I've started these cars on a cheapo starter pack (as in, no battery installed, just the starter pack clipped to the wires). If the vehicle is in good condition you'll probably get it started just fine. However, maybe I'm misunderstanding the .au battery market, but why bother with something too small and remanufactured and why not just buy a cheapo suitable battery somewhere on sale? Can't be that much more expensive, can it? And you'll have a battery to use in the car when you've fixed it up.

By the way, I'm also working (slowly, other jobs keep getting in the way...) working on upgrading my 145, and after that a 245T (stretch 245).

So far, I'm planning on:

engine: not sure yet if I'll keep a B20 or if I'm going to retrofit a B230.
gearbox: either a rebuilt M41 or maybe an M47 or AW71L

interior: looking for an affordable source for reupholstery in leather, or a cheapo source of leather and teaching myself upholstery. Planning on 240 seats, new door cards (possibly leather covered glassfiber to accomodate speakers and switchgear), custom carpets, leather covered dash.

electrics: power windows, power mirrors (245 doors), remote power locks, power antenna or one of those invisible under-bumper antennas, remote start, MP3 player, not sure yet about nav and DVD (lot of cost for an infrequently used vehicle, although I might make it my primary vehicle when I'm done with it), bluetooth phone carkit

running gear: rebuild suspension (sandblast and powdercoat all metal bits), add power steering, got a set of used IPD swaybars on the way

wheels: got a set of Aries wheels under it and I think that's a nice classic-looking wheel for a 145. Might go with something a bit wilder later.

paint/exterior: undecided yet, probably a metallic, possibly either the mid/dark blue metallic that was used in the '70s or maybe Mercedes midnight blue.

Bram