Too bad you chose the method you did.  The whole point in buying the Optima for the extra battery is so you lay it on its side!  There is nothing of any substance that has to be cut to accomplish this.  All the cutting i did for mine took less than 5 minutes, and I used the same battery cover and carpet without any adaptation.   

It sounds like you are going to spend more time and worry fabricating this cover than the 5 minutes it takes to cut out 2 little unseen squares of metal that do absolutely nothing for the performance of your van!

----- Original Message -----
From: Cooper, Jonathan R.
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2002 3:58 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Aux Battery Cover

I finally broke down and bought an Optima battery an, given the balmy
weather last week, installed it.  Followed the Harold & Nancy Method and
installed it upright, because I hate cutting anything substantial and did
not want to cut off the top posts of the battery. I want to make a battery
Cover like H&N's. I cannot raise them, so does anyone have an idea of a
malleable material out of which I could build a cover that would go over the
posts and then swoop down so the driver's seat could rotate, all while
looking like it was made for the space. I thought of screen with fiberglass
over it. And then what? Light brown fleece? Carpet won't conform enough. I
don't think I have sufficient metal forming tools. Outside of a propane
torch, I don't have anything that would melt plastic to form it, so I am
stuck. I would like this to be hardy, because I will likely take it off and
put it on more times than one.
Thanks

Jonathan R. Cooper
Brzytwa, Quick & McCrystal
900 Skylight Office Tower
Cleveland, OH 44113
216-664-6900 (voice)
216-664-6901 (fax)
Cooper@BQMlaw.com