Anyone Who Installed An Optima In There '94-up, Hop In!

[SVT X 2]

Anyone Who Installed An Optima In Their '94-up, Hop In!

I went and droped the overtime money on one of these today. I'm a little (okay... ALOT) pissed on how this doesn't wanna fit! The kid tells me this was the one listed for my ride, okay then why is it TOO WIDE
I ended up cracking the side of my tray cuz it didn't wanna fit. Then the positive cable didn't wanna reach. I finangled that all around and it just _barely_ reaches. Then the due to the MENTAL design of the battery casing, the stock hold down won't work correctly. WTF?!? I yanked it back out and started whaling on the body bag so I wouldn't throw something I'd regret later!

I swear I've seen these in the stock location before. Someone please tell me what the hell I did wrong here...

 

[Wildpony]

I installed one in May and had no prob. with battery cables but the tray is a little narrow. I flipped the hold down upside down, cut a piece of 1/2'' dia. hoseabout 2 '' long, smashed it togetherunder the gap below the clamp down& tightened it down. It holds the battery secure even though I don't like it. I will either switch to the trunk mount or get one of my tinners at work make me up a custom stainless tray that is the right size for this battery. ( Another winter project -too busy right now).

 

[SVT X 2]

Tinners

That's funny... I am a tinner! I'm in the field and this is one of the times I wish I was in the shop or at least closer to the shop to access the brakes & material. I got a little bit around here and I'll have to put the 'ol tin head to use I guess... I was just asking to see if there was something I was missing on the install here.
Thanks!

 

[Wildpony]

Sounds like you have some "Government Work" to do when you get back to work next week.

 

[SVT X 2]

Got It...

This thing pushed me around a bit as I was trying to figure out a bracket to work with the stock hold down. Bottom line... took the stock hold down out of the equasion, it wasn't gonna work, it sat too tall for the mental Optima casing.

Instead, I happened to have an old GM hold down that was a more fitting design. I notched it to fit around the middle radius of the battery and used the stock bolt... works great! I'm gonna replace the cracked tray later with a longer one, I'll see if one out of the trucks will work.

That red top looks pretty slick with that Rio Red paint...