I have a '88 GT T-Top 5-speed that is in OK condition, not show car shape.
I am putting in a new clutch and see that the Battery Carrier is rusting away, especially on the front LH corner of the tray.

Are there any nice and easy repairs for this?

At this point, it does not have to look factory correct, as it is not a show car. More of a daily driver.

Remove the battery. Get a spot weld drill bit and use it to break the welds that hold the battery tray/bracket in place. Purchase a new tray from the Fiero Store and pop rivet it in place. Doesn't get much easier than that.

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" THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Powerlog manifold, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Flotech Afterburner Exhaust, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite.
"THE COLUSSUS"
87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H
" ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "

I went another route. I bought a boat battery box and mounted it in the trunk. I ran the cable through the firewall with a grommet and I routed the ground to the body and a bolt on the bell housing. I used #2 welding cable. The battery stays dry and out of the way. I have a false floor for the trunk when I need it and I carry a tool box beside the battery.

Arn

I did the new box from the Fiero Store and had a shop weld it in place, Periodically the FS will have a discount available and that is the time to buy.

drill out the spot welds take the old one out get a piece of cold roll and bend it the same and weld it onmuch cheaper then the fiero store

Made mine out of angle iron that was salvaged from an old bed frame.

Here is how I did mine -

http://www.frontiernet.net/~jgunsett/BTray.htm

Hope it helps, Jack

Obviously rain and battery acid is the source of this trouble. Has anyone made any kind of rain shielding to allow heat out but to keep rain and car wash water off the battery posts? I've often thought that a sheet of teflon would work well.

Jonathan

quote Originally posted by Boostdreamer: Obviously rain and battery acid is the source of this trouble. Has anyone made any kind of rain shielding to allow heat out but to keep rain and car wash water off the battery posts? I've often thought that a sheet of teflon would work well. Jonathan

No way to keep rain out and air circulating. I believe that battery acid eats away the paint and the rain helps the rust advance. I also moved my battery into the right side of the trunk but had to use an Optima sealed gel cell battery to prevent acid fume and dangerous hydrogen gas from causing a hazardous condition. New battery cables of just about any length can be purchased at an auto parts store.

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" THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Powerlog manifold, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Flotech Afterburner Exhaust, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite.
"THE COLUSSUS"
87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H
" ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "

[This message has been edited by Dennis LaGrua (edited 11-11-2012).]

quote Originally posted by Arns85GT: I went another route. I bought a boat battery box and mounted it in the trunk. I ran the cable through the firewall with a grommet and I routed the ground to the body and a bolt on the bell housing. I used #2 welding cable. The battery stays dry and out of the way. I have a false floor for the trunk when I need it and I carry a tool box beside the battery. Arn

and a trunk full of hydrogen gas too, I'd think...depending on how sealed it is back there.

quote Originally posted by Stubby79: and a trunk full of hydrogen gas too, I'd think...depending on how sealed it is back there.

Good point. A spark from the blower motor, could be a dangerous problem.

quote Originally posted by Stainless1911: Made mine out of angle iron that was salvaged from an old bed frame.

lol i grab every bed frame angle iron i see....

quote Originally posted by Stubby79: and a trunk full of hydrogen gas too, I'd think...depending on how sealed it is back there.

No blower motor and it leaks like a sieve

IMO, a rusted out battery tray in the back is an excellent excuse to mount the battery up front.

quote Originally posted by Patrick: IMO, a rusted out battery tray in the back is an excellent excuse to mount the battery up front.

agreed

If you Make your own, or use fiero stores box. Instead of Welding it back in, I drilled holes, inserted "Rivit Nuts" (Big rivets with threads inside) , then bolted the new box to it. That way, When you need "Room", you can just unbolt it !

I was in a hurry, one day on a past car - for a quick and dirty i just cleaned it up a little, added some tape to hold it together, and glassed over the top of it. Was still working fine when I sold the car a couple of years later.

Mike

My late-run '86 GT is totally rust free, but I put a new battery in it and it was defective. It boiled over every time I ran it. About 6-months it ran down, so I put my charger on it and noticed it boiling over. When I pulled the battery it had eaten through the left front corner tray and the bottom of it was all rusty, not to mention it burned a hole in the plastic guard and dripped down on my cradle, rusting it. The cradle wasn't damaged and I just cleaned stripped and repainted it. I even sent for a new tray kit from the Fiero Store ($110), but when I went to replace it, it was still sturdy, so I just buffed off all the rust, painted it with rust inhibitor and painted it black, put on a new plastic shield and it was good...couldn't even see it in the shows. Won a first in custom like that...lol! Cheaper than $110 and lots of work, to cut it off and pop riveting or weld a new one on.

quote Originally posted by Stubby79: and a trunk full of hydrogen gas too, I'd think...depending on how sealed it is back there.

Just to be clear, the volume of the trunk is more than the volume of the spare tire cavity in the front.

However, both leak. Just thought of this.

Arn