Did not feel comfortable with the original metal hold down frame being close to the terminals so I used a strap threaded thru the openings that the hold down hooks connect to.
Marco
I remember story from a local E owner from 15+ years ago that his lead acid battery had a problem and did lots of damage to his fresh restoration paint before he realized what was happening. When I got my car in 2000 it had a few bubbles in the paint inside the bonnet next to the battery but no place else. The Optima went into my E soon after I bought it and there has been no further sign of trouble around the battery.
My other experience is with Chevy Vega since GM made the unfortunate decision to locate the battery at the front of the engine bay right under the gap between the hood and header panel. Any water hitting the hood will run down into that gap onto the top of the battery. My bet is that if you can ever look at a Vega that has seen much use (overcharged or not) you will find either a repair or lots of damage around the battery. Since switching to the Optima in the Vegas my maintenance in the battery area has become very rare. This is why I was wondering if the Walmart/Costco type batteries now days are different about this than they were 15+ years ago.
David
68 E-type FHC
My original Optima lasted for 13 years and I replaced before it died. I was going on the OIL LEAK and figured it should be replaced? The new Optimaās are made in Mexico and some say not as good? Will see how long my current one lasts.
Glenn
The longest lasting battery Iāve ever had was in our 2003 Mercedes. Itās a massive AGM that sits below the luggage space in the trunk, next to the spare. I replaced it last year.
Sounds similar to the setup in my 07 Mercedes, original battery still going strong.
I opted for the Optima Yellowtop Group35. My car had a weird one-- interstate MT-47/H5 with a non SAE terminal block. I got that squared away and the car has juice again.
I opted for the yellow top as I have an uprated alternator and with the AC and some stereo gear it gets a bit much so I figured Iād try the deep cell as they claim its good for that sort of thing.
I would wrap some electrical tape around the positive post clamp ,where the black cable meets the clamp, and the metal battery hold down directly below it. Appears that the clearance is enough that any shifting could cause them to come in contact and cause a short circuit.
Marco
Itās not as bad as the picture makes it look but I canāt argue the point.
I will be remounting it but will take your advice as a stopgap.
Thanks.
Well my 2008 Mercedes is on itās third battery. Thank Gā¦ is only $425.00 at the dealer.
Holy sh*t, Terry, I never paid over a hundred bucks for a battery, maybe eighty fiveā¦
LLoyd
āPrediction is very difficult, especially if itās about the future.ā
Physicist Niels Bohr
how many Cranking Amps or CCA, are you guys using ?
my 420G is a battery eater, 3yrs average, now using a 620CCA battery (standard size)
the present one has leaked acid and damaged the paint underneath 
(original battery bracket takes the large 12" 4wd style battery 700CCA+)
You might consider the bottom tray/clamp arrangement similar to the one I posted in the link above. I believe they are available for the yellow topā¦a number of suppliers listed on Amazon and by hot rod parts suppliers like Summit. That said, the dimensions of the tray might be an issue for the yellow top. There are also machined top clamps specifically for the Optima.
1 Like
Precisely why I spent the extra money for the Optima redtop. $170 for a battery that 1) wonāt leak acid on my new (expensive!) paint and 2) might last 2-4 times longer than a $70 battery makes good sense to me.
I also used the billet battery hold down bracket Eric linked to and, while not original, it makes for a very secure and tidy installation.
1 Like
Thanks. Iām looking at those. How do they mount to the car? Do I drill into the metal brackets under the battery drip tray or does it use existing holes and then just bolt it down?
Thanks!
I bought some light steel angle, fired up the welder and made one to match the size of the group 35 battery Iām using. I welded ears to it and use āJā hooks to secure it to the stock mounting points.
There were voids between the cells on the bottom of the battery I purchased. I drilled corresponding holes through the aluminum tray, and then on through the āfloorā of the Jaguar cavity/mount. The heads of the bolts tuck up into those voids between the cells. The perimeter of the tray itself required very minor adjustments with a grinder in two spots as I recallā¦long time ago. Simple installation in the big scheme of things. Just be sure the outside dimensions of the tray fit the cavity. There are differences between vendors and for various battery sizes I believe.
1 Like
I feel that you , your family and the E are safer now 
1 Like
On a slightly related note. Remember to put a short piece of hose on the drain of the battery tray, since it will drain any overflow on to the frame.
1 Like