“I WANTED TO FIT THE i4 FROM THE
START. IT’S A GREAT ENGINE AND I DIDN’T
KNOW OF ANOTHER MK1 WITH ONE”
This is an engine with an unusual
developmental story, as it was originally
intended for Ford’s larger rear-wheel-cars of
the 1990s — the late-model Sierra and the
Scorpio. As a replacement for the Pinto, the
Dagenham-built i4 mated the familiar 2-litre
displacement to a twin-cam head, although
still in eight-valve form initially. However,
with Ford management keen to revive the
XR3i and RS2000 nameplates to gee up the
uninspiring Mk5 Escort in the eyes of
buyers, and with the mooted Zetec still
some way off completion, the decision was
made to rework the i4 into something
suitable. The result was a 16-valve motor
mounted transversely, with a tubular
exhaust manifold and a 150 bhp headline
fi gure. However, it was in 2.3-litre guise that
the i4 really made its mark — the long-
stroked variant appeared in the Transit and
Scorpio, and remained the main petrol
option for the Galaxy until 2006.WHEREFORE i4?
THE REPLACEMENT PINTO
Using the Galaxy’s four-branch exhaust manifold was a
no-brainer. Below: Consul bumpers give a cleaner look.The Sport steels have been banded to 7 inches wide.44 September 2019
OMEBUILT HERO
notion of an i4 Granada may be unique. So let’s
dig under the surface and see just how all of this
came about, shall we?Going gone
“I was told about this car by a mate of mine
from Braintree,” says Craig. “One day I was out
that way so I phoned him to see where it was,
and he gave me directions to its whereabouts in
Chelmsford. I spoke to the old boy who was
selling, and it turned out to be his son’s car and
he wanted it off his drive as it had been there for
four years! So then I phoned the son, and
collected it that night for a very good price... It
was as solid as a rock, only needing a little bit of
bodywork; a totally original 3-litre GXL auto.
It’s a really early car, being a K-reg, and only had
46,000 miles on the clock at the time.”
This was unquestionably an incredible fi nd, and
Craig could see bags of potential in the Granny.
Interestingly, he had fi ve Mk1 Granadas at the
time — as you do — but this one was by far the
best, so the ideas he’d had swirling around about
building one up into something special coalesced
neatly with this excellent and solid base.
“I wanted to put a 2.3 in it from the start
— it’s a really good engine,” he explains. “I also
just wanted to build something a bit different
— I didn’t know of any other Mk1 Granadas
running a 2.3 i4, so that also helped to make the
decision!” This 16-valve DOHC motor
certainly isn’t something we see swapped about
much, given the passion for Zetecs and, more
recently, Duratecs. Indeed, as the technology
and availability advances and people start to look
more seriously at EcoBoost swaps, the i4 is in
danger of being sidelined completely. But
thankfully Craig knows a good thing when he
sees one, and he knows more than a few tricks
with these engines too: this one has been fully
rebuilt with 2-litre cams and sump, the balancer
shafts eliminated, and helpfully the 2.3 Galaxy
comes with a nice four-branch manifold. An Ike
Engineering alloy inlet wears a Weber 38
DGAS, and Craig’s running a Canems ECU,
the upshot of which is a usable and really quite
perky 175 bhp. So any naysayers who baulk at
the idea of markedly reducing the displacement
and cylinder count need only interrogate the
numbers to make themselves feel better about
the whole thing.Off the roof
The originality and straightness of the shell
certainly paid dividends when it came to sorting
the exterior aesthetics. “The only panel I had to
put on the car was a bonnet, along with just
sorting the odd patch here and there,” he
continues. “The vinyl roof was removed, and
the rear vents were fi lled. I removed the side
mouldings to give it a cleaner look, and changed
the GXL trim on the rear to smaller L trim.
Consul bumpers are in place as they have no
rubber strip like the Granada ones do, and I’ve
fi tted all new headlights, indicators, and
foglights, as well as installing small mirrors on
both sides instead of the standard big mirror on
the driver’s side.”
If the provenance of the paint shade has been
troubling you, it never actually featured on a
period Ford colour chart – it’s a modern Seat
colour called Alor Blue, and it suits the chunky