Trunk mount battery

[Bob Gaines]

Since the discussion has broadened I guess I'll add this to the thread

mmm that's how mine is

P.S Hello Jeff

That is a picture of a 68 style battery given the sticker so not period original .Also it is not reverse post.

[CharlesTurner]

That is a picture of a 68 style battery given the sticker so not period original .Also it is not reverse post.

I'm not so sure about that... the decal would have been a bit smaller than the print area showing on that battery.  It could be an original assembly line 22F battery, which I understand was used in the trunk of some early cars.

[CharlesTurner]

Later '68-up style 22F (and typical service replacement for 65-67)

[mlplunkett]

Here is a picture of an original battery for a 65 Shelby. Please remember that some of the cars had Cobra battery vent caps.
Texas Swede

Reply #10: To be clear this is an original battery for a Cobra street and most race from about CSX2117 through CSX2589 (1963-1966) sitting on a work bench at Shelby American. It has an all plastic case. It has two adhesive back labels on it, the small one on top (very blurred in this picture) and the large one on the long side facing the camera. The design is a carry over from a Prestolite® late 1950s model.  Ford purchased the Autolite® name from Prestolite's parent company in mid summer 1962. Prestolite continued to make electrical and ignition parts for Ford at least until 1983. Many of the internal ignition distributor parts Ford used up into the 1980s were made in their plant in Decatur Alabama, including dual point breaker plates for performance Fords street and race including the ones with Torrington® radial roller bearing fitted breaker plate assemblies.




Reply #17: The flat washers and wing nuts in the picture (I have seen clearer better focused ones.) Jeff posted are from the production Cobra parts department the best I can tell. They were standard for CSX2201 and later Cobras. The J-bolts are not the same as CSX2201 and later Cobras. The die cast zinc wing nut is a certain specific version of Harley-Davidson® motorcycle part. I have helped multiple early 1965 GT350 owners and or their restorers find a pair of wing nuts, they are not rare or expensive. Show car wise it is best to buy extras as the bare as cast zinc die casting darken with age and exposure to battery fumes fairly quickly.  (SFM5S142 and CSX2310, both unrestored early 1980s, both used the same wing nut. CSX2310 still uses its original J-bolts and wing nuts to this day. Did all early 1965 MUSTANG GT350s use the same Cobra part? I have no idea. )

Found several outlets selling the Baldwin AF521-WN diecast wing nut for about $1.75 or less that looks correct according to the previous post. From what I can tell it's a 7/16-20 wing nut. Is that the correct size for the carriage bolts used for the battery tie down bracket? Maybe it's a 5/16"

I was able to verify that the Baldwin item was a 7/16 nut. I'm sure that's too big. How does this one look? It's a 1/4-20 that looks like a dead ringer. Did I get it right this time?
https://cimarroncycleworks.com/Harley-Battery-Box-Brake-Rod-Dimpled-Wing-Nuts-45-Solo-WL-WLA-Servicar-RL-DL-

[mlplunkett]

What size positive cable was used on the trunk mount cars?

[texas swede]

Jim,
Do you sell the grommet for the positive cable separately and what size is the center hole
and the cable. Just checked my car #275 and the grommet center hole is 5/8" diameter and the cable
1/2". Consequently the ones I have in my car is most likely not the original type.
Texas Swede

[CharlesTurner]

Here's a better pic of an early '65 GT350 trunk mount battery.  From Car Life magazine.

[NC TRACKRAT]

Anyone see a hold-down frame with bolts and wing-nuts in that pic?  I don't. 

[CharlesTurner]

Anyone see a hold-down frame with bolts and wing-nuts in that pic?  I don't. 

Maybe a work in progress car?  Looks like masking paper in the trunk.

Note the 'Autolite' lettering is not painted, which matches an early San Jose assembly line 22F I had... (which is with 003 now).

[Bob Gaines]

Anyone see a hold-down frame with bolts and wing-nuts in that pic?  I don't. 

Maybe a work in progress car?  Looks like masking paper in the trunk.

Note the 'Autolite' lettering is not painted, which matches an early San Jose assembly line 22F I had... (which is with 003 now).

I haven't  typically seen the Autolite name painted on any of the unmolested assemblyline batteries I have seen had or seen over the years. I have seen some that were painted on restored cars but suspect that the owner thought it was the right thing to do.

[Jbarela]

By the way, where do the carriage bolts mount to?..any pics

[SFM5S000]

Anyone see a hold-down frame with bolts and wing-nuts in that pic?  I don't. 

Hello Stan,
I know where you're going with this. We had this conversation before on the old forum V1.0 before the crash. A good number of early cars DID NOT have the spare tire hold down bracket in the trunk mounted battery location. They used the 64 mustang/falcon slot version attached in the interior between the upper rear shock mounts.
Later trunk mounted battery cars HAD the spare tire bracket next to the rear mounted battery in addition to the one in the interior for the spare.
Also, if I may add. These cars without the bracket are also SOME of of the cars without the clips and bungee cord for the jack and wrench.

Cheers,
~Earl J

[CharlesTurner]

The early cars, at least the first 3 and first batch of 100, had the slide hold-down from San Jose spot welded to the trunk floor.  This was removed by SA and re-located for the spare hold-down under the rear shelf.  I don't remember exactly when, but Ford changed to the hook style setup, sometime around March IIRC.  SA couldn't use these, so they left those in place and were able to acquire the slide brackets from Ford to continue with that configuration for the rear shelf spare.

[Greg]

The early cars, at least the first 3 and first batch of 100, had the slide hold-down from San Jose spot welded to the trunk floor.  This was removed by SA and re-located for the spare hold-down under the rear shelf.  I don't remember exactly when, but Ford changed to the hook style setup, sometime around March IIRC.  SA couldn't use these, so they left those in place and were able to acquire the slide brackets from Ford to continue with that configuration for the rear shelf spare.

109 has the slide which appears to be removed from the trunk floor to the rear shelf as there is no hook mount beside the battery tray.

[CharlesTurner]

109 has the slide which appears to be removed from the trunk floor to the rear shelf as there is no hook mount beside the battery tray.

According to the registry, the 2nd big batch started arriving on 3/19/65 at SA.  The first SFM was 5S114... so I would guess that starting with that car and all subsequent had the hook anchor.

109 was part of the large group received in Dec '64, so no way it could have the hook style.