Project 1975 Ford Granada Coupe - Lots & lots of tinkering

[TripleRich]

Sorted out the hidden front speakers.  I've already hidden two in the back behind the quarter panel trims.  Up front the only place available is under the dashboard.  Under the dash from factory you have a very flimsy bit of black trim on both sides.  I've made something similar from steel to hold the two speakers.

Put some sound deadening on the inside and fitted using the same mounts as the factory trim.

Fitted some new pedal rubbers and finished up various small jobs in this area.

The result is a decent sound system hidden from view.  No holes in door cards or the parcel tray, pleased with the results.  The speakers are connected to a hidden Bluetooth amp which connects to my phone when I switch on the ignition.

I've also fitted some giffer spec mudflaps to try and keep the A posts and rear wings from getting chipped and covered in filth.  They are of course genuine Ford items.

[mat_the_cat]

Really like the job you've done with the speakers.

Once this is complete, would you be able to give an idea of what the labour would have cost, if you'd been a customer?

[TripleRich]

At 1108 hours the labour would be £43,212 

Then add the VAT and the cost of parts and sundries.  A rough estimate for a full restoration on most rotten classic cars is about 1000 hours.  Some cars with silly parts prices can get close to £100k when complete.

Being able to do the work myself and a decent haul of parts is the only reason I took this project on.  When finished I will have spent nearly whats its worth on just parts, sundries and services like blasting & recon.  Used up most of my free time for the past 4 years spending every available Saturday working on it at about 8 hours a throw.  Not uncommon to work into the evenings or straight after work either.

So far...

• Metalwork/rust repair - 639 hours - Remember I had to teach myself fabrication along the way and some areas I ended up doing again
• Paintwork - 208 hours - Not having to worry about the roof saved a chunk of time
• Mechanical/reassembly work - 261 hours - Slowed my pace here slightly to enjoy this part of the project

[JeeExEll]

Always great to catch up with this thread TripleRich. Have you seen the very short vid of Consul 3000GT racing I posted in the Youtube Moments thread on June 29th? There's only about a minute or so of the Consuls and the vid quality is disappointing, but at least something has survived. Maybe better quality vid will emerge in the future.

This sort of thing . . . .

 

https://autoshite.com/topic/30832-youtube-moments/page/93/

 

[TripleRich]

22 minutes ago, JeeExEll said:

Have you seen the very short vid of Consul 3000GT racing

Nice! I've seen pictures but never any footage.  Cheers for finding

[TripleRich]

I popped the chrome and caps off the wheels.  They were a bit of a mess, cosmetically challenged you might say.

I could get the tyres taken off and run them down to the blasters but I'm trying to save a few quid.  I can do these myself, just a matter of time.

I removed as much rust and old paint as possible.  They've survived well considering nobody's touched them for 45 years.

Applied a rust treatment to the entire wheel.  Turns to a black paintable surface once it's finished doing its stuff.

Masked up the tyre and valve stem.  The tyres will be replaced but I don't want to stare at overspray while I continue to use the old ones.

Heavy coat of etch primer.  Then some sanding before a heavy coat of satin black.

Then masking and lots of it.  Wheels of this style are a pain to paint, but the results are well worth a thorough masking job.

Some strato silver and a splash of lacquer completes the wheel.  

The spare doesn't have a tyre on it yet.  Very pleased with the masking job, I touched in any imperfections with a small brush before applying the lacquer.  Took about 13 hours to do all 5 wheels, glad its over!  

I'll fit the centre caps and chrome embellishers at a later date. 

I've also done some upholstery in the boot.  Originally there was black carpet and it's all knackered.  Cut and glued in some new stuff.  I've used some campervan type carpet that can be stretched and molded to complex shapes. 

 

Still a way to go yet.  Gets better with each weekend, well chuffed with the wheels.

[Spottedlaurel]

Excellent work on those wheels! They're such a defining part of the Mk1's look.

I wonder how they did them when new?

[ETCHY]

Great job, those wheels look absolutely fantastic.

I always thought those wheels looked the best on Mk1 Granada's, it's quite a "heavy" shape but they lighten  the look of the car somehow & make it look sportier.

I wish manufacturers today could just make cool looking steel wheels, I really don't like alloys &  plastic wheel trims piss me off.

[Conan]

30 minutes ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Excellent work on those wheels! They're such a defining part of the Mk1's look.

I wonder how they did them when new?

I reckon it's steel masking mold. Plop down and paint as you would.

[TripleRich]

From the factory ones I've seen they used a masking mold.  A factory wheel has plenty of imperfections from the mold being tossed on.  With sheet metal they just lob the panel in the jig and let the sparks fly.  I guess the paint shop used similar methods.  

 

[JeeExEll]

A more robust mass-production version of this (a kit for MGBs).

I had a pic somewhere of the 70s 13" 8-hole sports-wheels being painted. They made millions of them. Wouldn't fancy the job of hand painting all those with black enamel and a brush.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

5 hours ago, JeeExEll said:

A more robust mass-production version of this (a kit for MGBs).

I had a pic somewhere of the 70s 13" 8-hole sports-wheels being painted. They made millions of them. Wouldn't fancy the job of hand painting all those with black enamel and a brush.

You used to be able to buy a mask for Ford 13” sports wheels painting, often sold in the little kiosks at car auctions with the gallon tins of tyre black and sticky numbers for windscreen pricing.

[TripleRich]

Time to look at the gearbox...

I have the original 4 speed unit which I think is a Type E but I may be mistaken.  I've driven many Capri's, Consuls & Granada’s with a 4 speed box.  For me personally they cry for 5th gear at 70 and Ford's reluctance to offer overdrive or 5 gears in the late 70s/early 80s really shows on today’s faster roads.  I'd planned to put a 5 speed in my car from the beginning of this thread.

Fortunately working in my profession the right gearbox is never very far away.  Here we have an early 5 speed type 9 from about 1983.  It came from a 2.3 mk2 Granada which I have driven so I know it’s good.  Being a 2.3 it’s got the right input shaft and bell housing for my engine.  Should be a straight swap.  It’s covered in oil from the 2.3 it was attached to, so much oil I'd say that engine leaked from day one of ownership.

After a massive degreasing session it came up quite well.  

I'll take some of it apart and replace the essential gaskets and oil seals.  I don't think it leaks but I'd rather put some fresh gaskets & seals in it,

Only issue is the bolt for the cross member bushing has seriously corroded into the tail shaft housing.

Despite several attempts at removing the sheared bolt with 19mm nuts and welding it just continued the shear until there was nothing to weld to.  I drilled the rest out and re-tapped the hole.

Lots of cleaning, degreasing and a few seals & gaskets.  Primed & painted all the various parts ready for reassembly.

Chuffed with the results and it still goes in all the gears!  I left the gasket between the box & intermediate plate because you have to remove the main shaft to replace it and I didn't fancy that.  I'm no gearbox expert so I always get a bit concerned when I start messing about with them.

With so many jobs complete I sorted through and organised my remaining parts.  Found these!  They won’t be going on but I did laugh when I found them.

[TripleRich]

Finished another car today.  Don't usually post them that often but I had such a good test drive.  I hope the Granny drives as well.

It's a 1300L and I expected it to be dog slow.  Surprised me, much better than I was expecting.  You can keep your Mexico or RS2000, I'll take one of the these!

[High Jetter]

Looks very good, was that colour original? They were quite spritely, as were Marina 1.3 coupe's, though I think the latter had a slight edge.

[TripleRich]

Not the original colour but it was always blue.  Arrived with us in that shade and the owner liked it.  After all the metalwork we had it matched and painted the car inside & out.

[Tamworthbay]

Apart from the wheels that is perfect. 

[High Jetter]

35 minutes ago, Tamworthbay said:

Apart from the wheels that is perfect. 

Yea, they jar, but period? Love that load bed

[Tamworthbay]

4 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Yea, they jar, but period? Love that load bed

Period in style possibly but I have older food in my fridge and common as muck and shite even when new. A nice set of original steels would look soooooo much better.

[antony denman]

am new on this sit here my coupe,got sort out some fuel issues,going on my drive cause to cramp in my lock up,drop tank clean it out,blow pipes out,yours is just outstandying

[TripleRich]

Roman Bronze!  Phoar!

[TripleRich]

19 hours ago, Tamworthbay said:

Apart from the wheels that is perfect. 

We don't like them either.  I've yet to meet anybody apart from the owner who does!  Doesn't suit it, needs the steels back on for sure.

He's also changed the steering wheel which is now too small and obscures the fuel gauge.  

[antony denman]

here my old escort  with its 4 spokes and pic off my granada with its ghia alloys thinking put back on

[Tadhg Tiogar]

1 hour ago, TripleRich said:

Roman Bronze!  Phoar!

Mercedes alloys!?

[antony denman]

yes amg alloys to fill the arches 

[Mally]

I had a dark blue 1300L estate. Used to tow a grass track mini with it.

Whenever we came to a very steep hill my wife and kids had to get out and walk up.

Was all I could afford at the time £100 it cost me.

[mullett471]

On 8/8/2020 at 3:38 AM, Mally said:

Whenever we came to a very steep hill my wife and kids had to get out and walk up.

At least you didn't make them push ?

[Mally]

She did once push a Reliant Regal downhill to start it because it wouldn't roll fast enough.

[TripleRich]

Started the process of cleaning and painting all the various mechanical bits left.  Nothing complex but it certainly takes a while when its all this rusty.

The alternator will probably get rebuilt as its the original unit.  I've been let down by too may ebay/cheapo/generic alternators & starters on classic cars.  If possible I try to save the original ones as they end up being more reliable. 

Lots of cleaning with various air tools and brushes to get everything rust free.  I've not painted the rocker covers or sump on the inside as I don't want to risk anything getting into the rebuilt engine.  For now I've coated the insides with oil to keep them fresh while in storage.

 

[HMC]

Is that just a standard satin black paint or some exotic mix to replicate the factory finish?

Years agp I remember reading about a chap who restored a mk3 capri. He experimented with thinning down the coating applied to brackets etc to try to match economy driven measures in the factory with the colour not clinging as thickly to certain bits of contour (!) His obsession seemed to be replicating the factory assembly as closely as possible so curiously although he had very high standards in some areas he aimed lower than best practice to achieve his aim.