Harrison's Garage

[Cord Fourteener]

51 minutes ago, Skizzer said:

You have comprehensively won at life.

Agreed!

[High Jetter]

A m8 had a bright green Consul auto, sublime car. You have the Gonads!

[danthecapriman]

Oh man! Nice.
Mk1’s and 2’s really are great cars, there’s something very right about them imho. Real lookers too. 
I love all old Ford’s but the Granada always felt a cut above the usual blue oval products.

I will have another one day.

[Shite Ron]

Fantastic, I had this on my watch list. The wipers are fantastic and were not available on UK cars. Roman Bronze with tan interior is the best colour combination. I look forward to lots more pictures, you really are winning at life.

[BorniteIdentity]

Ugh!

Purchases like this make me reconsider every decision I've ever made in life.  What could have been if I'd grown up and got a proper job.  If I'd not had 52 children.  If I wasn't constantly distracted by other cars.  What if I didn't take pity on any old shit heap that winked at me and didn't invest* huge sums of money into a banal old Toyota that should have died years ago.

Apparently it's because I have an "Orange" personality.  Whatever that means.

Well bought, Rob.  PLEASE enter it into the Ipswich-Felixstowe vintage run next year so I can lick your windows.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

13 hours ago, rob88h said:

I did a buy!

Harrison's History #49 - Ford Granada, 336 PR 87 (mais oui!)

I've just achieved my primary car-life goal and bought myself a brown mk1 Granada. I didn't really think I would ever get to own one, but I took the plunge when just the right level of grot showed up. After 15 years of having eBay notifications set for "Granada", I can finally delete it. Stick a fork in me, I'm done.

Love it, and what a find after so many years of patiently waiting. 

Is there enough room on your driveway to boot it in second and flick your right hand down a bit to make it look like a famous Consul?!

 

[Bren]

Deffo on my bucket list. The only thing that gives me the fear is parts availability - body panels and trim. I've heard of front wings changing hands for over £400+ each when they pop up.

I take it it has a cologne lump? The essex is lovely - the sound it makes is quite distinctive - my mate who is s ford nut once said every essex he had ever owned had  a grumbing bottom end.

[Eyersey1234]

15 hours ago, rob88h said:

I did a buy!

Harrison's History #49 - Ford Granada, 336 PR 87 (mais oui!)

I've just achieved my primary car-life goal and bought myself a brown mk1 Granada. I didn't really think I would ever get to own one, but I took the plunge when just the right level of grot showed up. After 15 years of having eBay notifications set for "Granada", I can finally delete it. Stick a fork in me, I'm done.

Phoooar one chodtastic Granny you have there

[Eyersey1234]

2 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

Ugh!

Purchases like this make me reconsider every decision I've ever made in life.  What could have been if I'd grown up and got a proper job.  If I'd not had 52 children.  If I wasn't constantly distracted by other cars.  What if I didn't take pity on any old shit heap that winked at me and didn't invest* huge sums of money into a banal old Toyota that should have died years ago.

Apparently it's because I have an "Orange" personality.  Whatever that means.

Well bought, Rob.  PLEASE enter it into the Ipswich-Felixstowe vintage run next year so I can lick your windows.

I thought you only had 51 children, or has your Mrs had another during lockdown?  Lol

[ProgRocker]

Nice Granada!

My parents owned a  not so posh 1976 2000 L in the early 1980s in diamont white + vinyl roof. 

[rob88h]

Thanks all for the kind words, I'm really pleased with this one. There is a fair amount to do in the recommissioning, but it runs and stops, the level of rot is pleasingly low and the trim pieces and interior are all present and in decent condition. I've certainly dealt with cars in worse shape, *cough* S123 *cough*.

It has come from France - Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat according to the sticker on the boot, so is an Eu spec 2.6L Cologne. It still has it's yellow headlamp bulbs in and an Insurance sticker in the screen from 1991.

[danthecapriman]

I was very very tempted by a 2.0 mk1 estate that I saw on Leboncoin a couple of years back, it was clearly a car that’d been laid up a while but it was in very solid, if faded and sun bleached, condition. It was in that pale yellow colour! 
Really wish I had gone and got it tbh!

[Eyersey1234]

Car Mechanics Magazine had a Mk1 Granny as a project car in 1994-5, you might be able to find back issues on a certain online auction site 

[Royale80]

Father had a 5 year old 3.0L manual-RTG260R -I had just passed my test in an Allegro 1.3.  There was a “slight” difference in performance when I drove the Granny.

[Isaac Hunt]

On 5/22/2020 at 7:08 PM, Dan302 said:

Youngsters nowadays mostly seem to get something new on finance, they miss out on these sort of memories

Having a phone that is worth more than your car, not cool.  

[mitsisigma01]

On 4/20/2021 at 8:43 PM, rob88h said:

I did a buy!

Harrison's History #49 - Ford Granada, 336 PR 87 (mais oui!)

I've just achieved my primary car-life goal and bought myself a brown mk1 Granada. I didn't really think I would ever get to own one, but I took the plunge when just the right level of grot showed up. After 15 years of having eBay notifications set for "Granada", I can finally delete it. Stick a fork in me, I'm done.

You might need to get a bigger garage!! 

[JeeExEll]

Choices choices.

[rob88h]

On 4/25/2021 at 5:37 PM, JeeExEll said:

 

 

If there is a Heaven, that’s the driveway. 

[rob88h]

On a much more down to Earth note, I can open and close the rear doors on my Granada at will and with only the slightest of knacks. 

The latches were seized, but my Changing Rooms’ Handy Andy branded WD40 and some patience (with some measured shoulder barging) has got them moving enough to function for now. 
 

[rob88h]

I’ve not written up much on the Granada yet; on its condition and my plans or as an opportunity to keep taking photos of it, but I’m sure I will. 

In the meantime, see how it’s responding to T-cut #priorities. 

[rob88h]

Another bit of sweet fixeration on the Granada. Thanks to my Hand Andy WD40 - the window is now up!

Because the interior is excellent on this car I invested in some proper trim removal tools, took a brave pill and removed the door card. Only two of the many push clip things shattered and they look replaceable, but importantly the wood backing of the door card they fasten to is in tact. Phew. 

With the door card off I was presented with a 45 year old membrane, untouched. I’ll be damned if I’m the one to cut it, so I found another way to soak the mechanism and runners and after a little exercise the window started to move. 

 

It’s still like nails on a chalkboard, but at least the car is now secure. 

[rob88h]

The Granada is ace, but the Volvo 480 is truly excellent too and it is currently providing my main method of transport so it deserves some more continued attention. With that in mind I’ve addressed a few of the little niggles that were bugging me.

First, the passenger seat belt butler which was snapped is now replaced. A doddle.

Next, the one red wingmirror (which has almost become a point of charm) is now still non-matching but is at least a shade of green.

Thanks Halfords – I spent ages holding caps of various green against the body work to settle on the final “close” match, yet what came out of the can was a completely different shade to the cap! I know, I should have known better. I barely noticed it was odd when it was red, so this isn’t really a problem (for me at least).

[rob88h]

The 5th Biennial "Sports-car-or-at-least-summat-with-popup-lights" LeJog Reliability Trial 

For the last ten or so years a mate an I have made a trip from Lands End to John O’Groats every two years for reasons that are hard to explain. There is no real reason, it’s just sort of a tradition now. It started as a one-off adventure in 2011 where we aimed to hit all four cardinal points on the way from “work home” in Essex to our family homes in Yorkshire for Christmas. Man-maths were involved but it was a good excuse to drive my then current car much more than just home.

We got as far East as we could, but on the way North we encountered terminal piston-valve-cambelt calamity.

In 2014 we tried again, albeit with reduced ambition, taking in just Land’s End and John O’Groats in this:

No problems. A bit of a boring let down.

So, in 2016 we tried again in this:

This time to mix things up motorways were banned. The AUTO Porsche ate it up shifting at all the wrong moments. I loved it.

In 2018 we took this:

Top down all the way…

 

For 2020, our biennial Christmas trip of pure blokey freedom turned into a government mandated stay at home order. I’d already bought the car I had in mind for this trip last August, the 480. I’ve been postponing things until a). we were allowed to and b). I felt comfortable that it was responsible to do it. Because of this, and because we do something differently each time anyway to keep it fresh, I’ve decided this year to do it in stages (and obviously not in December 2020!). Part 1 will be Land’s End and back in a oner, so no need to stop, no hotels, less risk. Only petrol stations, Land’s Ends driveway and the eternal fart chamber that will be the 480’s interior. Part 2 will happen later in the year (undecided when) as Essex to John O’Groats realistically needs a stopover. It's a pity, but at least it'll still be a memorable one.

Part 1 is slated for Sunday 👌😬

[Cord Fourteener]

On 4/25/2021 at 5:37 PM, JeeExEll said:

Choices choices.

Estate every time. Unless you don't get a choice, in which case any of them. 

[Cord Fourteener]

On 4/28/2021 at 7:37 PM, rob88h said:

The Granada is ace, but the Volvo 480 is truly excellent too and it is currently providing my main method of transport so it deserves some more continued attention. With that in mind I’ve addressed a few of the little niggles that were bugging me.

First, the passenger seat belt butler which was snapped is now replaced. A doddle.

Next, the one red wingmirror (which has almost become a point of charm) is now still non-matching but is at least a shade of green.

Thanks Halfords – I spent ages holding caps of various green against the body work to settle on the final “close” match, yet what came out of the can was a completely different shade to the cap! I know, I should have known better. I barely noticed it was odd when it was red, so this isn’t really a problem (for me at least).

We've all done that!

[Cord Fourteener]

1 hour ago, rob88h said:

The 5th Biennial "Sports-car-or-at-least-summat-with-popup-lights" LeJog Reliability Trial 

For the last ten or so years a mate an I have made a trip from Lands End to John O’Groats every two years for reasons that are hard to explain. There is no real reason, it’s just sort of a tradition now. It started as a one-off adventure in 2011 where we aimed to hit all four cardinal points on the way from “work home” in Essex to our family homes in Yorkshire for Christmas. Man-maths were involved but it was a good excuse to drive my then current car much more than just home.

We got as far East as we could, but on the way North we encountered terminal piston-valve-cambelt calamity.

In 2014 we tried again, albeit with reduced ambition, taking in just Land’s End and John O’Groats in this:

No problems. A bit of a boring let down.

So, in 2016 we tried again in this:

This time to mix things up motorways were banned. The AUTO Porsche ate it up shifting at all the wrong moments. I loved it.

In 2018 we took this:

Top down all the way…

 

For 2020, our biennial Christmas trip of pure blokey freedom turned into a government mandated stay at home order. I’d already bought the car I had in mind for this trip last August, the 480. I’ve been postponing things until a). we were allowed to and b). I felt comfortable that it was responsible to do it. Because of this, and because we do something differently each time anyway to keep it fresh, I’ve decided this year to do it in stages (and obviously not in December 2020!). Part 1 will be Land’s End and back in a oner, so no need to stop, no hotels, less risk. Only petrol stations, Land’s Ends driveway and the eternal fart chamber that will be the 480’s interior. Part 2 will happen later in the year (undecided when) as Essex to John O’Groats realistically needs a stopover. It's a pity, but at least it'll still be a memorable one.

Part 1 is slated for Sunday 👌😬

omg that all sounds so cool!

I've just got rid of a 2.0 n/a 924. I gather that the red 924 is the 2.5 as the 8v 2.0 is a non-interference type. 

 

[rob88h]

9 hours ago, Tim_E said:

I gather that the red 924 is the 2.5 as the 8v 2.0 is a non-interference type

Correct. It was a 924S. I'd set out to get the 2.0L for reasons of budget, but I couldn't refuse this one when I came across it for a good price. It was a blessing in disguise when it went bang though as I was paying £300 a month to insure it 😬.

[Cord Fourteener]

9 minutes ago, rob88h said:

Correct. It was a 924S. I'd set out to get the 2.0L for reasons of budget, but I couldn't refuse this one when I came across it for a good price. It was a blessing in disguise when it went bang though as I was paying £300 a month to insure it 😬.

My reaction: £300 isn't too bad.. oh, per month? Whaaaa....?

Goes backwards off chair. 

[rob88h]

6 minutes ago, Tim_E said:

£300 isn't too bad.. oh, per month? Whaaaa....?

Yeah, I was 22 and living the dream pretending to be an 80's business man (with my financial head buried firmly in the sand). To put it into context, with the insurance rebate from one month alone I managed to buy and insure a K11 Micra for a whole year. I sold the 924S to a Porsche specialist close* to what I got it for on account of it's good body and interior. They were either parting it for their stock or they mentioned they might put a new engine in it.

I just checked - My last MOT was it's last MOT, so I guess they broke it for parts 😪

[Cord Fourteener]

2 hours ago, rob88h said:

Yeah, I was 22 and living the dream pretending to be an 80's business man (with my financial head buried firmly in the sand). To put it into context, with the insurance rebate from one month alone I managed to buy and insure a K11 Micra for a whole year. I sold the 924S to a Porsche specialist close* to what I got it for on account of it's good body and interior. They were either parting it for their stock or they mentioned they might put a new engine in it.

I just checked - My last MOT was it's last MOT, so I guess they broke it for parts 😪

If it had a good interior that's worth a lot just for that. It's a shame but at least the parts will help others stay on the road and in good condition.