The batteries will be housed in four battery boxes. The boxes are constructed of 1.25” x 1.25” x 0.125” (31.75 mm x 31.75 mm x 3.175 mm) angle iron for the frame, and sheet metal encloses the frame. The box top will be acrylic (Plexiglas). The exterior of the boxes will be finished with a high build under carriage coating. The interior will be primed, painted, and lined with a thin layer (3 mm) of foam. The first two boxes will be located on each side of the motor, and hold 12 batteries each.
The bottom frame of the battery box is cut and clamped to a piece of plywood, ready to be welded together. My grandfather, a retired carpenter, gave me that framing square for Christmas when I was five years old. I still use it on a lot of projects around the house. I like to think that I got my mechanical inclination from him. Someday, I hope to pass it on to my young son.
Cross bars of 1.25 inch (31.75 mm) square tubing are mounted in the engine compartment. Metal tabs will be welded to the car’s frame, and the cross bar bolts to the tabs. The boxes must be removable to preserve the ability to maintain the car – like replacing the shocks. Vertical lengths of angle iron at the corners of the box will connect the bottom of the frame to the cross bars. A cardboard box mock-up was constructed as a light weight stand in for 12 batteries. There are lots of curves in the car’s structure that I still have to negotiate to square up the battery box frame. The motor is wrapped in black plastic to protect if from debris during fabrication.
The upper right corner of the picture is a detail of the tab that will be welded in, and the bolt securing the rear cross bar.
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