HMC architecte britannique

[Shite Ron]

10 hours ago, AnthonyG said:

I thought UH was a Cardiff reg. I guess HMC’s Granny was registered there but then sold out of Brum.

I had a Fiat Tipo ‘GUH’ in the mid 1990s, sold by the brilliantly named ‘Yapps Garage’. Think it was supplied new to Cardiff University. 

I also had a Cortina originally sold by Meteor Ford, many many years ago. 

Every day is a school day, I never realised UH was a Cardiff registration but you are correct, I’ve seen and owned plenty of KG, BO, NY and TG plates but never a UH.

This is an absolutely fantastic car, as a teenager I thought these were the ultimate in luxury and could not understand why anyone would pay more for a BMW, Mercedes, Rolls Royce etc. My opinion hasn’t really changed.
@Missy Charm is bang on with her comment.

I look forward to seeing the improvements, if you improve this as much as you did the Escort mk2 then it will be an amazing thread and transformation of an already desirable car.

[HMC]

13 hours ago, 2flags said:

My dad had a couple of these, not the Ghia as far as I remember, possibly the GL. Used to buy them at the auction, keep them for a couple of years and then sell them. The other thing I remember them for is mini cabs. Always stank of fags, booze and overpowering naff 'air freshener'. 

This has that sort of smell. needs a “feu orange” air freshener i recon 

[lesapandre]

1 minute ago, HMC said:

This has that sort of smell. needs a “feu orange” air freshener i recon 

And Old Spice or Brut aftershave. Specially on the steering wheel...

[Stinkwheel]

Ah well bought good sir, thats ace. 

Im now having massive pangs of missing my old B plate 2.8i ghia X estate - I found the manual that tells you how to program the onboard trip computer the other day, its like a bloody A4  binder full of instructions that read like you're launching the space shuttle 🤣

These are the closest thing in auto 2.8 form a UK car ever got to feeling like a full on yank luxo barge and they are all the better for it

Put me down in the list of people who would buy if it ever comes up for sale  

[Conan]

What is there to improve on it? I thought it looks absolutely perfect as it is!

[Agila]

Wow. That's outstanding. No idea how you keep the enthusiasm up for searching and collecting these beauties. Glad you do though.

 

[Peter C]

I've sent you an invite via Grindr, we should meet and take photos of our blue Fords. And other stuff. 

[danthecapriman]

1 hour ago, Agila said:

Wow. That's outstanding. No idea how you keep the enthusiasm up for searching and collecting these beauties. Glad you do though.

 

I don’t know how he manages to make himself sell them on. If it were me I’d have a field (or garden!) full of them because I can’t bring myself to say goodbye to any!😆

[sierraman]

It looks bloody solid for a Granada tbh, most of them are crunchy round the screen. I’d keep the scruffy paint to be honest, looks period. 

[sierraman]

I’d love one of these, I think I’d even risk certain divorce bringing it home. 

[danthecapriman]

Here’s my old one.

186k miles or so it had done! I did loads to it after saving it from a local banger racer. Part of the deal was for a replacement windscreen as the one fitted was cracked. Removing the old one brought both rotten lower screen/scuttle corners away with it! Ended up chasing rust all the way down both A posts and into the front floors! 
It should probably have been cubed really but I spent months chopping it all out and making new sections then welded them in. Original wing fell apart at the bottom too so I got a new one. Front edge of the bonnet rusted away so I got a good used one and rattle canned them.

I absolutely loved that car! Not an easy decision to sell it tbh but the Capri was in more need of the time and money. I’d have another in a heartbeat.

[EspenO]

Was blue seats/dash and black darker door cards/carpets a thing on these, seeing as both cars got that combo? 

I can only remember grey or beige/brown interiors back when they were a more common sight.

[danthecapriman]

1 hour ago, EspenO said:

Was blue seats/dash and black darker door cards/carpets a thing on these, seeing as both cars got that combo? 

I can only remember grey or beige/brown interiors back when they were a more common sight.

Fords of the time were always colour coded. The two here being blue cars you usually got blue interiors. But it depended a lot on the cars paint colour and what spec/trim level it was.

Brown, grey, blue, green and I think red were all options.

It continued on for a while afterwards too as I remember driving a white Mondeo mk1 Ghia that had a blue interior in much the same way as these Granada’s.

[EspenO]

I see! Just thought they were almost two-tone, the seats much brighter blue than the dash/doors  

[HMC]

Boarding for the french weekend

 

 

[HMC]

On our way in Brittany through passport control

[hairnet]

On 30/05/2024 at 20:16, HMC said:

Money shot @grogee

Rockliffes babies............

[hairnet]

15 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

Here’s my old one.

 

 

Tl dr thats not a capri wtf is up with that 😝

[danthecapriman]

1 hour ago, hairnet said:

Tl dr thats not a capri wtf is up with that 😝

All Fords though!

And, technically, the Capri is in that shot. Just!

[cort16]

Some seems to have stole your fuel injection and replaced it with a carbpotator. I appreciate the removal of the i on the boot for accuracy though, 

These are great big barges, the gearbox is a bit on the slushy side if you've been driving automatics from the 1990's onwards but nice cars. I had a 2.3v6 LX estate in gold, very slow but I liked it. 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

I last drove a mk2 Granny in the early 90s. The garage where I worked had a V plate in midnight blue which I used for a few errands, as well as taking it for MOT. Compared to the Cortinas of the same era, the Granada massive in contrast. It felt similar to the Carlton - cavernous cabin space and enough room for even the widest-framed driver. To be fair, I found the Cortina with a 2.0 lump and twin-choke Webber felt a bit like a sports car in contrast! 

What's the story with this one then HMC? It looks like it's been stored for a couple of decades but the mot history suggests otherwise. 

[HMC]

43 minutes ago, cort16 said:

Some seems to have stole your fuel injection and replaced it with a carbpotator. I appreciate the removal of the i on the boot for accuracy though, 

These are great big barges, the gearbox is a bit on the slushy side if you've been driving automatics from the 1990's onwards but nice cars. I had a 2.3v6 LX estate in gold, very slow but I liked it. 

Is there a way of finding out if it originally had carb/ FI?

[HMC]

1 hour ago, HMC said:

Is there a way of finding out if it originally had carb/ FI?

I was working on the basis that at ghia rather than ghia x level fi/carb were both options but theres many more knowledgable people on here re ford specs than me, for sure.

[cort16]

3 hours ago, HMC said:

Is there a way of finding out if it originally had carb/ FI?

I thought all the facelift ones had injection.

[danthecapriman]

1 minute ago, cort16 said:

I thought all the facelift ones had injection.

Don’t think so. Even up to the last mk2 injection was an option but not standard. My C reg estate was a carb fed 2.8 from new. Pretty sure it’s a Pierburg carb on them. 
The Capri 2.8 was injection only though I think.

I don’t know if you can tell from a VIN decode if it was carb or injection? 
Otherwise look around the engine and engine bay for evidence of the injection gubbins being stripped out. 
 

You’re better off with a carb though. I don’t think the injection stuff is easy to get parts for anymore?

[bezzabsa]

On 25/02/2024 at 23:29, High Jetter said:

I bet he made it look so easy. Did you fuck up try to emulate him?

he made it look faultless....and NO , I can't even draw a stick man!!! 

[cort16]

1 hour ago, danthecapriman said:

Don’t think so. Even up to the last mk2 injection was an option but not standard. My C reg estate was a carb fed 2.8 from new. Pretty sure it’s a Pierburg carb on them. 
The Capri 2.8 was injection only though I think.

I don’t know if you can tell from a VIN decode if it was carb or injection? 
Otherwise look around the engine and engine bay for evidence of the injection gubbins being stripped out. 
 

You’re better off with a carb though. I don’t think the injection stuff is easy to get parts for anymore?

Maybe I’m thinking of the capri then. Strange it was an option it doesn’t say much for their faith in the fuel injection .

[adw1977]

2.8 carb was the only option on the late Mark 2 Ghias.

Choice of carb or injection on Ghia X.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

10 hours ago, HMC said:

Is there a way of finding out if it originally had carb/ FI?

If it had been an injection it would have had TRXes instead of 14” alloys and by B reg also had rubber chin spoiler. The car that started my 40 odd year career as a chauffeur was a 1982 2.8 Ghia X in silver with brown Chatsworth interior. It was unbelievably well equipped for 1982, nothing short of a Rolls Royce Spirit had electric seats and aircon as standard.

I was driving a new Flying Spur Speed 12 last week and it reminded me of how that Granada felt in 82, don’t know why, it makes very little sense and it’s not like I’ve driven hundreds of nice big saloons in between. That feeling and seeing this has diverted my search from Rover P6es and Jags back to Mk2 Grannies even if they’re twice the price!

[danthecapriman]

38 minutes ago, NorfolkNWeigh said:

If it had been an injection it would have had TRXes instead of 14” alloys and by B reg also had rubber chin spoiler. The car that started my 40 odd year career as a chauffeur was a 1982 2.8 Ghia X in silver with brown Chatsworth interior. It was unbelievably well equipped for 1982, nothing short of a Rolls Royce Spirit had electric seats and aircon as standard.

I was driving a new Flying Spur Speed 12 last week and it reminded me of how that Granada felt in 82, don’t know why, it makes very little sense and it’s not like I’ve driven hundreds of nice big saloons in between. That feeling and seeing this has diverted my search from Rover P6es and Jags back to Mk2 Grannies even if they’re twice the price!

They are fantastic cars aren’t they!

It’s got the blue oval badge but somehow it doesn’t feel like a normal Ford like the lower models. It’s such a pity so many of them have been smashed to bits on the track.