Trunk mount battery

[texas swede]

The Auto-Lite side is located towards the tank. Please see picture of 5R104 after restoration.
Texas Swede

[Jbarela]

That's a great pic! Which leads me to a dumb question but why are the battery cables swapped. I thought the black ground cable mounted to the post close to the rear panel, and the red cable on the post towards the front of the car? Confusing to me if this is a pic of a restored car.

[J_Speegle]

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

[Dan Case]

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. )

[mlplunkett]

Seems like the available hardware for the trunk-mount battery is priced pretty high. Does anybody have info on where the parts might be available for a more reasonable price. Since Carrol Shelby was a master of finding affordable parts from the Ford parts bid, I figured these weren't originally some rare or expensive items.

[Bob Gaines]

Seems like the available hardware for the trunk-mount battery is priced pretty high. Does anybody have info on where the parts might be available for a more reasonable price. Since Carrol Shelby was a master of finding affordable parts from the Ford parts bid, I figured these weren't originally some rare or expensive items.

It is all relative. There is genuine and there are varying degree's of close. It depends on your expectations to determine if something is acceptable or not.

[texas swede]

Please note that some cars used the large Ford C5 battery hold down clamp which was also used
in 67-69. My car #275, 262, 266, 277 and probably many others used this bracket.
Texas Swede

[mlplunkett]

Got a photo of that clamp?

[Bob Gaines]

Got a photo of that clamp?

look in any Mustang vendors catalog.It was standard equipment 67-69 Mustang.

[mlplunkett]

The trunk mount battery ground lead in all the pictures I've seen just disappears toward the corner of the trunk. Where does it actually attach to the body? Anybody got a photo of that attachment point?

[SFM5S000]

Under one of the bumper bracket mounting bolt heads.

Cheers
~Earl J

[gt350bp]

Does anyone reproduce and sell only the early battery hold down bracket? If not, does anyone have a drawing or sketch? I would like to look at the possibility to reproduce if there is interest?

Don
gt350bp

[acman63]

I make and sell the entire kit  but will sell the bracket separate

[mlplunkett]

Price?

[5s116]

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

mmm that's how mine is

P.S Hello Jeff