARS it is held in with velcro and maybe snaps?

BASICALLY - I'm trying to figure out if I can either simply not have one @ Nationals, as it is a "loose item" which "must" be removed, or if I need to go track one down.

Make sense?

In the overall scheme of things, the presence or absence of the battery box makes no difference, but stuff has to be right at Nationals.



Iain

 

[fitfan]

the stock elise has a fixed clip on the back side, and screwed down clip on the front side the grabe the base plate of the stock battery. do you have a stock battery?

you don't need a battery box since its in a box already in the trunk. but i would fabricated a bracket across the top... ~4" wide alumni. braked to fit tight against it and pulled down with on the battery with fasteners in standard race car fashion.

 

[me73]

Are you asking about the black plastic battery cover that holds the tool packet? It slides over the battery and clips to the battery in the back (towards the outside of the car). There's no Velcro or screws holding it in place.

 

[mannix]

Yes, the black plastic battery cover. I just ordered one from someone in the classifieds section.

Fitfan - SCCA solo rules for Street category - agreed, in SP or whatever, no box would be required (and the oem box would not really satisfy the "box" rule anyway). It is a stock battery, although I did make a bracket to hold it in - aluminum sheet that the battery sits on, it bends 90d, up the side wall, then another 90d at the top, hooking the battery. A strap runs from the vertical wall to the horizontal floor piece (aluminum), so the battery can't slide out backwards. The tray is bolted to the car via the wall bolt, battery held in with the stock pinch-down clamp, which also affixes the tray to the car.

It is actually really slick. The battery cannot and will not come out, did not add a bunch of fidgety hardware, shrug, I like it.


Iain

 

[me73]

From what I picture you've got for the battery hold-down, you may need to do some trimming of the battery box to fit.

 

[mannix]

Sounds good. I bought a box/cover from a LT user, will make it one with my (legal) hold-down device, everyone should be happy.

Thanks!



Iain

 

[fitfan]

oh - everyone looses the silly black plastic cover... just throw it out - you don't want that thing flopping around. (its only there for street use / protect luggage and battery terminals.)

 

[bcpower]

To be certain I would ask the SEB for clarification. Now you have me worried, I don't have that cover either. Someone put an optima battery in my car.

 

[me73]

To be certain I would ask the SEB for clarification. Now you have me worried, I don't have that cover either. Someone put an optima battery in my car.

It fits on an Optima.

 

[mannix]

To be certain I would ask the SEB for clarification. Now you have me worried, I don't have that cover either. Someone put an optima battery in my car.

Yah, willdo. FWIW, I could not care less if you don't have it. I'm going to cram one into my car just in case (unless it is deemed a "loose item").

I REALLY doubt anyone would protest it, but better safe than sorry.

Fitfan - conceptually, agreed. As far as autocross goes, though, the SCCA Solo Nationals is a special case; everything needs to be *right*. Protests on this sort of thing are fairly rare, but Stock means _stock_, save allowed changes, and ESPECIALLY on a car whose strength is lightness, all the bits REALLY need to be in place.



Iain

 

[glagola1]

Seems like since SS is all Elises anyway, you could have a gentlemen's agreement on the issue.

My car did not come with the cover when I bought it (used with 17k miles). Luckily, I don't have to worry about such things.

 

[turblow]

To be certain I would ask the SEB for clarification. Now you have me worried, I don't have that cover either. Someone put an optima battery in my car.

I volunteer to throat-punch the ******* that protests for that. I'd happily take the SCCA ban that'd go with it.
My box got torn up when the battery came loose at the Math tour practice and broke out my left rear reverse tail-light.
Glagola gave me his first-attempt tie-down he made (his is now secured to his wing supports, somehow), which holds the battery nice and securely in place, but I haven't tried to piece the cover back together and don't intend to. Though, I might stash it in the glove box.

 

[glagola1]

Uh, your car has a glove box!? cool.

 

[turblow]

Uh, your car has a glove box!? cool.

Oh come on. You get the reference, right?

 

[mannix]

Seems like since SS is all Elises anyway, you could have a gentlemen's agreement on the issue.

I've worked protest @ Nats several times over the years.

Let's just say I don't trust "gentlemen's agreements."

I could not care less, and anyone who protested ME over a <1# chunk of plastic is REALLY missing the point (I have considerable built-in ballast), but whatever, no opportunities will be given.

My next fun task - the little plastic grille on the front? My d-side one disappeared. Allegedly, it is POSSIBLE to get to the screw through the turn signal. Heh. We Shall See.

I _REALLY_ doubt anyone would protest. OTOH, at Nats, stupid things like this get people thinking "what ELSE did they decide just does not matter?" I've certainly wondered about some cars that have little "who cares" things wrong...and wonder what ELSE might be wrong.

Never filed a protest, though. I've worked several I'd not have filed. I've worked several that were valid as well.

I'm a rules-beeatch, for myself. I try to tend to ALL the loose ends. Screwed up once, though, on my last car - FSP BMW 2002 - I took all the trim off, welded the holes shut, filled with filler, sanded, primed, painted.

Turns out I'm not a good bodyguy, the holes looked ok BEFORE paint.

Anyway, painted, was putting a giant sticker across the trunk, found myself thinking about the reverse lamps......DOH! Heh. I'd filled the holes for the reverse lamps. Oops. So, I put the lamps in a bag, taped them tight, duct taped them to the INSIDE of the trunk. Was never a problem, people did not even notice til I pointed it out. If push had come to shove, I could have redrilled the holes and screwed them on, but most found it amusing that I was a moron & did not care about it....

Dunno, confirmed that my box is on the way, I'll ziptie that little effer onto my battery and it'll be good.


Iain

 

[glagola1]

Yeah, I got the Carpenter reference.

 

[turblow]

My next fun task - the little plastic grille on the front? My d-side one disappeared. Allegedly, it is POSSIBLE to get to the screw through the turn signal. Heh. We Shall See.

If my next nationals occurs before I remove the clam again, I am just going to duct tape those two small grilles in behind the main front one, just so they'll be counted on the front of the car. heh.
Unless you report very much success from the turn signal method.

 

[bcpower]

Let us know what the SEB says.

I wouldn't protest over something so small and stupid either. I'm not going to give anyone a reason to protest me either. There is always "That Guy" everywhere.