MTFCA Forum

I recently installed a period style battery box in the 1915. Not much info available, so it's mostly guesstimates.

A wood box from a craft store is attached to a wood insert on the rear seat floor. Battery wires pass through drilled holes in the box, wood insert and the reproduction seat pan that came with the car. Cloth wires and flag terminals are from Ynez.

Looks good!

A bit OT, but I had some very old and distressed wood and a battery box picture from the Illustrated Parts Manual of my 1912 Flanders 20. From those, I was able to build a battery box with patina that matches the rest of the car.

That looks spot on!

Thanks for asking, and sorry for hijacking your thread. So far it's a mixed bag. The car ran well when I got it, but gradually developed a misfire under load (like when climbing a hill) that drove me batty going back and forth between fuel delivery and ignition. Turned out the problem was a broken spark plug porcelain inside the #3 cylinder where I couldn't see it. I only found it only by chance when I removed the plugs and #3 rattled when I shook it (I have no idea what possessed me to give each plug a shake test).

The engine is a 155 cubic inch four cylinder, a little smaller than a Model T. So far I would have to say the car is not as quick as my 1924 Model T.

Before the spark plug replacement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geDD4uECyME

After the spark plug replacement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWLtDWcFmjA

My dad always used to put a six volt hot shot dry cell battery under the front seat, next to the passenger side of the gas tank and shim it so it wouldn't move.

Since those are no longer available, we use a sealed lead-acid six volt "Power Wheels" battery in the same location in both of our Model Ts. Years ago my brother used to work for FAO Schwartz and he gave me a half-dozen of those batteries. I'm down to the last one which stll holds a charge.

No hijack at all, it's about period style battery installations, and yours is fantastic. Those little Flanders are amazing jobs, especially comparing the engine design with a contemporary Ford.

Hi Erik, putting the battery under the front seat would make life pretty simple. Hope your last Power Wheel keeps on for a while.

Do you think they might have had a box with finger joints? Seems like, back then they always went the extra mile even if it was more difficult and time consuming. Jim Patrick

It's possible. I can't tell from the pic in the illustrated parts manual, it only shows a top view of the Flanders battery box.

The old dry cell "hot shot" batteries are still available. Both Duracell and Rayovac still make them. My local hardware store sells them. I only use them for cold starting and they last about 3-4 years.

On that 6v dry cell topic I recently got a 1911 brush which needs 12v so I 3D printed what will be eventually the insert to a wooden box but it has contacts so that they can be in series. Im going to try and make the wood match the finish/ appearance of a coil box but my woodworking skills are iffy.

Nice setup. It looks like it fits in the box, hides the modern cells and makes all the connections. Your box will look great when it's done. Print is a neat approach.

I think the wood box handles are to lift it from a steel battery box. Seems to be normal for battery Fords, not sure of other cars.

Mark, not much by way of battery placement and diagram in the EMF literature at all, not the diagram you have or the overhead chassis diagrams either.