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Thank you su8overdrive - I'm tackling my Chrysler first, since that one is the immediate problem. The battery in that car is below the driver's left foot essentially. So I won't have a direct line from the dash, but a direct line from below the floorboards instead. I'm envisioning some kind of rod that I can twist like a knob. I'll probably have to get creative, as I don't think there is anything on the market, but maybe someone can prove me wrong. I only need about a six-inch extension.
Thank you for the backing on the shutoff switch as well to you and Pgh Ultramatic

I use this switch on my ’48 . . . mounted just forward of the battery. It disconnects the ground (+).

delcity.net/store/Eaton-Bussmann-Heavy!Duty-Disconnect-Switch/p_4873.h_169051

Specs are:
2000A, 20% duty cycle, 5 sec duration per event
400 A continuous

Lately it has become quite expensive. I'm not sure I would be eager at the current price, but functions quite well. Features a bit of spring loading in both the ON, or OFF positions. Remember this type of switch rarely MAKES or BREAKS with a load applied, so the contacts should last 'forever' . . . at least the life of the switch.

dp

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When it comes to contact current interruption, one of the main things to consider is the power and not just the current. So, a switch that is rated for a given current at a higher voltage will always work for the lower voltage. The switch would not handle the same current at a higher voltage. In short, the current ratings are good if using less than or equal to the rated voltage.

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Moroso makes a rod actuator setup that looks fairly generic and adaptable but I don't know how their switch shaft size or any keying would compare to other brand switch shafts or knob keying.a.co/d/icuCDNi Perhaps something like that would work although theirs is a bit pricy.

It appears the Moroso item on Amazon is designed to replace the regular knob so you would mount the switch sideways to enable a push or pull action at the handle to work the switch. If you need a twist or rotary action it looks like it might be possible to adapt something sort of like the extension piece I show in the earlier post which I made for my 56 version of a rotary action extension.

Jegs has a complete remote extension switch combo in a good amperage rating from another manufacturer that would work too but those are fairly expensive -- although it might still be in the neighborhood if buying the switch and actuator separately.

I didn't check but one of the Amazon reviews for the Moroso extension says Summit has a similar item in a house brand for less money -- or maybe you could just custom make something along the Moroso lines in your shop using material at hand..

Packtriots (with an s this time, pardon earlier transgression) -- Wasn't thinking. Of course your '24 and '29 batteries below the floor. So posting a picture of the installation in my "modern" Packard of no use. However, in a long ago owned '40 Packard One-Twenty, in which the battery under the driver's seat with an access hatch, we put the Cole Hersee on/off lever on the floor just in front of the driver's seat.

Tho' of course a site for sharing Packard information, i don't think all here gathered suffer one-marque-itis, unable or unwilling to appreciate another flag's perspective. So perhaps i'm not the only one who'd like to see a picture or two of your '29 Chrysler. Only 3,185 lbs., but a torquey 249-ci, seven-mained six in a sharp looking package with hydraulic brakes, the latter something Packard wouldn't get around to for another six years--eight years on their seniors-- sounds like a swell car to those of us catholic in our automotive tastes. All Chryslers were good-looking equipages through the early '30s-- the Plymouths of those years included. Of all the "Classic" heavy iron of that era, hard to find a better looking barouche than a 1931-33 Imperial.

Be nice to see your '24 "Single Eight," too. A lighter, simpler, more sporting, yet equally smooth caleche as the Twin Six it replaced, inline sixes and eights enough for many of us hardcore autoholics.

While Henry Ford brough affordable wheels to the masses, Packard smoothness and refinement to the well-heeled, Chrysler brought the general public affordable engineering. There was no better built car in the world in the '30s than a Chrysler or DeSoto Airflow. Too bad their advanced styling resulted in relatively dowdy Mopars for the next two decades.

Older Caterpillar dozers (1970s) used a keyed disconnect switch on a 24 volt, very high amperage circuit. I replaced one of these on a 1973 F-7 with a Cat dealer sourced unit at fairly low cost. It's made and sized much like the ones used on cars. It's designed to carry enough current to crank a 760 CID 3306 diesel engine.

I had problems with battery cut off switches and finally just went to removing one battery cable.

That's what I do on my cars. The lugs are tapered so I just press the cable on with a bit of a twist. Not been a problem so far.

Worth noting that the ground cable could theoretically hit the fan if it came loose, so it's better to have that one as the tight one.

My apologies for not adding a couple photos from the beginning. The blue car is the '29 Chrysler and the red and white one is the '24 Packard. I also included a photo of the Chrysler with the battery exposed and the floorboard pulled up from the view point of just above the steering wheel. In order to get to that point, I need to remove the front bench seat, lift the carpeted floormat, and then lift a removable panel. You can see why pulling the cables off or having a disconnect switch that I can access on or near the battery is a no-go. I plan to mount the switch basically just above and to the rear of where the battery is housed. I'll make a small hole in the removeable wood panel, and run something up through a small hole in the floormat to operate the switch.

I decided to stay away from remote options since I was looking at one, and someone posted the directions which stated that it would not operate after more than 10 days of non-use. I figured any of them might have a similar issue and/or drain the battery, so I figured I'd go the old-fashioned route. Sometimes this car will sit for a month or so.

Regarding the long handles shared, they are pretty expensive and if they can't be cut down, they are way too long.

One solution I just realized is to cut a hole in the floor mat since there are actually two layers of carpet. The top layer is easily removable without pulling out the seat, and would cover my hole in the lower mat. Below the lower layer is a smaller wooden cutout to access the battery. I could get one of the disconnects that attaches to the battery terminal and easily get to it from there. I would be damaging my floormat, but it might be the solution that makes the most sense. I probably couldn't easily disconnect a terminal cable from there since there isn't much room between the terminal and the wooden flooring, and certainly couldn't operate a wrench there.

Finally, thanks for the comments regarding the Chrysler even though it isn't part of the Packard family. I found a couple Chrysler forum sites, but they are largely focused on more modern Chryslers.

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I would really suggest you not go that route. Even though they might be advertised as 6v capable the rotary switches that go between a cable and battery terminal are mostly rated for a relatively small intermittent current and cannot take the heavy 6v starter current needed to crank a Packard engine. As I recall, there are a couple of posts on the forum from a few years ago with photos of melted switches when some have tried those things on their 6v car.

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I hear you on the price for that rod and handle. It is a bit much and Jegs was considerably higher than Amazon for the same item. Must be a really special name on the handle or is made of a very expensive piece of aluminum to justify that cost.

I wanted the convenience of working the switch from inside the car as well as from under the hood so needed to figure a way to do both. Settled on the push/pull cable and needed a way to attach that to the switch so just used a small clevis that would thread onto the pull cable end. Drilled the switch knob for a thru screw and ran the screw thru the knob and clevis. The screw works just fine and I think the clevis was only a few dollars. Perhaps you could do something like that with whatever length rod you need. I think my cable was a 10-32 thread so I wound up with a fairly small clevis which was not wide enough the knob could fit centered in the clevis. Even with it all on one side there is no problem. Possibly with a larger diameter rod there would be a clevis wide enough for a centered knob but still be able to have a small enough pin for the size screw determined by the limited drilling area in the knob.