Sold 1985 Ford Granada mk2 estate. Sold and collected.

[Guest Breadvan72]

This thread needs MOAR FOATAZ.

[Skizzer]

This thread needs MOAR FOATAZ.

We're on the road again.

 

 

This is truly an outstanding motorway car.

[Guest Breadvan72]

Have you caught the comedy parking bug from me?

[danthecapriman]

When you drive such an ace car your not obliged to park properly.

[Guest Breadvan72]

FPWM.

 

Meanwhile, I say we buy this one at full asking price and bum it to death for parts.

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-GRANADA-2-8-GHIA-X-ESTATE-1985-70-500-mms-/351994345395?hash=item51f47f77b3:g:YtcAAOSw2gxYtqXj

 

[inconsistant]

This thread is the overriders on the bumper of Autoshite.

[Guest Breadvan72]

My sources tell me that Sir Skiz is attending a posh corporate do at a very swanky venue.  He has pledged to attend this do with Granny.  I am hoping for photos of Skizzer tossing the keys to the suitably appalled valet parking dude, and of Granny mingling with the shiny posh tat in the car park.

 

If all else fails, there should at least be some gravel driveway action and possibly some besuited Woollarding when Granny rocks up at my place tomorrow.  

[Skizzer]

Here we are at an incredibly posh hotel, befitting Ford's very topmost trim level.

 

 

There isn't any valet parking (shame), but it did take me a while to persuade my way past the unwelcoming committee this morning.

 

My friend Donald, who is an actual Finance Director and therefore its target market, said the Granada wasn't as bad as he was expecting (which is high praise from Donald) and reckons it looks right at home. From a distance.

[bub2006]

FPWM.

 

Meanwhile, I say we buy this one at full asking price and bum it to death for parts.

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-GRANADA-2-8-GHIA-X-ESTATE-1985-70-500-mms-/351994345395?hash=item51f47f77b3:g:YtcAAOSw2gxYtqXj

 

I'm sure that steering wheel is wrong, looks tidy though. They really look a big car. I always remember them as massive motors but what are they like compared to a modern though?

[Skizzer]

They really look a big car. I always remember them as massive motors but what are they like compared to a modern though?

Long car is long. I'm parked next to an Audi A6 Allroad (pic below) and they're a similar length. The Granada looks very low-slung and sleek next to it though. I used to think of them as very wide, but they're probably about the same width as a current Focus, at a guess.

 

 

It certainly doesn't feel ungainly on the road, even quite narrow rural lanes. I'm a big fan of this car, in case you hadn't guessed.

[Skizzer]

Can somebody not on a bastard iPhone turn this picture round for me please?

 

 

Or pick up the BBcode on Flickr: https://flic.kr/p/RHa6Ez

[Shep Shepherd]

Voila!

 

[320touring]

Yaaaas!

 

Passed with unanimous approval by The Board

[danthecapriman]

Dam fine looking motah is that! Looks right at home tbh.

They are about the same width as a modern Focus. My mum had one and sat side by side they are very close. These Granny estates are about the same length as the modern Mondeo estate. My dads got one and there's very little in it length wise between them. The Granny has much more interior space though.

 

You must have done quite a bit of mileage in it since you got it? How's it been?

It seems to be getting the use it should be getting anyway.

I used the car a fair bit around the back lanes, it did seem oddly good on them! For such a big car it doesn't struggle at all and seems to handle them ok too.

 

I love that car park pic! Look how much it stands out to all the blandmobiles near it. I bet you've had a fair bit of notice in it?

[egg]

Plenty of calendar shots there!

[Skizzer]

Dam fine looking motah is that! Looks right at home tbh.

They are about the same width as a modern Focus. My mum had one and sat side by side they are very close. These Granny estates are about the same length as the modern Mondeo estate. My dads got one and there's very little in it length wise between them. The Granny has much more interior space though.

You must have done quite a bit of mileage in it since you got it? How's it been?

It seems to be getting the use it should be getting anyway.

I used the car a fair bit around the back lanes, it did seem oddly good on them! For such a big car it doesn't struggle at all and seems to handle them ok too.

I love that car park pic! Look how much it stands out to all the blandmobiles near it. I bet you've had a fair bit of notice in it?

I've done about 450 miles in it since we picked it up on Friday and it hasn't missed a beat. The fan belt squeaks a bit when it's hot or stone cold but not otherwise and the temp gauge needle was dead vertical on the way up the M4 yesterday.

 

It cruised completely happily from Swansea to Maidenhead at what I'm going to call 'modern motorway speed for the executive who's running a bit late'. Even the electric seat adjustment works, for goodness sake.

 

Dropping it off at Breadvan Towers tomorrow morning. Will miss it greatly. We're thinking of taking it in turns to look after it until Junkman comes and beats us over the head for it.

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

These Granadas really are superbly handsome cars. My dad had one - a 2.8 Ghia saloon in crystal green with brown velour. The velour seems to go strangely baggy/ loose fitting on older Granadas - they were much more 'filled' looking when the car was new. This may be why the seats feel a little less plush than the Rover - I remember them as being plusher!

 

I am surprised it has a manual sunroof. My dad's was electric, with slide and tilt. Ford played around with the spec quite a bit; maybe that's why. Ours was an early '82 facelifted mk 2. The Ghia was the top trim level at that point - the Ghia X came out later and the spec was re-jigged, with the Ghia downgraded loosing the trip computer, digital quad stereo, front fog lights and electric sunroof. The Ghia X was upgraded, with air conditioning and electric front seats added to the original Ghia spec. The price of all of them was dropped at the same time and the cars were very good value (though they soon went back up again). List price of the Ghia was £12,298 when my dad bought his (though no one paid full price) - at that time the Mercedes 280E was £12,772, so the Granada 2.8 Ghia was an expensive car. Strange the things you remember. My dad bought his in Germany and personally imported it on 'Z' plates at a great saving. 351-Z-643 was the number, IIRC.

 

I have very fond memories of the Granada. It was a very well built, high quality car - and tremendously comfortable. I liked the sound of the engine and the general refinement and feeling of solidity it had. It was a superb long distance touring car, which was just as well since my dad loved driving holidays. My brother and I used to play with the rear cigarette lighter - he dropped it once and it rolled around on the carpet, melting it. it looked like it had been crawled over by a slug. If my dad ever noticed, he never commented on it.

 

I have much better memories of the Granada than I do for the BMW E28 which replaced it. It had much more power so was considerably faster, but was a lesser car in most other ways. It was less comfortable and of lower quality. It lacked the solid feel of the Granada, lacked the smooth luxury and was quite troublesome - the Granada never went wrong. I remember my dad saying that the Granada, his first XJ40 and the Mini Cooper he owned in his mid twenties were the three cars he remembered fondly. The cars have a warm character.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I think the lack of electrical operation of the sunroof is because it's an estate, don't think estates could have electric sunroofs . Maybe the motor was in the boot?

Never understood why estates never got rear headrests though, Mercedes had already shown how to get round the seat folding and headrest storage issue and Ford were usually quite happy to copy them.

[Essex V6]

Here we are at an incredibly posh hotel, befitting Ford's very topmost trim level.

IMG_7949.JPG

There isn't any valet parking (shame), but it did take me a while to persuade my way past the unwelcoming committee this morning.

My friend Donald, who is an actual Finance Director and therefore its target market, said the Granada wasn't as bad as he was expecting (which is high praise from Donald) and reckons it looks right at home. From a distance.

A shoo in for the 2018 calendar shirley

[Guest Breadvan72]

Mr Skiz came by in the Granny this morning, fresh from his corporate bonding breakfast at Cliveden.  I gave him some bad coffee, and he had a go in my Dolomite on the way to the local railway station, from whence he headed off to that London  I was supposed to be going too, but my meeting was cancelled, so hoorah.  

 

We forgot that we were going to do suit-wearing double-Wollaardage, but Mrs BV (who LIKES the Granada, sort of) had a go at some Woollardy camera work. She wasn't quite sure about the concept, and, being a documentary film maker who used to direct arty TV shows, she always does arty when she takes still photos.  Sadly, I had to reject all of her moody angled shots and select the one closest to a plain Woollard, viz:-

 

[Guest Breadvan72]

I should have worn shades.  I was facing up sun and couldn't see a thing.

 

Here is a Granny and Dolly shot:-

 

 

 

[egg]

under bonnet ripe for sound proofing I see (or a mirror   )

[320touring]

WP_20170315_12_07_15_Pro.jpg

Caption "Who has the biggest Colognes?"

 

Works well in my head anyways..

[Guest Breadvan72]

Off we went to a good local pub.  Mrs BV decided to go a bit Essex girl, but instead of kicking the headlining with white stillettos, she went for shiny black wellies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest Breadvan72]

Mrs BV is mainly from Glasgow, as you can see.

 

 

[BorniteIdentity]

Punching above your weight there BV.

 

Welcome to the club 😉

[Guest Breadvan72]

The driver's electric window works if you shout at it.  The passenger side one seems to be on strike.  I have not tried the windows in the back.  The windy-up sunroof tilts.  I do not know if it is also supposed to slide.  I don't want to force the handle, and haven't read the handbook yet to find out what the sunroof is supposed to do (apart from leak and rot out, obvs).  

 

The warning lights mounted on the ceiling are in a silly place, as they distract you from the road so that you crash into a ditch when one of the lights comes on (it was the low washer fluid light on this trip, but there are also important ones up there like low oil and low coolant).  The cockpit ergonomics are hilarious - done by a committee, I reckon.  Buttons, switches, dials and what not have been randomly thrown about the place.  But the car is still uber fabulous in every way. 

[Guest Breadvan72]

Punching above your weight there BV.

 

Welcome to the club

 

Yep!  I always have done.  I am a lardy fucker, but I have some sort of weird charm.   Or maybe it's just the cars?

[Guest Breadvan72]

Assorted heaps: -

 

 

 

 

 

[BorniteIdentity]

Yep! I always have done. I am a lardy fucker, but I have some sort of weird charm. Or maybe it's just the cars?

I'm just pulling your plonker. You have a lovely face and a lovely selection of heaps.

 

Where are you located approximately? I'm doing a commute in the Sierra soon enough. It'd be nice to see them together.

 

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