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1975 Ford Granada Coupe - Lots & lots of tinkering


TripleRich

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8 minutes ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Wonderful to see it get to this stage.

With the skills you've learnt through this project as well as all the NOS parts you made exactly the right decision.

I'd forgotten that it was a non-UK GL originally. Is the original 2.3 going back into it?

The original 2.3 is going back in.  Its currently in bits and has been waiting in the corner for me to make a start on it.  I also have the original gearbox but have sourced a type 9 instead as these cars are just crying for 5th gear at 70.  I will of course be keeping the original box in case I change my mind.

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I like the idea of keeping it original at the moment.  The 2.3 only makes 106HP and I'll see how I get on with it.  The 2.8 & 9 make some more but its not much.  These cars were slow but comfortable cruisers and right now I like the idea of just wafting along. 

Whether that remains the case I don't know, I've never driven this car so will be interesting to see if its any good!

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Been hard at work on the car as usual.  I've now mostly completed the headliner & vinyl roof.  I'm working towards getting the screens in as I don't like them sitting around in storage.

Before the headliner is fitted I needed to install the sound deadening.  The headliner is the typical perforated stretch fit Ford used in everything.  You need to make sure the right shapes and thicknesses of deadener go in the right place to ensure the headliner fits and looks correct.  I've done a few of these cars before so it was an easy job.  I also have pictures of this car coming apart which is very helpful.

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The headliner itself is original.  Despite being 44 years old it's very good and shows no signs of nicotine or damage.  The original headliner always goes back in better than an aftermarket one so I got to work.

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Went in really nicely.  Once the glass is in I'll remove the handles & visors for a proper clean.  The wiring loom that goes up here has been cleaned routed & tested.

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Now for the roof.  This is a reproduction item and they are quite good.  The original crackle finish Ford used has been reproduced perfectly.  Some minor details are missing but I'm not bothered as original ones don't exist anymore.

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Not the easiest of jobs to do but it is rewarding.  Start off by rubbing the roof down with a red mirlon pad.  Then find the centre line on the roof & vinyl and mark both with a pencil.  Now fold the vinyl in half along the centre line and begin to glue with contact adhesive in stages.  After gluing the first bit lay out the roof and make sure you have it centred properly and straight.  I use plastic tools to push the vinyl into position and squeeze out as many bubbles as possible.  Keep repeating the process until you have run out of roof.

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Hard bit is knowing where to cut and avoiding creases around curves & tight areas.  I used the chrome trim as a guide for cutting.

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Still some more to do like cut the hole for the sunroof but I'm pleased to have got this far.  There are a few small bubbles which just need injecting with a blob of glue.  I'll worry about those once I've got all the trim fitted and finished all the cutting.

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The vinyl roof is now almost complete.  All that remains is the sunroof panel itself.

Most of the work revolved around doing some final trimming of excess material and then fitting all the various trim pieces.  The hardest bit is the gutter chrome, these snap on and are easily damaged.  The extra thickness of the vinyl makes putting these on just that bit harder.  Done these before on saloons so went in well-armed and managed the job without adding any extra dents to the chrome.

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I also added the piece of vinyl that runs along the base of the rear window and then set about putting the window back in.  It needed a good clean after sitting in storage for 6 or 7 years but the rubber & chrome is in excellent condition given the cars age.  Easy job to rope it back in.

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There are various stickers from some clubs, events and journeys from the cars past on the outside of the window.  I've never been a fan of stickers and I don't speak German so gently peeled them all off except the original dealer sticker.  The back of the car looks much fresher for it.

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Finally I finished gluing & trimming the vinyl around the sunroof opening.  The sunroof panel itself can now go back in.

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Very pleased, starting to look like a car again.  Long way to go yet but I'm having a lot of fun doing this.  Just wish I could dedicate more time to it!

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I would love to see how they did the vinyl in the factory.  From what I can tell the roof they used was an exact fit to the car which meant no cutting required.  Dunno how they would have glued it down quickly though.  The vinyl roof was basically standard equipment on GLs & Ghias.

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Absolutely superb, reminds me of when I reshelled my Rapier in the early 80's and trying to get the vinyl roof to look central without air pockets.

Piece of strong string, rubbed through a candle, and the bollocks to hit the screen hard with your fist (in a glove) for getting the windows in I presume!

 

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Looking really good now. 

20 hours ago, Asimo said:

Wondering how much extra the vinyl roof was back in the day because it must have been a real headache from a production-line point of view, adding a lot to the build cost.

I don't have an answer for the year this car was built, but to give some idea, it was a £102 option in 1979, at which point Granadas cost about £6,000 to £9,000.  So not that expensive, there were plenty of pricier options on the list.

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Spent today continuing on the exterior trim work.  I've now completed the vinyl roof.

Started off repainting the door frame trims.  These are chrome but series 2 cars (like mine) have black ones.  It's the same chrome part, Ford just rattle canned them black for the series 2.  Most of the black had come off so I decided to repaint the lot so it all matched.

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I also cleaned and fitted the front screen.  Needs a more thorough clean but it's nice to have it back where it belongs.

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Treated myself to some new number plates.  Period correct item having the plastic letters, just looks right on the car.  Pictures of this car will circulate on the net when I've finished it so I see no point in obscuring the number plate.

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Took the sunroof apart and applied some fresh vinyl.  I also cleaned & checked the various parts that make it work and fitted a new seal.

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The new seal is fatter than the original so despite overhauling everything it is very stiff to operate.  It does fit very nicely though so I'm not that bothered.  I'll just wind the window down.

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Very pleased with the roof.  Probably start some wiring next time.

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If you made to the NEC this year you may have seen a certain Ford Consul GT at the entrance to hall 5.  I reassembled it after the shell was painted.  It's one of the reasons why I'm making good progress on the coupe as I know where a lot of the bits need to go.  Will be heading to the show tomorrow so hopefully it's still where we left it!

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You flippin legend!  

I knew Regan’s Consul was around somewhere but obviously had no idea it was getting the treatment from you.  Looks fantastic and it’s great to know you’ve been sympathetic about preserving where you can.

You must be properly proud of that, and rightly, as you will be of the Coupe.

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I'm very lucky to have been in the right place at the right time for that one!  It came off the road before I was born but growing up in the 90s I of course saw the show and knew of the car.  Ended up watching most of the episodes again to be sure I got the details right. 

It passed the mot shortly before the show so it's yet to have it's first decent test drive.  I'm expecting the usual few niggles, but it's fun to work on for obvious reasons.  I have driven it round the yard shouting Guv out the window and locking up the wheels for no good reason.  Need to practice opening the door before that car actually stops and find somebody with an old Jag. 

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37 minutes ago, adw1977 said:

Excellent number plate choice, complements all your hard work beautifully.

...and CN is, I think, a Gateshead number? My Dad had a Corsa 1.5TD L857BCN.

Update - comes up as Newcastle upon Tyne but was Gateshead until 1974, year I was born.

Edited by Jimbob McGregor
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On 11/9/2019 at 11:38 PM, Noel Tidybeard said:

 

Good episode that one (the very first), Has Brian Blessed in it in a non-shouty role as villain Frank Kemble. Essex V6s at full chat sound brilliant.

Last I heard of the Sweeney Consul it was in a poor state; top marks for restoring it sir.

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I'm now at the stage where I can begin to build the interior.  The roof, headliner and glass is done so now all the other bits can follow.

First step is to get the sound deadening installed and run the wiring loom.  Way back at the beginning of this thread I ripped up all the old tar based sound insulation so I could address the rotten floors & sills.  I need to reinstate this stuff as it stops the panels from resonating & ringing.  I'm using dodo hex mat as its quite a bit cheaper than dynamat.  I've been more thorough than ford was so hopefully I should have a nice quiet car.

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Next I used the remains of the old underlay to make new versions in fresh material.  This stuff acts as a second layer to help keep road & tyre noise away.

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In places I've used some of the original pieces due to the unique shape.

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I've still got to finish doing the bulkhead but I can now start the process of installing the wiring loom.  It's in very good condition and I'll be cleaning & repairing any dodgy bits as I work my way through it.

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Took me all day to do that.  Feels good on the knees, I can continue in comfort now, cheers.

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