This cat came without a battery bracket to hold down the battery, but did have the threaded arms either side.
I made an aluminum cross piece, but did not like it as it was too close to the terminals for comfort.
I had the idea to add a piece of wood under it with a recess for the strap.





I think it turned out nicely.
I thought I would share.

 

I did something similar. The item that came with the car fitted around the top of the battery, it was too close to the +ve terminal for me, so I made a small bar bar across the top with the ends bent 90deg down. Wrapped it with shrink wrap to address the concern of shorting if clumsy while removing. Much prefer the retainers that work on lugs at the bottom of the battery.

 

the original battery had the posts on the front side of the case, not on the top.

the original terminals in your car have been cut off and replaced with the ones you have now. That is why you have an issue with the holdown bracket being too close to the posts.

look at the two different pictures showing XJ with original batteries and cables.

 

My '87 has a different battery hold bracket. As you can see, side terminals would not be possible. I think somebody may have switched the OP's bracket.

 

Thank you for those pictures.
It puts my engine compartment to shame.

 

Thanks. I used pictures of the car Doug used to own as an inspiration as to what I wanted mine to look like. Doug, I hope you don't mind me posting these pics of your car.

 

Indeed, some one chopped off the cables intended for a side post battery. My experience with those clamp on cable ends has been dismal. )Once a somewhat popular fix for beat up and/or corroded posts.


My 83 has/had a strap with a lip. Intended to clamp on the forward edge of the battery. That and a leg back to a screw on the firewall.


At ne time, I installed an Optima red top and then a yellow top. Each too low. I should've raised them with a plastic spacer. No, I made spacers of rubber for the screws and cut and welded the leg to fit.


Yup the batteries had both top and side posts. I connected via the side posts. The top posts came with slick little plastic caps to insulate them. Not enough for me, though.
I wrapped the bar with rubber sand vinyl tape. Stable sand some elasticity vi the rubber spacers. Good, but over done.


If yours works, and it does look decent, that is what counts. Stain and wax the wood????


Carl

 

the truth is that the original battery holdown in the Series 3 XJ sucks, it strains the top of the battery which is plastic, with a "u" shaped metal bracket, but hey, that's what the ship brought. Whatever gets you throught the night. Unless you want a museum piece, then any bracket will do, even the ones sold at autoparts stores.

 

Thanks Jose, that makes sense. I have never actually seen a battery with side terminals in the flesh. I couldnt beleive the way my car was would be deemed safe from the factory (although I guess we are talking electricals/Jaguar/1980s so its best to keep an open mind I think)

 

Steve,
side posts or terminals are common in the US, since the mid 1970's.

top posts or terminals can be had front or rear of battery.

 

Jaguar used both side post and top post during Series III production with two different styles of hold-down hardware. It's all documented in the parts catalogs. If you see one or the other is does not *necessarily* mean that someone has cut the cable ends off. Maybe. Maybe not.

My personal experience/observation is that all 1986-later cars had top post and 'most' 1986-earlier had side post.

Tidbit: Some of the very earliest cars had the battery box with a cooling fan....a Series II hold-over that was discontinued early on. I've seen only two....and from memory they were both 1979-build date cars

Cheers
DD

 

Jpipe simply needs the kind of hold-down bracket clearly seen on Dale's car and a bit less-clearly-seen on mine. I reckon David at Everyday XJ has 'em


Cheers
DD

 

Doug:


Those clamps are not by Jaguar or any other factory. Aftermarket of questionable quality. Used to save a bad cable or to adapt a different battery. Short term expedient at best.


I've told this tale before. I had a tired 65 Corvair that had a badly installed turbo charged Corsa engine. It's side draft Carter carburetor was badly worn. I splurged for a Weber DHOE 45. Beautiful gear and infinitely tunable. Alas, it's flat spot in acceleration defied adjustments. Then, my bar arm touched the ground cable. HOT.
Not good. High resistance. Poor connection. it had one of those clamps. I off'd o and installed a better and proper ground cable. Flat spot gone. Going through the four gears on the 180 HP flat six in the little body was a blast.


Lose those cables and get good ones.


Carl

 

I agree!

With only one cuppa coffee down I wasn't very clear. Yes, the cables in the first picture have had the ends cut off and replaced. At least one of them. The other isn't so clear to me.

I was merely trying to point out that not all Ser IIIs came with side posts. Some came with top posts. The presence of top-post style cables does not prove that the car has been altered in some way. The car in question almost certainly came with top posts originally. Hold-down brackets used by Jaguar varied to match the type of battery installed.

Cheers
DD