Battery and Fusebox relocation - advice please

[Matthew Poxon]

Evening gents,

I know this has been talked about many times but I am interested to hear either from people who have completed this or those who have looked into it.

I am looking to relocate the battery and fusebox on the Griff, my battery is now 7+ years old and needs replacing so now seems the ideal time. I am also amazed at how little leg room there is in the passenger side footwell of the Griff so would like to expand this a bit.

My original thinking was a Odyssey PC925 but the latest PC1100 seems to have far better specs for a similar footprint (taller but thinner)

Halfords Type 72 Calcium
AH Value 70
CCA 570
Reserver Cap 125
Bench Charge 6.8A
Length 261mm
Depth 175mm
Height 220mm
Weight 18.4 KG

Odyssey PC925
AH Value 28
CCA 330
Reserve Cap 27
Length 168mm
Depth 179mm
Height 148mm
Weight 11.8 KG

Odyssey PC1100
AH Value 39A
CCA 500
Reserve Cap 87
Length 250mm
Depth 97mm
Height 206mm
Weight 12.5KG

I seem to remember Anthony (Qbee) has this fitted in his car and it looks very neat....


Problem solved?... not quite. I have just seen that VT automotive have refurbished a Griff and created a combined fusebox and batter compartment with cut off switch which looks fantastic but uses the PC925 battery.


VT automotive also sell a separate fusebox


What are people's thoughts on the following?

• PC925 vs PC1100
• Leave fuse box where it is or move to the boot?
• Any tips from those who have done it?

[Matthew Poxon]

TV8 said:

Hi Matt, does the Griff have the alcove type space behind the passenger seat? I have seen a couple of Chims where the existing loom is un-taped and the fuse boxed moved to the cubby hole. No extensions required to the fuse box wiring and then move the battery where you want.

Hi Graham, yes I had considered that before I saw the VT automotive solution. You are right quite a lot of work involved in putting it in the boot I think. I did find this on Google which looks like a neat solution. Only issue for me would be already being fat bd I am not sure I would want more weight on the drivers side of the car.

[Matthew Poxon]

Loubaruch said:

Not to the boot, but I moved my fuse panel to the glove box and tidied up the relays in the footwell:

http://www.bertram-hill.com/moving-the-fuse-panel....

This uses the existing loom, moving to the boot would involve a fair bit of extra wiring.

Having seen pics of a Griffiths with a rear end shunt I would not be at all keen on putting the battery in the boot.

I like that! Very clever and not seen it done before. Thanks for the tip. Great website as well by the way, I will have a proper look through that later

[Matthew Poxon]

ukdj said:

Totally agree, never really been comfortable putting the battery in the boot with the lack of any major structure in the rear, in the event of a rear end shunt it wouldn't take much to split the tank/dislodge the battery = sparks & petrol together - you do the maths!

Fusebox to the cubbyhole behind passenger seat & battery to cubbyhole behind drivers seat would be the way I would go.

Have you considered Lithium Ion batteries, much lighter although they are more expensive have a look HERE

I do hear you on the battery in the boot scenario with a rear end shunt. On the flip side almost any accident scenario is not going to be good news in a Griff.

Those Lithium batteries are eyewateringly expensive, they look really good though. Never knew they existed.

[Matthew Poxon]

Hedgehopper said:

I put my PC925 here with the ECU tucked behind it. Other than the battery cables no alteration to wiring needed.

I like that, nice neat solution. May I ask how you get on with your PC925 battery, any issues? What trickle charger do you use? Did you gain much in the way of footwell leg room?

[Matthew Poxon]

vaurien said:

Hello Vaurien

I really like the fuse combined fuse and battery box. What battery are you running in that, is it the PC925?

I sent Odin an email earlier this week, I cannot seem to find the combined battery and fuse box on your website?

[Matthew Poxon]

eff eff said:

Matthew - don't know if you saw at the Growl I have an Odyssey PC680 with a carpet cover behind each seat they fit really well in the small niche. I have a battery cut-out switch in the side panel behind the passenger seat.

Now that is a really clever idea, thanks for sharing. I know a number of the Chim boys have put their battery behind the drivers seats but the space in the Griff is smaller so won't fit a Varley 40 or Odyssey PC1100. Two smaller batteries in parallel, genius! Evenly splits the weight as well. Loving the classic cut off switch as well.

I liked this solution from X-Works but again I don't think it will fit in a Griff


Looking at the battery specs for that old Varley vs Odyssey debate:

Odyssey PC680 Single
AH Value 16Ah
CCA 170
Length 184mm
Depth 79mm
Height 191mm
Weight 7KG

Varley Red Top 25 Single
AH Value 20Ah
CCA 230
Length 181mm
Depth 77mm
Height 167mm
Weight 7KG

Odyssey PC680 Double
AH Value 32Ah
CCA 340

Varley Red Top 25 Double
AH Value 40Ah
CCA 460

[Matthew Poxon]

Just looking at mounting options for those batteries and stumbles across this beauty. Looks very similar to yours... have you got what looks to be the Rolls Royce option solid billet hold down kit:



https://www.jhpusa.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idprod...

[Matthew Poxon]

I am liking the look of those billet hold downs, a really nice solution. Varley does seem to be a slighty better option on battery spec but I am struggling to find a decent hold down solution, the standard Varley cages are very nice but the surface behind the battery is not flat so I am not sure whether it will work. There are lots of options for the PC680, as it looks like they are used a lot in the bike world.

So let me just get this straight, Griff SE, LS3, Evo chassis, epic battery solution. Is there anything else in the ultimate griff recipe you care to share?

[Matthew Poxon]

eff eff said:

Don't forget the 6-speed box!! Planning a rollover hoop this winter think that will do it for major mods. Like you I've been looking at seat options, I like the look of the Tamora seats and the Zertec style steering column instrument pod so................

What roll over hoop are you thinking of going for?

Regarding seats, I am assuming you have seen my modified cerebra seats. Very pleased with them. Link below to thread. The Tamora seats are very nice and solve a lot of the issues I had with the Tuscan seats. Very rare though!
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Join the queue on the Zertec pod! Last I heard S&D where taking a mould from original so hopefully not long now.

[Matthew Poxon]

I shall look forward to seeing what you decide on the roll hoop. Also considering one for mine but I do not like the fact with the roof down you cannot see anything out the back through the rear view mirror. I am going to try and get the roof modified so it sits lower to get around that issue.

Tamora seats are very nice, I believe Adrian at Central TVR still has some new ones but like you say at a price. Maybe you should save your money on the seats and invest in that Jenvey ITB system that angus had on his LS3 Tammy.

[Matthew Poxon]

eff eff said:

OMG why did you have to go and show me those .............more money!!!!!

Have a listen to this induction noise!
https://youtu.be/zfoeKPltyNM

Angus's LS3 Tammy:




You know you want to!

[Matthew Poxon]

carsy said:

Here you go Matthew. Just need to brush up on your glassing skills.






A couple more;

That does look good Ian, many thanks for digging those out, very kind of you.

The only thing I would be concerned about with that approach is the Chim and Griff differ in that area, the griff has the 'whale tail' centre console with bolts underneath at both far corners. With a chim you can box that area in happily as there is no whale tail and continuous carpet. With the Griff you still need access under the whale tail to undo the screws to lift that section out for maintenance. I am not sure how you could modify that to still allow access. The Red top 40 is much taller as well.

My glassing skills are nonexistent for the record!

[Matthew Poxon]

Nice one Jess, I will look into moving the mirror down a bit. Thanks for the tip.

I think Lithium batteries are the way forward, and especially for a car like yours. I don't think the tech is quite there yet for road cars and like you say they do not very well with parasitic drains and are useless if they go completely flat. If you look at the lithium tech in phones it is progressing very fast on a yearly basis. Graphene batteries are apparently the next big thing.

I see you are doing well in the Speed championship, I look forward to the updates in Sprint to see what how you Howard and Rob are doing. Looks like a change of underwear might have been in order with that recent tank slapper. I enjoy the in car videos as well so keep on posting those

[Matthew Poxon]

ChimpOnGas said:

But if you want the very best money can buy you need to choose the Odyssey brand, the PC1500 being the biggest and heaviest model that fits a Chimaera/Griffith. Odyssey batteries are designed to bridge the gap between cranking & deep cycle performance, while of the AGM type they do this not by offering any kind of super new innovative technology but simply by giving you a traditional lead acid battery that's made better using better materials (pure lead plates not a cheaper lead alloy ect ect).

A PC1500 measures 275.59mm x 171.7mm x 198.6mm and weighs a whopping 22.4kg, compare this weight with any other battery of the same size and it'll tell you everything you need to know

I was almost disappointed that I did't hear from your earlier on CoG. I know from doing some research on here you have gone for an all out solution using the PC1500 and remote control battery brain. Very nice solution.

If I had a Chim I would be tempted to do the same as you have the luxury or more footwell space, however the footwell space in the Griff is truly woeful.

A question for you if I may...

You say Odyssey is the best money can buy, I would tend to agree with you based on research. What about Varley however? If you look at the specs of the battery I am looking at then the Varley Red Top 25 is superior to the Odyssey PC680 and has a smaller footprint, or have I missed something here? I am looking at two of these in parallel as per Eff Eff's design.

Odyssey PC680 Single
AH Value 16Ah
CCA 170
Length 184mm
Depth 79mm
Height 191mm
Weight 7KG

Varley Red Top 25 Single
AH Value 20Ah
CCA 230
Length 181mm
Depth 77mm
Height 167mm
Weight 7KG

Odyssey PC680 Double
AH Value 32Ah
CCA 340
Weight 14KG

Varley Red Top 25 Double
AH Value 40Ah
CCA 460
Weight 14KG

[Matthew Poxon]

dnb said:

I've messed around with battery relocation in the past and it's nice to see new ideas being tried. I had an Odyssey PC680 in mine for 4 years and was very impressed with it until it was just out of warranty... (I had the cylinder liner issue and the battery didn't like cranking an engine with two cylinders full of steam!) The only problem with it was that the parasitic losses meant that after 5 days of standing the car wouldn't start. (The up side is that it did make me trace all the parasitic losses and fix loads of electrical stuff!) I got it to 7 days of standby in the end. I was using the car for work 3 days a week so it wasn't a problem most of the time.

I swapped the fuseboard for a much smaller one that used micro fuses and micro relays with only the very high current circuits using large relays instead of all the standard size items. This meant it was much more compact and let me fit it and the Odyssey battery in the footwell and give another 5" of legroom. This was enough additional space for me to sit in the passenger side when the car's owner wanted to drive it. (Apparently I have to let her drive it sometimes) If I were doing the work again, I would be tempted with putting two small batteries in the recess behind the seats and moving the fuseboard down a bit to aid access.

7 days on a single PC680 is very good when you consider the AH value compared to the standard type 72 battery. Good to hear of your experience with Odyssey. Did you manage to recover the battery after it went flat or did you need to buy a new one?

I am very interested in your micro fuse box and Odyssey setup in the footwell, do you have any pics? Sounds like a great setup.

[Matthew Poxon]

eff eff said:

Odyssey batteries don't do well if completely discharged, that happened to the first pair I had. I have an Accumate in the boot but I was
away from the car and it wasn't plugged in. I tried to recover them with the Accumate trickle charge but they wouldn't take a charge.




Matthew this would hold a Varley Red Top 25 you would just have to take 25mm of the side bars and redrill and tap them

I am still torn between Varley and Odyssey. I am swaying towards Varley purely based on the specs but I think Odyssey have a better name for themselves.

I m struggling to source those billet mounts at a sensible price. They are working out around $320 for a pair by the time postage and import duty are included. I don't mind paying for a quality product but that does seem steep.

I am currently looking at the official hold down kit from Odyssey which has a larger foot print but will still fit.... just!

[Matthew Poxon]

eff eff said:

There's not a lot of room behind the seat, the top hold down plate seems to stick out a long way and may foul and damage the seat back if the seat is pushed right back and reclined. A carpet cover should prevent that though or maybe modify the front fixing.

That is a very good point. I did all the measurements and even made a template out of cardboard to test clearance and it looked good. I didn't consider the seat reclining though! FFS!

[Matthew Poxon]

dnb said:

Matthew - I will find some pictures of the Odyssey installation.

That would be much appreciated. Also very interested in your mini fuse box... sounds like a great idea.

Looks like the PC1100 / Varley Red Top 40 above the fuel tank option is a non starter...

[Matthew Poxon]

Thank you all very much for all your input. Some really good solutions people have come up with and thanks for sharing and taking the time to explain.

Decision made.... I am going to shamelessly copy eff eff's design with the two batteries behind the seats. I have managed to source the billet mounts from the same shop but on eBay and the customs and delivery charges are much cheaper through eBay's international shipping programme.

dnb - still very interested in your setup and new fusebox when you have a chance to rake the pictures out.