How To Install A Top-Mount Battery Tray

Our friend Gary Mattson of Simi Valley, California, has a fundamental problem. He doesn't want his new Optima dry-cell battery falling into the cooling fan. The factory battery tray uses a battery lip hold-down, which works well with Autolite Sta-Ful reproductions and many aftermarket batteries. But there are now aftermarket lead/acid batteries, not to mention Optima dry-cell batteries, which require a top-mount battery tray.

For those who aren't concerned with originality, Virginia Classic Mustang offers a top-mount battery tray for '65-'66 models, like those from the factory with '67-and-later Mustangs. This easy swap is accomplished in about 20 minutes and it keeps your Optima battery in place.

Here's the PE-13 top-mount battery tray kit from Virginia Classic Mustang-battery not included. Everything you need is here, including installation hardware. Virginia Classic Mustang also offers the AMK Products' kit, which is dead-on accurate to original equipment. The PE-13 kit is close to OEM in appearance, but cadmium-plated for corrosion resistance.	The factory '65-'66 Mustang battery tray utilizes a screw-down clamp that retains the battery at a base lip. Nearly all lead-acid batteries had this lip until approximately 10 years ago. Only a few replacement batteries have it now. Unless you're concerned about originality, Virginia Classic Mustang has a solution with its top-mount battery tray for '65-'66 Mustangs.
To access the battery-tray mounting hardware, the right-side bumper bracket must be disconnected from the framerail. This moves the bumper bracket far enough from the frame-rail to access the bracket bolts, which are behind the bumper bracket. You need a 11/42-inch socket for this operation.	This is the view from underneath. Two flange nuts retain the battery tray as shown. There are two different kinds of bolts: a carriage bolt and a conventional body bolt with a star washer.	Lift the battery tray out like this, taking care not to damage the paint. If you have any corrosion or rust-through issues, now is the time to fix them. Virginia Classic Mustang can supply an inner fender apron if there are rust problems.
We opted for the PE-13 kit and wove in some improvements of our own. Large fender washers provide support and reduce the risk of corrosion underneath. A washer gives nuts and bolts a surface to bear against.	This is the view from above: one carriage bolt and one conventional body bolt. Tighten the body bolt from above and the carriage bolt/nut from underneath. We suggest the use of 3M rope caulk between the battery tray and body for corrosion resistance.	Body bolts and tinnerman's nuts retain the battery tray at the framerail. Tinnerman's nuts clip to the battery tray support bracket.
Battery hold-down studs attach from the inside out or the outside in. The choice is yours. The trick is keeping them in place while you're installing the top mount.	If you run out of threads due to battery height, use cadmium-plated flat washers beneath the nuts. Regardless, this is a good idea to protect the coating on the hold-down.