Sweeney Consul GT 3000 NHK 285M "copper" bronze

[quiraing]

Anyone have recent update on this car? Last checked interweb around a year ago and there were rumours it was being restored. Don't want to buy it or steal it, just interested.

Or if any info of TV cars from same period then please post. Is the dark blue M-reg Sweeney Cortina 2000XL still around? I believe some of the Professionals Capris have gone to Ireland but could be wrong. What about the Rover SD1s, Granada 2.8s, Dolly-Sprint, etc.

Any replies / links appreciated, thx.

[uk66fastback]

If you look on the TV Lounge Sweeney website there is a massive long thread about the original car. Was bought back in the late 80s by the present owner and stored since. The rebuild is underway - not read it for a while but I seem to recall there was a call from the owner for funds to continue it - I might be mistaken - but I remember reading something about that ...

http://www.thetvlounge.co.uk/sweeney/viewtopic.php...

Anyway, it's been going on - the rebuild - for a good few years now. Whether it'll ever see the light of day I have no idea. Funds to do it were the problem I think. Certainly not parts or anything as I saw a newly-restored mint white Consul 3000 at the NEC which had been done in a year.

I hope one day the car will be unveiled ...

NHK 296M disappeared years ago - there is a thread on there which tells what happened to the individual cars in the series. There's a Herald convertible in an episode called *The Placer* that is still on the road and taxed - H reg!

A couple of episodes featured Shelby Mustangs - both are still around and both are in the UK owner's club.

And it's 295M ... not 8!

Edited by uk66fastback on Monday 10th December 23:02

[Loplop]

uk66fastback]Certainly not parts or anything as I saw a newly-restored mint white Consul 3000 at the NEC which had been done in a year.[/footnote said:

Consul GT specific parts are extremely rare, even by (Granada)Consul standards!

[uk66fastback]

What parts are GT specific?

[IroningMan]

There was an N-plate Triumph 2500PI in the episode I saw the other week - very odd to see one with such a late plate.

[quiraing]

Consul GT was more of a basic-spec Granada 3000 and they were build between 1972 and 75. They were a bit faster than their Granada equivalents and available with manual (4-speed) gearbox although auto was an option. Would guess that they maybe had firmer suspension but not absolutely sure. They had "low-profile" 70-series tyres on 6 X 14 sports road wheels. Had front driving lamps in front of the grille. Also the 6 dash-clocks were sunk into tunnels in the dash board. Engine was the same as all other 3000 models and also the 3-litre Capri.

Will try to find more info.

The Consul GT model was replaced by the Granada Mk1 3000S around late 1975 and made till mid 1977.
I had a rusty Granada 3000S around 1988 and it was more sportier to drive and a bit quicker than the heavier Granada Ghia 3000 auto.

These are also now very rare, many were bought new by the police.
They had -
- Bilstein dampers and firmer rear springs, uprated front anti-roll bar
- 195/70 HR 14 tyres on 6-inch sports wheels
- sporty 3-spoke steering wheel
- generally all-black interior trim with black dash and all the clocks available at that time -
this was different dash to the earlier Consul GT
- headrests on front seats
- front driving lamps
- power steering
- black back-panel and chrome strips round the wheelarches
- badged as an "S"
- again, the same engine as other 3000 models, although many were upgraded to 3.1-litre during their first engine rebuild


edit - just found link to photostream of September 1973 CAR magazine roadtest of the Consul 3000GT

http://www.flickr.com/photos/triggerscarstuff/6506...

Edited by quiraing on Tuesday 11th December 16:06

[aeropilot]

As a matter of interest, Ford AVO at Aveley built at least two special Mk1 Granada's.

One was a gold 4 door with lots of toys such as leccy windows, sunroof, air conditioning, leather seats etc., .... oh and a 302ci Ford V8
It was built to be Henry Ford II's car when he came over to the UK to visit Ford UK. Somewhere I have some photos of it when we (Ford AVO Owners Club) displayed on our club stand at one of the NEC Classic Car shows back in the late 1980's.
Don't know if it's still in existance or not.

The other one was a prototype for a proposed 'performance' Granada, which the special build team at Aveley built using a 2 door Granada saloon bodyshell, and was powered by a turbocharged Essex V6. It's also believed that this car was finished in Purple Velvet ....... sadly, Ford didn't pursue the idea (probably not good timing with the 73/74 oil crisis and issues with turbocharger technology of the day) and it's believed the car was later scrapped.

[quiraing]

aeropilot said:

As a matter of interest, Ford AVO at Aveley built at least two special Mk1 Granada's.

One was a gold 4 door with lots of toys such as leccy windows, sunroof, air conditioning, leather seats etc., .... oh and a 302ci Ford V8
It was built to be Henry Ford II's car when he came over to the UK to visit Ford UK. Somewhere I have some photos of it when we (Ford AVO Owners Club) displayed on our club stand at one of the NEC Classic Car shows back in the late 1980's.
Don't know if it's still in existance or not.

The other one was a prototype for a proposed 'performance' Granada, which the special build team at Aveley built using a 2 door Granada saloon bodyshell, and was powered by a turbocharged Essex V6. It's also believed that this car was finished in Purple Velvet ....... sadly, Ford didn't pursue the idea (probably not good timing with the 73/74 oil crisis and issues with turbocharger technology of the day) and it's believed the car was later scrapped.

Thx for post.

Back in the late 70s / early 80s I'd heard of Ford's plans for factory-built 302 V8s in early 70s (I know about the Perana) and also the turbo Essex V6. The 5Ltr V8 would have been such an easy car to build and would have maybe changed the way some UK drivers chose their new cars. A 351 5.7 would have been fantastic. The turbo Essex would have been seen as more "experimental" by wary buyers, understandably, who were not used to this sort of thing. But, a turbo 3.1 Consul Granada Mk1 GT with the same basic feel as a Mk1 Escort Twin-Cam, - yes please!!

[Skyedriver]

back in the late 70's I traded my MGB for 73 Consul 2.5V6 in metallic bronze
Faster and better handling than the B
Later sold it and replaced it with a Clan Crusader
Now you're telling me they're rare and worth something
So that's another car I should have kept, next to the Elan, S2 Seven, E30M3, MGb, Midgets, Imps, all of which are selling now for a lot more than I sold them for.

[runt]

Bought my '73L Consul GT for £900 in '77. 30k on the clock, one lady owner, this car was a flying machine for a boy racer of twenty two.. no power steering, but handled sweetly on 'assymetric' 185/70 Michelin XAS.
Definitley firmer than our company 3000GXL Granada was, but ride was fine. Nice manual box too,I was holding this one back at 90mph, top whack was 114 on Autocar road test. All who rode in this car loved it.
I stupidly sold it to buy a '70 Mustang auto with smogged two barrel 302.
My later Granada 2.8 Ghia was a mere shadow of the Consul 3000GT.
One of Ford's great cars.
The silver 'Sweeney' Granada 2.8iS was a Ford press fleet car, and used in the 'Motor' road test in '77.

Paul/runt

Edited by runt on Sunday 20th January 21:09

[darronwall]

what became of SLE 71R

[FactoryPilot]

IIRC the boss of Capri Club International owns it.