350i Battery problem?

[dw350i]

The battery has just died and all the local suppliers cannot find a suitable size battery to fit the car. Its a mk1 with the battery on the drivers side (max width of battery compartment is around 140mm) so a std battery of 175mm wide will not fit. Anyone got any idea of what the minimum Ah and cranking amps I can get away with as most in the catalogs that will fit seem quite low.

[adam quantrill]

You can certainly use 40Ah, I have in the past though I prefer higher.

As for cranking amps, off the top of my head 900A?

If it's on the small side it might not last as long, but on the other hand if you get one with a 3 year (or more) guarantee, go for it.

[wedg1e]

Bloody hell David, is it your car's time of the month or summat?

[dw350i]

No that was the tdci mondeo. For the last 3 months, every 4 weeks since december, back to the main dealer. £1500 of repair bills, now hope its menopausal or pregnant. TVR's are cheap to fix by comparison.

[SEvans]

I've spent ages trying to find the best one to fit in the space. The problem is that the cases all seem to be standard. The one you really want to fit is just too wide and the next size down seems way too small. I seem to recall talking to Derek (Degz on pistonheads) at the BBWF last year and he managed to find a more powerful battery that just fitted in the space. I think it was off something like a Seat??? and probably a one off designed especially for the car. Hopefully he will see this thread and post the details.
There is another option, and one I did consider, and that is to cut out the inner wing behind the battery and re-fiberglass it back slightly, not something I would enter into lightly though.
PS I think this problem only applies to the early wedges where the battery sits on the drivers side and the inner wing is not dished in.

[rev-erend]

Just ask for the Jag battery - think it's an 072.

It's a tight squeeze but will slide in from the right and at a 45 degree angle.

[adam quantrill]

I think the 072 is OK in series II, but series I is smaller - possibly.

Another tip is to get a battery meant for a diesel - the cranking amps being stupendous.

I wouldn't do any refiberglassing - this area is just around where your legs are, and provides side impact protection. If you've modded it and nasty things happen, the insurance might not pay out. It's also very strong as is - when I wrote off my white wedge a concrete post came in from the side just here and managed to smash the battery casing - but that's as far as it got. I could still start the car though!

[dw350i]

The 072 will only fit series two cars. Found an 015 with a 3yr warr which fits Ok. Appears at todays temp to work fine, spec at 42 Ah 420 CCA. The major branded batteries no longer do this one, so ended up having to buy a Numax. At least it was cheap at £32 .

[wedg1e]

IIRC the original battery was as used on the TR7.

[dw350i]

The 015 is listed as the one for a Tr7. Ian gets it right yet again!!!!!!

[wedg1e]

dw350i said:

The 015 is listed as the one for a Tr7. Ian gets it right yet again!!!!!!

I believe it's known as 'bitter experience'

Must admit I was a bit shocked when I got the 390 and found the recess in the inner wing: it looked (still does, in fact) like someone took a jigsaw to the wing and glassed-in a bit of plywood.
Then I went to BBWF and saw a few others exactly the same, so now I just do the 'TVR shrug'...