If your solenoid is still in the engine compartment, you have a hot/unfused cable running the full length of your car. With the solenoid in the trunk, the cable is only hot while starting, the charging wire can be fused. So, solenoid in the trunk is much safer.

 

but then doesn't that big cable have constant power? is this dangerous?

 

if the solenoid is in the trunk you have to run all those tiny wires all the way to the back or do you keep the solenoid in the front also? and just use the trunk one to run a dead cable to the starteR?'

like pretty much the kit link posted would allow me to keep solenoid in stock location?
http://www.madelectrical.com/catalog/tm-1.shtml

 

If you leave the solenoid up front and just run the 1/0 cable from the battery to starter you still have a thick 1/0 gauge wire running the length of the car that is always hot. The issue for most is if there is an accident and the 1/0 wire gets severed it will ground and start a fire or cause the batt. to explode in the trunk (gas tank) when it grounds. I have been in a T-bone accident in a '70 that crushed the sill area where most run the 1/0 cable.

If you look at the diagram it shows the engine bay wiring in the top pic and the trunk in the bottom pic. You will need to run 3 wires to do it this way - the 1/0 to the starter, 8ga. fused from alt. pwr. and 14ga. to starter wire that was on the sol. ign. stud. If the wires get severed the fuse on the 8ga. (only constant hot wire) would blow stopping current. The 1/0 is only hot when starting -then it's dead.
Jon

 

The kit is for a computer controlled engine. If you are dealing with a stock engine you will also need a fourth wire for the resistor wire bypass, the I terminal. That will also require another terminal under the hood for the wire on the I terminal of the solenoid.

The dual battery solution will eliminate the need to relocate the solenoid to the trunk as the wire from the trunk is fused as well. A smaller battery could be used under the hood, if desired.

Another plus for the dual battery is if the battery under the hood should run down, the trunk battery can be used to jump start the vehicle. Or if you run the trunk battery down listening to the stereo, the vehicle can still be started. Also if you have a trunk mounted stereo power amp, it can be connected directly to the trunk battery, with remote switching from the stereo.

 

Hello everyone, long time lurker, first time poster. I have a 65 vert that I'm putting together and I finally have my trunk electrical to the point that I can show it. I relocated the battery and solenoid to the trunk as well:

I'm using a unfused 1/0 welding cable to run the starter and a 175 amp maxi-fuse that goes to a terminal block under the dash where the alternator connects to and I split off to the main fuse block and the various relays to run the fuel injection, fan and lights among other things. The battery ground exits the battery box and is mounted to a bumper bolt. It's still a work in progress, but you get the idea: