OEM Battery Size - 1965 Convertible

[Kartman01]

I have been doing searches on the net and am finding conflicting information on the correct OEM battery size as used in a 1965 Thunderbird convertible with power windows, A/C and power top.

Thanks in advance for any info on OEM battery specs and any recommendations on currently available batteries, CCA levels, etc.

[Alan H. Tast]

I have been doing searches on the net and am finding conflicting information on the correct OEM battery size as used in a 1965 Thunderbird convertible with power windows, A/C and power top.

Thanks in advance for any info on OEM battery specs and any recommendations on currently available batteries, CCA levels, etc.

Your car would have had the larger Group 27F battery due to all the power options and it being a convertible, which meant a higher power draw to begin with. Additional info is in VTCI's 1964-1966 Original Factory Specifications manual. Please be aware, though, that as of October 2023 our website administrator has pulled down the 'Country Store' listings through which members can order a copy of the OFS manual: this has been done in part until we have a replacement person to manage the Country Store orders.

[Kartman01]

Thank you so much for your help Alan, I truly appreciate it!

Do you have any suggestions for a battery brand or type that would be good given the higher demands of a convertible with all
of the power accessories?

Many thanks!

[Kartman01]

I have been doing searches on the net and am finding conflicting information on the correct OEM battery size as used in a 1965 Thunderbird convertible with power windows, A/C and power top.

Thanks in advance for any info on OEM battery specs and any recommendations on currently available batteries, CCA levels, etc.

Your car would have had the larger Group 27F battery due to all the power options and it being a convertible, which meant a higher power draw to begin with. Additional info is in VTCI's 1964-1966 Original Factory Specifications manual. Please be aware, though, that as of October 2023 our website administrator has pulled down the 'Country Store' listings through which members can order a copy of the OFS manual: this has been done until we have a replacement person to manage the Country Store orders.

Alan, can you point me to the correct battery tray and hold down clamp for the OEM style 27F battery for a 1965 convertible? My car was built in May 1965.

I have been searching and am finding conflicting information. Any help with original part numbers and/or correct/accurate re-pop parts will be appreciated. Many thanks!

[Alan H. Tast]

Alan, can you point me to the correct battery tray and hold down clamp for the OEM style 27F battery for a 1965 convertible? My car was built in May 1965.

I have been searching and am finding conflicting information. Any help with original part numbers and/or correct/accurate re-pop parts will be appreciated. Many thanks!

That will take some time for me to do my typical "deep dive" as I'm buried in my 'real job' work right now. The tray should be similar to what was used in 1963-1964, but it carries a 1965 part number (C5SZ). I am aware that a longer-style end hold-down clamp is often used with a Group 24F battery and a hold-down 'foot' on the end of the case in conjunction with the Group 27F-sized battery tray - in fact I got one of those elongated end hold-downs from a Falcon vendor in the early 2000s to use a Group 24F battery in my '63 t-birds that have a Group 27F battery tray.

[RAVEN]

The parts suppliers that support the VTCI (Pat Wilson, Bird Nest, and others carry or can supply the trays and hold downs)
From my experience the tray and hold downs are a multi fit item. The Hold down is slotted to fit either battery size.
Do not think FORD would have 2 different trays and hold downs to carry in stock for production, plus the worry of having the correct tray fitted on car during car assembly, and a production line.
Remember the 64/65 had bottom style trays and the 66 was a top mount style.

[Kartman01]

Alan, can you point me to the correct battery tray and hold down clamp for the OEM style 27F battery for a 1965 convertible? My car was built in May 1965.

I have been searching and am finding conflicting information. Any help with original part numbers and/or correct/accurate re-pop parts will be appreciated. Many thanks!

That will take some time for me to do my typical "deep dive" as I'm buried in my 'real job' work right now. The tray should be similar to what was used in 1963-1964. I am aware that a longer-style end hold-down clamp is often used with a Group 24F battery and a hold-down 'foot' on the end of the case in conjunction with the Group 27F-sized battery tray - in fact I got one of those elongated end hold-downs from a Falcon vendor in the early 2000s to use a Group 24F battery in my '63 t-birds that have a Group 27F battery tray.

Thank you Alan, your insights and knowledge of this era of Thunderbirds is truly impressive! Many thanks for any help/direction you can provide me.

[Kartman01]

The parts suppliers that support the VTCI (Pat Wilson, Bird Nest, and others carry or can supply the trays and hold downs)
From my experience the tray and hold downs are a multi fit item. The Hold down is slotted to fit either battery size.
Do not think FORD would have 2 different trays and hold downs to carry in stock for production, plus the worry of having the correct tray fitted on car during car assembly, and a production line.
Remember the 64/65 had bottom style trays and the 66 was a top mount style.

Thanks Raven, I will look into this option. I appreciate your help!

[Alan H. Tast]

According to the part numbers, '61-'64 used the same end hold-down tray, while '65 and '66 before 12/1/65 used a different end hold-down tray. The '66 tray used with top-mount hold-down was a third variation and, hence, a different part number. There were two hold-downs used for '65 - a longer-style one for use with Group 24F batteries to compensate for the shorter case length, and a shorter style for use with longer-case Group 27F batteries using end end hold-downs.

Battery sizes in the 1960s used a different set of criteria for determining capacity and amp-hours compared to todays' reliance on Cold Cranking Amps (CCAs). Battery capacity was given in amp-hours and number of plates. Here's a chart from the 1960-1968 Ford Car Master Parts Catalog for what batteries were available in 1968:

Battery Chart (1960-1968 Ford MPC)

A typical end-style hold-down tray. Ignore the bracket under the tray - this wasn't used on T-birds:

End Clamp Tray (1960-1968 Ford Car MPC)

carrier-tray-end clamp illus 60-68 MPC Sec106 p3 Chg36 Aug 68.jpg (21.97 KiB) Viewed 462 times

This is typical a top hold-down assembly:

Top Clamp Tray (1960-1968 Ford Car MPC)

This is a listing for battery trays and hold-downs for 1964:

64 battery hold-down - tray (1960-1968 Ford Car MPC)

For 1964, note that the 1962 tray (C2SZ) continued to be used, the clamp is a C2DZ, and that the only battery size used was a Group 27F.

These are the trays and hold-downs clamps listed for 1965 and 1966 in the same catalog:

65 battery hold-down - tray (1960-1968 Ford Car MPC)

For 1965, note the two hold-down clamp part numbers - C5SZ for use with the Group 24F battery and C5DZ for the Group 27F battery.

66 battery hold-down- tray (1960-1968 Ford Car MPC)

For 1966, note that the later style hold-down clamp and tray used Ford Car part numbers (C5AZ).

[Kartman01]

Thank you so much Alan, I am continually amazed and impressed by your knowledge of these cars! This fully answers my question and now I know what I need to find to correctly fit a 27F battery in my car.

It is amazing to me how many different changes and variants Ford went through for something as simple as a battery hold down!

[mark1965tbird]

Has anyone tried a lithium ion battery?