RE: SOTW: Ford Granada 2.8i Ghia X
Discussion
Can I just clear a few things up here?
1) Brakes work just fine. No sponginess at all. Of course, I would recommend changing the fluid (happy to do this for the buyer, it's all part of the negotiations...). I always change the fluid in any new car I buy, unless there's documented evidence that it's already been done recently.
2) Handbrake works fine. I'm not as green as I'm cabbage looking, I didn't park up with the h/b on.
3) Suspension is fine. All the dampers are fine, there's no bounce. The springs aren't broken. Of course, a spring can break at any time (I've had 2 go on the Lexus)
4) The car (I'm trying really hard here not to use the "she" word) was stored indoors in a dry building and out of direct sunlight. Not a particularly warm building, by any stretch, but dry.
I still haven't found day insurance for less than £30, but if the reader who spotted it for £15 would pass me a URL, I would be most grateful.
I'd better go back to my moleskin cigar smoking jacket and winged leather armchair now, or whatever it is I'm supposed to be wearing....
1) Brakes work just fine. No sponginess at all. Of course, I would recommend changing the fluid (happy to do this for the buyer, it's all part of the negotiations...). I always change the fluid in any new car I buy, unless there's documented evidence that it's already been done recently.
2) Handbrake works fine. I'm not as green as I'm cabbage looking, I didn't park up with the h/b on.
3) Suspension is fine. All the dampers are fine, there's no bounce. The springs aren't broken. Of course, a spring can break at any time (I've had 2 go on the Lexus)
4) The car (I'm trying really hard here not to use the "she" word) was stored indoors in a dry building and out of direct sunlight. Not a particularly warm building, by any stretch, but dry.
I still haven't found day insurance for less than £30, but if the reader who spotted it for £15 would pass me a URL, I would be most grateful.
I'd better go back to my moleskin cigar smoking jacket and winged leather armchair now, or whatever it is I'm supposed to be wearing....
Edited by AdeV on Friday 11th March 17:07
AdeV said:
Can I just clear a few things up here?
1) Brakes work just fine. No sponginess at all. Of course, I would recommend changing the fluid (happy to do this for the buyer, it's all part of the negotiations...). I always change the fluid in any new car I buy, unless there's documented evidence that it's already been done recently.
2) Handbrake works fine. I'm not as green as I'm cabbage looking, I didn't park up with the h/b on.
3) Suspension is fine. All the dampers are fine, there's no bounce. The springs aren't broken. Of course, a spring can break at any time (I've had 2 go on the Lexus)
4) The car (I'm trying really hard here not to use the "she" word) was stored indoors in a dry building and out of direct sunlight. Not a particularly warm building, by any stretch, but dry.
I still haven't found day insurance for less than £30, but if the reader who spotted it for £15 would pass me a URL, I would be most grateful.
I'd better go back to my moleskin cigar smoking jacket and winged leather armchair now, or whatever it is I'm supposed to be wearing....
I wouldn't wear a winged leather armchair if I were you, Ade 1) Brakes work just fine. No sponginess at all. Of course, I would recommend changing the fluid (happy to do this for the buyer, it's all part of the negotiations...). I always change the fluid in any new car I buy, unless there's documented evidence that it's already been done recently.
2) Handbrake works fine. I'm not as green as I'm cabbage looking, I didn't park up with the h/b on.
3) Suspension is fine. All the dampers are fine, there's no bounce. The springs aren't broken. Of course, a spring can break at any time (I've had 2 go on the Lexus)
4) The car (I'm trying really hard here not to use the "she" word) was stored indoors in a dry building and out of direct sunlight. Not a particularly warm building, by any stretch, but dry.
I still haven't found day insurance for less than £30, but if the reader who spotted it for £15 would pass me a URL, I would be most grateful.
I'd better go back to my moleskin cigar smoking jacket and winged leather armchair now, or whatever it is I'm supposed to be wearing....
Edited by AdeV on Friday 11th March 17:07
Joking aside, sorry for having opened a bit of a Pandora's box for you on this one , but cheers for coming on the thread to discuss the car - really adds to an SOTW to get the vendor involved
.Hope the sale goes well. Wish I had either the money or the time for this, as i'd make you an offer myself!
Great Shed, to be honest judging by what crusty basket case Escort Mk1's go for and now MK1 Capri's, coupled with the fact they arent making any more of these as far as I know, I dont think it is that badly priced, especially as there must be some room for a bid, you could get a ropey one for next to nothing and then spend a fortune on welding, panels etc, this seems not that far off and MOT and the main thing is a good body, the engines are easy to find and to be honest it crying out for a Cosworth YB, a manual box and the suspension firming up 
I used to work for a car dealer that always ran Granada's, used to wait for a PX or one at the auction and then trade up to a better one, I took his old lower spec 2.8 to the Auction and was frustradely lookign for somewhere to give it an appropriate send off in a cloud of tyre smoke but it was busy, until I got to near Wythenshawe hospital, I though that I wouldnt get my chance again so I buried the throttle and slammed it into drive, and BANG, then nothing apart from the engine revving in gear, oops, best sweep the contents of the diff off the road, luckily our mechanic was round the corner and found it hillarious and got me off the hook by telling the boss was that the diff had no oil in, which was, in part true, it was all over the road.
Some inspiration,
http://passionford.com/forum/restorations-rebuilds...
I used to work for a car dealer that always ran Granada's, used to wait for a PX or one at the auction and then trade up to a better one, I took his old lower spec 2.8 to the Auction and was frustradely lookign for somewhere to give it an appropriate send off in a cloud of tyre smoke but it was busy, until I got to near Wythenshawe hospital, I though that I wouldnt get my chance again so I buried the throttle and slammed it into drive, and BANG, then nothing apart from the engine revving in gear, oops, best sweep the contents of the diff off the road, luckily our mechanic was round the corner and found it hillarious and got me off the hook by telling the boss was that the diff had no oil in, which was, in part true, it was all over the road.
Some inspiration,
http://passionford.com/forum/restorations-rebuilds...
Great car but a hugely inappropriate price for one with battered panels and uncertain underwear.
Had a great week in Mark 1 Granada Ghia 3000GXL once - resulting in a 120+mph dash up the unrestricted M1 and the blow up of a chased XJ6 leaving the Grannys nose coated in Castrol.
Those were the days!
Had a great week in Mark 1 Granada Ghia 3000GXL once - resulting in a 120+mph dash up the unrestricted M1 and the blow up of a chased XJ6 leaving the Grannys nose coated in Castrol.
Those were the days!
Always liked the look of the big old Granadas. I've got vivid memories of the sound those 2.8s made as well, though I don't think there's that many six cylinder engines that sound terrible anyway
Also rather liked the late model of the Granada/Scorpio before it went bug-eyed, more so in saloon form. Guess it was similar to how I regarded the old Vauxhall Carlton/Senators - big, often police, barges. Never used to see many about apart from maybe on telly in some of the afore mentioned shows
Also rather liked the late model of the Granada/Scorpio before it went bug-eyed, more so in saloon form. Guess it was similar to how I regarded the old Vauxhall Carlton/Senators - big, often police, barges. Never used to see many about apart from maybe on telly in some of the afore mentioned shows
I had a drive in a MK1 3 litre GXL last week, though from memory I prefer the MK2, especially the later ones.
Brings back memories of working for an agent for a car rental company as a teenager and getting to drive the 2.8 GL models and the Ghia X estates that they had. They were in the same rental group G as the E class mercedes, Volvo 200 series and the BMW 528. I remember that we swapped one with a branch in London for three Rover SD1 3500 Vanden Plas EFis. They were nice when they were new and certainly seemed quick enough to me.
Brings back memories of working for an agent for a car rental company as a teenager and getting to drive the 2.8 GL models and the Ghia X estates that they had. They were in the same rental group G as the E class mercedes, Volvo 200 series and the BMW 528. I remember that we swapped one with a branch in London for three Rover SD1 3500 Vanden Plas EFis. They were nice when they were new and certainly seemed quick enough to me.
Fantastic cars. There is one parked up the road most weekends as its a real used classic car. Blue 2.8i same as this one.
I also remember that way back in 198? the two directors of the company had one each an "X" and "Y" registration.
The owner of the "X" reg died and I looked and looked for it. Strangely it was stored in back garden not far from my parents house and looked a real sorry state and way beyond any repair. It sat there for many years slowly rusting into the soil.
My friend had an earlier Granada that he rescued from the scrap heap and spend months doing it up and spraying it black.
The gearbox died one day and he was told that it would cost a fortune to repair so he scrapped it. To his surprise he saw it on the road a couple of weeks later being driven by the scrapyard owner.
The fault turned out to be a simple dropped linkage costing nothing.
I also remember that way back in 198? the two directors of the company had one each an "X" and "Y" registration.
The owner of the "X" reg died and I looked and looked for it. Strangely it was stored in back garden not far from my parents house and looked a real sorry state and way beyond any repair. It sat there for many years slowly rusting into the soil.
My friend had an earlier Granada that he rescued from the scrap heap and spend months doing it up and spraying it black.
The gearbox died one day and he was told that it would cost a fortune to repair so he scrapped it. To his surprise he saw it on the road a couple of weeks later being driven by the scrapyard owner.
The fault turned out to be a simple dropped linkage costing nothing.
jimfoz said:
These were fabulously specced cars for the time. No other car in its class had the same list of standard kit. Spec up a Mercedes 280E with the same equipment and it would end up nearly twice the price of the Granada. A worthy shed.
- coughs - Find a Similar age Senator A - same level of kit
AdeV said:
4) The car (I'm trying really hard here not to use the "she" word) was stored indoors in a dry building and out of direct sunlight. Not a particularly warm building, by any stretch, but dry.
I still haven't found day insurance for less than £30, but if the reader who spotted it for £15 would pass me a URL, I would be most grateful.
Ah, you should have put "stored inside in the dry" in the advert, changes things a hell of a lot does that.I still haven't found day insurance for less than £30, but if the reader who spotted it for £15 would pass me a URL, I would be most grateful.
Every time I see an ad that says "stored / been sat for 'x' years" I always have visions of some sad, mouldy, mildewy, damp, rotten heap in a corner of an overgrown back garden!
Best price I've ever found single day insurance is £30, http://www.insuredaily.co.uk/
They are also the only place I've found that'll cover group 20 cars like my E36 M3, everywhere else I have tried says "BMW - no" or "group 20 - no".
My late father had several Granada GXL Mk1's and his last car before he died was a lovely Granada Ghia X in that lovely pale metallic green with green velour interior. It was a stunning car. They were all company cars. I've always liked the box shape Granada as in this thread. Its a shame there arent many left. I'm guessing this car is somewhere on the wirral going by the CH44 postcode. Not too far away. Good luck to whoever takes it on as a resto project. It might be worth sticking it on Turbosport forum as well. Plenty of Ford enthusiasts on there.
ellisd82 said:
Love the Honesty of the seller, but still think that the asking price is far too much. No MOT for 4 years? just hope the brakes are not seized up if handbrake is left on as well. Unless who just did not bother getting an MOT and still drove it, would not be suprised. Think I would convert it into a Starcraft.
Great fun touring Europe in one of these!
The Starcraft is based on Cortina not Granada actually!Great fun touring Europe in one of these!
I had one of these in Champagne with grey cloth. Mine was a 2.8 Ghia X estate. Bought for £1500 @ 116K miles, off an ex-BBC camera man who had gone freelance & he bought a Volvo to replace it. Needed a heater matrix, wheel bearing, water pump & viscous fan drive in the time I had it. Mine also had a recon box at around 160K as I cooked the old one towing a massive trailer full of timber. The recon box in 1990 was £175 all in. The specialist who did reckoned that it was one of the best autos around & a doodle to rebuild. At 198K my ex killed the torque converter while I was away out of the UK. And I sold it to the local tyre dealers for £50 or so. Well equipped & relaxing to drive mine was fantastic & I'd have another in a heartbeat. Mine had the reg BOO 606X & I believe was ex-Ford works as xOO is a Dagenham reg. I wish I'd kept the reg now.
V8 GRF said:
My Dad had a fully loaded 'Granada 2.8i Ghia X' (and yes that is what the badging on the boot said) and it was awesome, fabulous Leather seats, A/C, electric everything, lowered Xpack suspension with low profile Goodyear tyres. I got to drive the car a lot as my father was in hospital at the time and I felt I was the luckiest 20 year old around.
Quick as anything but also smooth as silk and quiet. I remember coming home from the hospital late one night after visiting Dad with my Mum asleep in front next to me and getting up to 120 (indicated) with ease and almost in complete silebnce, she never knew a thing....;)
I've often wondered what happened to PCW 888X.
Quick as anything but also smooth as silk and quiet. I remember coming home from the hospital late one night after visiting Dad with my Mum asleep in front next to me and getting up to 120 (indicated) with ease and almost in complete silebnce, she never knew a thing....;)
I've often wondered what happened to PCW 888X.
DVLA website said:
The enquiry is complete
The vehicle details for PCW 888X are:
Date of Liability 01 07 1998
Date of First Registration 01 01 1982
Year of Manufacture 1982
Cylinder Capacity (cc) 2792CC
CO2 Emissions Not Available
Fuel Type Petrol
Export Marker Not Applicable
Vehicle Status Unlicensed
Vehicle Colour GREY
Vehicle Type Approval
Vehicle Excise Duty Rate for vehicle
6 Months Rate £112.75
12 Months Rate £205.00
Weren't the ones with leather seats and all called 'Ghia x executive', although the executive part was never written on the back?The vehicle details for PCW 888X are:
Date of Liability 01 07 1998
Date of First Registration 01 01 1982
Year of Manufacture 1982
Cylinder Capacity (cc) 2792CC
CO2 Emissions Not Available
Fuel Type Petrol
Export Marker Not Applicable
Vehicle Status Unlicensed
Vehicle Colour GREY
Vehicle Type Approval
Vehicle Excise Duty Rate for vehicle
6 Months Rate £112.75
12 Months Rate £205.00
Edited by Promised Land on Sunday 13th March 18:16
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff