dry cell batt. question/ back seat fireworks

["walter cox" <al74fa@domain.elided>]

Hey folks-- All this battery talk reminds me to ask if anyone has any
good/ bad experience with the new style dry-cell batteries such as those
from Odyssey (Hawker Ind.).  I'm intrigued with but slightly skeptical
of  the claims for excellent  cold cranking amps and light weight  in a
small spill proof , mount in any position, no fumes package.  I've
purchased a couple  of these for work- related motorcycle projects which
have worked out fine, but I haven't seen first-hand an automotive
application.  I'd love to lose that great hulking , fuming ,corroding
Interstate lump now residing in the back of my '74 GTV, and replace it
with a smaller, lighter lump  which is more properly positioned and
secured.  The car is currently being spiffied up in the trunk area with
new carpet mat , paint touch-up, new custom batt. cables, fuel pump
relay, etc.  For a more sanitary installation I'm thinking of 
fabricating a bracket/ mount  to put it on the upper "step" area
immediately behind the rear seat and adjacent to the right rear shock
tower.  Any comments?  Condemnations? I can speak first hand to those
tales of under seat bombs in early VW beetle applications.  In the late
sixties (I think--!) two or three of us were blasting  around the 'hood
in a friend's '63 beetle sedan when the driver engaged in some Joey
Chitwood Thrill Circus styled maneuvers and caused the car to "bicycle"
around a right -hand turn, demonstrating  perfectly  the type of
swing-axle behavior that would keep Ralph  Nader awake at night.  In
doing so, the battery came adrift  and afoul of the seat springs under
the poor passenger--yours truly.  BOOM!  Felt like George Blanda himself
kicked me dead in the ass!  Immediately there was the smell of burning
seat material (gummi hair?), an acid fog (sulfuric, not lysergic), and
much laughter to the point of  incapacitation.  I don't know why but many
of my most cherished automotive memories often involve a pain in the
posteriore. --- walter cox--- al74fa@domain.elided--- EarthLink: The #1
provider of the Real Internet. 
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided