Battery Hold Downs

[mwest]

I've got a 64 230sl. For the past 10 or 15 years have had battery held in place with a bunji cord. Replaced my battery this morning once again for free. 1 month short of the 3 yr. Walmart Warranty. Got the Maxx 24FN. Anyway, I was thinking about a more relaible tie down than a bunji cord. I don't want to spring for the over priced MB hold down. Has anyone come up with something in between my bunji set up and the over priced MB option?

[Mike]

You can buy a universal hold down arrangement from your local auto parts store that can be adapted for this use.

I recently bought the Mercedes version from Buds Benz. It was far more reasonably priced than the ones that you see on ebay.  I think I paid about $40 (U.S.) for it

[J. Huber]

I recently decided to add a hold down after many years of nothing but gravity keeping it in place...

I shopped around -- and best price I could find for MB one was around $110. Couldn't do it -- so I went with a repro from SLS (was 39 euros not sure about now). I think its a pretty good facsimile. Problem is, by the time I paid for shipping and euro/dollar conversion, it was almost as much as MB. Be sure to have them pack it in a small box! They put mine in the more expensive large size parcel.

[Richard Madison]

Just a word of caution: the MB style hold-down does not fit all batteries.

Went to fit an MB look-a-like hold-down with the two J rods on my battery. I thought, at last a simple job that even I can do. Uh,uh Richard, not so easy.

The top of the battery (a replecement that came with the car) is made with two levels. The battery-hold frame will not fit on the battery even if the cables are removed then put back.
 
The rear top of the battery is lower than the front top. There is no way for the frame to fit around the battery. The frame has no place to grip the back edge.

So a simple job became impossible. I'm holding the frame and J rods till I get the next battery which will have a level top.

Richard M, NYC

[mwest]

Well, in all the years I've owned this thing I never really looked closely at the battery holder. Finally checked it out over the weekend and low and behold I found the openings for a battery hold-down. I just happened to have 2 jay hooks in the garage and they fit very nicely. Only catch was I did not have the piece that goes across the top of the battery connecting to the jay hooks. Found some 3/8" X 1" plywood lying around. Cut it to the size I needed, drilled 2 holes and by god I have a real functioning battery holder. Amazingly solid too. This is the first time in almost 20 years the battery has really been secure. I am not concerned with sl correctness here, just functionality. It works for me.