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Cars you didn't know existed until very recently.


philibusmo

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The injected Mk1 Granada was only available for about a year or so.  The Granada was basically developed by the Germans during the big rivalry between the two divisions of Ford which eventually resulted in all design and production being controlled by the Cologne side.  Mk1 Granada production in Britain didn't last long and stopped some time before the Mk2 came out.

 

All LHD cars were equipped with engines not offered in the UK.

 

LHD Mk1                        RHD MK1

 

1.7 Taunus V4                2.0 Essex V4

2.0 Pinto I4                     2.0 Pinto I4      

2.0 Cologne V6              2.5 Essex V6

2.3 Cologne V6              3.0 Essex V6

2.6 Cologne V6              5.0 V8 - South African models only

2.8 Cologne V6

2.8i Cologne V6

 

The 2.8i engine first appeared on the last year of Mk1s and was then offered from launch on the Mk2 in either S or GL trim.

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The injected Mk1 Granada was only available for about a year or so.  The Granada was basically developed by the Germans during the big rivalry between the two divisions of Ford which eventually resulted in all design and production being controlled by the Cologne side.  Mk1 Granada production in Britain didn't last long and stopped some time before the Mk2 came out.

 

All LHD cars were equipped with engines not offered in the UK.

 

LHD Mk1                        RHD MK1

 

1.7 Taunus V4                2.0 Essex V4

2.0 Pinto I4                     2.0 Pinto I4      

2.0 Cologne V6              2.5 Essex V6

2.3 Cologne V6              3.0 Essex V6

2.6 Cologne V6              5.0 V8 - South African models only

2.8 Cologne V6

2.8i Cologne V6

 

The 2.8i engine first appeared on the last year of Mk1s and was then offered from launch on the Mk2 in either S or GL trim.

The 2,8i was launched in September 1976 and that was the first time the engine size was marked on the bootlid instead of the front wings (model-engine-trim level) which became standard by all 1978 (late 1977 models). The Granada was the only model featuring the 2,8i and only available in Ghia fashion. Later on this engine replaced both 3litre-engines as we all know.

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How about this then? No, it isn't a Triumph 2000, 2500 or 2.5PI and everyone knows they exist. It's a Stag estate and the V5 says so. Built by Del Lines of Atlantic Garage, Weston super Mare for his own use, it's basically all the mechanical bits of a Stag in a 2.5PI estate shell. He ended up building 25 more to order before BL shut him down for copyright infringement, and one other estate and a saloon also survive. I'd never heard of such a thing before but now it's in my dream garage.

 

post-5267-0-73232400-1538320914_thumb.jpg

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Sondermodell - 'special model' (limited edition in English I'd say), so at a guess this is a desirable end of production model. Possibly a shortage of the old V6 at the end of production and a need to ramp up and test production of the new V6 (pure speculation on my part).

The Traveller L was a runout-model coming with either 2,0 or 2,3 of the standard old V6. Slightly upgraded L where they must have used up the GL seats.

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post-7547-0-79377100-1538815650_thumb.jpg

 

Vauxhall 'L' van created for the Swiss post apparently. Don't know why you'd bother to do this as the company already offered an off the shelf Bedford van. This creation had to be built on the Australian version as the UK cars did not have a separate chassis. Thus I assume the van was based on this Antipodes only model.

 

post-7547-0-07678400-1538816178_thumb.jpg

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OzpabfE.jpg

Mk1 Granada with the 2.8i engine. Totally new one to me.

I didn't think the 2.8i arrived in the Granada till the TRX-wheeled Mk2s of late 1977, even in Germany. I can't translate German, was this a special / tuned version of the German-spec Mk1?

  

Sondermodell - 'special model' (limited edition in English I'd say), so at a guess this is a desirable end of production model. Possibly a shortage of the old V6 at the end of production and a need to ramp up and test production of the new V6 (pure speculation on my part).

  

^ Thanks Bianconery, Mercrocker also came to that conclusion. In all my years of Ford geekery I'd never heard of it till yesterday. I thought the German Granadas used the 2.6 Cologne, and (possibly) a 2.8 carb for around 1976/7 but injection?? You could get German Capris with the Essex 3-litre but I don't know if 3.0 Granadas were available.

Which leads onto the question - which Mk1 models could be bought with ths 2.8i? A 'S' model like the UK 3000S? A Ghia? A Ghia coupe?

May be worth checking out if 1977 German Ford brochures are on the net.

The Traveller special edition Granada L in that advert comes with a 2 litre V6, although the main text says the 2.8i was also available on other models. I didn’t know the 2.0 V6 Cologne engine was a thing.

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How about this then? No, it isn't a Triumph 2000, 2500 or 2.5PI and everyone knows they exist. It's a Stag estate and the V5 says so. Built by Del Lines of Atlantic Garage, Weston super Mare for his own use, it's basically all the mechanical bits of a Stag in a 2.5PI estate shell. He ended up building 25 more to order before BL shut him down for copyright infringement, and one other estate and a saloon also survive. I'd never heard of such a thing before but now it's in my dream garage.

 

attachicon.gifDEL33.jpg

 

wasnt so much of a copyright issue as he was being supplied body shells and engines by BL. 

 

Not sure why but the deal ended and he could only buy fully fitted out cars, so it ended up as not very cost efficient for him to continue.

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The Traveller special edition Granada L in that advert comes with a 2 litre V6, although the main text says the 2.8i was also available on other models. I didn’t know the 2.0 V6 Cologne engine was a thing.

2.0V6 Cologne was used instead of the Pinto 2-litre in German Capris and Taunuseseses.

Heavy and not very powerful basic pushrod V6 but short-stroke revvy and I'd imagine they would have been smooth. And sounded loads better than a Pinto even through a single tailpipe.

I'd a 2.3LX 5-speed Granada Mk2 around 20 years ago which was smooth but quite thirsty. Had been converted to a Weber 38DGAS (a brand new one) before I bought it from it's previous owner who'd towed his caravan with it - the 3-litre Capri carb with both chokes opening mechanically on the throttle :-).

When it needed a replacement clutch I had the chance of a really good totally standard 2.8 engine from a wrecked Capri Special so one weekend, with the assistance of 2 friends, swapped in the 2.8 and ran it on the Weber. From memory only the exhaust downpipes were different from the 2.3.

It was surprisingly quick with the 3.64 diff and the 5-speed. Handled well with all new springs & dampers, and most of the bushes replaced. Also, being a fairly basic LX it wasn't weighed down with trim. Standard steelies (bonfired the plastic trimz), and 185/70 14s.

B713PSH.

 

Edit - whaahey, look what I found.

Photo is dated 1995 on the back, crikey, 23 years ago.

The e28 was a 1984 528i manual which had replaced an 82 X-reg Capri Injection. BMW was awaiting work, broken rocker-arm and various minor bits from what I remember. Specced from new with a lsd :-)

q12ZNqz.jpg

(Sorry, bit of temporary thread-boundary-blurrage but, hey, it's Autoshite).

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How about this then? No, it isn't a Triumph 2000, 2500 or 2.5PI and everyone knows they exist. It's a Stag estate and the V5 says so. Built by Del Lines of Atlantic Garage, Weston super Mare for his own use, it's basically all the mechanical bits of a Stag in a 2.5PI estate shell. He ended up building 25 more to order before BL shut him down for copyright infringement, and one other estate and a saloon also survive. I'd never heard of such a thing before but now it's in my dream garage.

 

attachicon.gifDEL33.jpg

BL at their marketing best again...MG...Trumph etc all squandered. Of course a hot estate is a car staple these days.

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Though to be fair Triumph already had a hot estate in the 2.5PI. That engine had 150bhp in the first TR6's, five more than a Stag, and it was a far nicer engine than the V8. There isn't a better noise out there than a Triumph straight six being wound up. It would be much easier to put the 150bhp camshaft in your engine than go to all that effort.

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Though to be fair Triumph already had a hot estate in the 2.5PI. That engine had 150bhp in the first TR6's, five more than a Stag, and it was a far nicer engine than the V8. There isn't a better noise out there than a Triumph straight six being wound up. It would be much easier to put the 150bhp camshaft in your engine than go to all that effort.

 

 

The 2000 and 2.5 PI Estates were produced in batches at Carbodies in Coventry, alongside the venerable Austin FX4, from saloon bodies. I had a fascinating visit there in 1977 and saw the Duke of Edinburgh's silver FL2 being built.

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