Battery Box Cover

[Will Randall]

I asked about this 356 battery box a couple of days ago. The only reply was one asking for pictures. Does anyone know what models these were used on. I bought it around 30 plus years ago. The box is aluminum and the inside is lined with micarta - all riveted into one unit. Beautifully made. Send an email for more detailed pictures if it well help you ID this item. More pictures can also be seen on my Flickr sight at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25362374@N03/4894706138/

Thanks,

Will Randall

[Jim Breazeale]

Home made battery box. Not a good idea, either!

Regards

[Barry Brisco]

...if it well help you ID this item.

I can ID it as not coming from Porsche. Someone's high school metal shop project? Nicely made.

It appears that "micarta" is not conductive. Fortunately! See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micarta

Barry

[Will Randall]

I wish the Registry members would look at this item with an open mind. How anyone can say - "not from Porsche" amazes me.


[url=http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Tswawf9][img]http://s2.postimage.org/wawf9.jpg[/img][/url]

[Will Randall]

[quote="Will Randall"]If this is a High School project, they were more talented 50 years ago than today!![/quote]

[Vic Skirmants]

Sure looks good to me. Carrera GT experts, what do you say? What covers were used in those cars? Remember, it's not just a cover, it is the only thing holding the battery in place; assuming the spring clips are on.

[Julian Hardy]

Will,
The battery box that you show looks like it is for an "A" & "B" car . But I thought they

were made out of cardboard like material.

The battery box that is in my pictures is for a Pre A car.

[Barry Brisco]

I wish the Registry members would look at this item with an open mind. How anyone can say - "not from Porsche" amazes me.

Will, it's not that amazing: the cover shown in your photos is not a 356 battery cover made by Porsche. Keep in mind that Jim Breazeale has been dealing with 356 parts for decades and has seen literally thousands of them, and "disassembled" hundreds. He knows what he's talking about.

Best regards,

Barry

[Tim Herman]

In my experience (numerous cars, numerous years) the GT's utilized the metal cover.

[Barry Brisco]

Lined with "micarta"? See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micarta

I would love to be wrong about this and learn that the cover Will shows is a Carrera GT cover.

Barry

[Jim Breazeale]

I wish the Registry members would look at this item with an open mind. How anyone can say - "not from Porsche" amazes me.

Will

It would not be the first time I was wrong. Tim says GTs had a metal cover. I would defer to him. I know very little about the nuiances of Carreras. I find it kind of weird that Porsche would make a cover out of aluminum for a competition car that probably weighs more than the cardboard one from the rest of the fleet. Your box does look to have original fittings.

Regards

[Will Randall]

I think we are getting somewhere! This cover is built like a bank vault. It appears to be built using aircraft type construction. The cover has every piece of micarta lining the aluminum cut and fit to perfection. The whole assembly is riveted together - probably using cleco clamps to hold the assembly together properly while the riveting was done. Assuming I am correct that it is a factory 356 era part, the Carrera idea makes sense If this is all that held the battery in properly it was built like a tank. I have always wondered why the box is so overbuilt!!

Just looking for the correct answer. I appreciate the interest all of you have taken. Is Vic correct?? I have never seen a Carrera battery cover! Will be glad to post specific pictures to anyone interested.

Please send me an email address so I can forward much better pictures to you.

ws_randall@mac.com

Thanks,
Will Randall

[Charlie White]

In the A parts book, there are three different battery covers:

1. 644.611.015.01 - For Coupe, Cab, Speedster
2. 644.611.015.02 - For Coupe, Cab, Speedster for Bosch battery
3. 644.611.015.10 - For Carreras Coupes with 12 volt batteries

Perhaps therein is the difference.

CW

[Brad Ripley]

Earliest battery covers were steel in a similar shape to the later fiber version. Part number: 540 70 111 1 . See for a photo http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/ ... ?id=823978

For the early Speedster, two wood blocks were inside to accomdate the smaller 66 aHr battery. I do not have the part number for the wood blocks; you can see the blocks illustrated in the Pre-A book.

At some point, the metal cover became fiber and the later part numbers started. Old price lists show the following part numbers:
644 611 015 00 probably the metal one for the large battery
644 611 015 01 probably the metl one for the small battery
644 611 015 02 certainly the fiber one for the large (and only) battery except for below
644 611 015 10 certainly the fiber one for the larger 12 volt battery.

Check Brett Johnson's book for other details.

[Bruce Baker]

The metal and fiber versions can still short due to the metal springs from the metal clamps that hold onto the metal parts of the cover all being attached to metal tabs on the lower vertical edge of the battery box next to the battery.

Can you say 'complete circuit'? It becomes very critical that the positive terminal be properly located (and supplementally insulated) on newer batteries if using any original or repro cover of this design.

All in all, in use, a metal cover was a poor design for battery containment by today's standards, 'original' as they were.