So my Cutlass will be returning the road next week but I need a way to hold the battery down. I had one of those elastic bands with hooks on each end before, but I don't trust that and would like a more safe solution. What do you guys recommend for making sure the battery will stay where it's suppose to.

 

Make sure you have a battery tray as well...don't want it sitting right on the core support...


My '71 was missing that, so I got a generic plastic tray and metal hold down bracket for cheap.

 

I had a plastic tray with the hold down like OC showed i was afraid if push came to shove that hold down would rip right thru the plastic...

I took it out and got a tray and clamp similar to the below pic, the battery fits under that lip on the tray and the clamp keeps it from moving seems pretty solid

 

Same here, I use the factory tray and clamp.

 

Factory tray is good if you got it. I waited months for one to show up on backorder, despite the system showing there was one in Kansas. It never did appear.

On the bright side I now have two, one for each car I'm keeping.

 

In the 76 442, Fusick reproduction of the original battery tray with a plastic spacer I got free with my battery from the auto parts store (to maintain correct height) and a Fusick repro battery hold down so it all mounts like the factory did it. You have to have the plastic spacer since one side mounts on the core support and I haven't found batteries made in the original case size used in 76. On my 67 another Fusick repro tray with a GM NOS battery hold down.
I had a friend who used a cheap, rubber shock cord, made in India to hold his battery in place on a 74 Ford F100 Ranger with a 390. It makes quite a mess when the battery goes in the fan at speed on the highway. There's a lot more room under the hood on the Ford truck for things to fly around when they become unsecured but I'm sure you get the picture.

 

My question is why a decent repro part readily available & pretty cheap why eff around with universal stuff?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1968-72-Olds...BXUcDp&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1967-77-GM-B...BXUbaf&vxp=mtr

 

I used to have the repro tray and side clamp. Two years ago, I got a new battery from Walmart. For some reason, the side clamp kept slipping out and I had to readjust. After so many times, I went with the universal tray. I think the Walmart battery did not have the proper bottom lip to engage with the repro setup.