Battery Tie-downs

[tsm1@domain.elided (Tom Mandera)]

Changed out my battery last night for a new Exide NASCAR 825CA battery.. and
promptly BROKE the fender-side of my battery tie-down! d'oh

This appears to be a simple threaded rod welded to the fender (not sure if
this is stock or..).. and I broke it off at the top, right below the nut
that holds the other (engine) side arm to the fender.. (all corroded).

So, I had to do some engineering.. :-)

I took a look under the driver's fender lip, and noticed there's two extra
holes between the outer and inner fender lips.  One is slotted, the other is
a reg'lar round hole.. it's spaced between the forward (and vertical) fender
bolt, and the next one towards the cowl.  Looks almost right in the middle
of the two bolts.. looks like a perfect spot for another fender bolt, but
the outer fender doesn't have a hole tapped for it.

Anyhow, I took a few bolts out of the fender, and stuck a pry-bar under the
outer fender lip (the edge the hood almost rests on when closed).

I pried up on the fender lip, and slipped a short, slotted piece of steel
under it, so the length of the steel ran perpendicular to the fender.  (this
piece of slotted steel happens to be the center bracket of a CB-radio
mount.. it's the kind that has two angled sides, and one flat center, with
two bolts.. it's fully adjustable in width to match your radio).

I slid this piece of slotted steel under the fender lip, then stuck a short
bolt through the slot and the hole in the inner fender (somewhat of a tight
fit).. no nut, no screwing in.  I let the outer fender go back down on top
of the new bolt I put in, which will keep the bolt from popping "up".. and I
only want it to keep the slotted steel from sliding inwards toward the
engine any farther.

Bolt the fender back up tight, and put my new battery in.. then use the
existing "L" part of the bracketry, slide it under my new fender-side mount,
and bolt it all together.

Whew.

-Tom Mandera, Helena MT
http://www.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout
'72 and '77 Scout IIs