A few months ago while working on my 245, I lifted out the battery and could see concrete underneath it.

This is not good, I said. I think what happened is that battery acid ate away the paint underneath, and then the car rusted right through the wheel arch.

This was never part of the plan

There was really only one thing for it. I took an angle grinder and cut away the rusted remains of the battery tray, then cut out a rectangular section of steel about the size of a postcard from the wheel arch. I couldn't believe how badly it rusted without us noticing. The hole I cut was big enough to put my whole arm down, up to my shoulder.

One of my Grandfather's neighbours is a panel beater, and he was quite happy to weld a piece of steel plate into the hole. All we had to pay him was for a can of argon. Problem solved for $50

The next problem. I have no battery tray.

Grandpa knows a man who runs a fire engine factory. They take ordinary trucks, then kit them out as firefighting vehicles, so custom metalwork is their trade. We hope to use their machine shop to make a new tray next time Grandpa or one of his electricians is installing something at the plant.

A nice plan but it may not be soon enough. I am home in 3 weeks, and hope to get everyhing done in under a month to have the car running and ready to drive back to college.

Has anyone ever welded in a cheap substitute for a battery tray? If I could find something roughly the right shape, we could make it fit. Cutting an old tray out of a donor car does not seem to be an option, as we can't really take power tools into the pick and pull yard, and we'd probably destroy the tray in the process - They are vey solidly welded in. There must be something the same shape out there.

I guess I could wire the battery up in the boot, but that would be accepting defeat. Plus I like ready access to the battery when I'm working on the engine.
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Drive it like you hate it