[s-cars] WOB - Need a source for Li-ion battery cells

[Mock, Bruce J (Bruce)]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
--
[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
Hey guys - Sorry for the WOB but you guys are my virtual community and I kn=
ow there is a lot of electronics type knowledge on this list - so at the ri=
sk of getting yelled at for a WOB non-Audi post, here goes:

I need to rebuild several IBM ThinkPad lap top computer Li-ion battery pack=
s=2E  Yeah, I know, I could just get several packs from of e-bay or from a =
battery pack supplier, etc.  However, these things are PRICEY and what I re=
ally would like to do is to rebuild my existing packs... BUT - I am unable =
to source the individual cells themselves.  (I used to do a lot of R/C heli=
copter flying stuff and I always rebuilt my own battery packs...  But these=
 were Ni-cad cells which are easy to come by... Radio Shack, Digi-Key etc.)

So how come it seems impossible to source Li-ion cells?  I have looked all =
over the Web and can't find a source for these...  They obviously DO exist =
- so how come I can't buy some somewhere???

Each cell in the packs I have is roughly 3/4" in dia.,  ~ 2 1/2 inches long=
 and measure ~4.25volts each.

There MUST be a way to source these things.  Anyone?

Please reply off-list to prevent more WOBing

Thanks Guys - Again, Sorry for the non Audi WOB

Bruce - '93 S4