Classic Ford – September 2019

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46 September 2019

saloon’s lines perfectly. “I wanted a black

interior, so I put in my favourite Granada

interior from a Ghia model,” says Craig. “It’s

got the better-looking six-dial dash, and I also

managed to get a full GXL centre console in

black to match as well as having a black

headlining made. I tucked speakers under the

dash and put 6x9s in rear shelf, as the original

setup only has one speaker in the front and one

in the back!”

The focus here is very much on usability, and

this attention to detail is also clearly evident

throughout the chassis, where Craig’s made

myriad fi t-for-purpose upgrades. The subframes

were removed, shot-blasted, powdercoated, and

rebuilt with polybushes. Everything’s been

renewed, from brake pipes and shoes to

driveshafts, bearings and beyond. Spax -35 mm

springs get it sitting pretty over those subtly

banded steels (now an impressive 7 inches wide!),

and to cover belt-and-braces for maximum

entertainment you’ll fi nd Princess four-pots at

one end and a Quaife LSD at the other.

“One of the main problems with the build was

getting parts, as I wanted everything to be new or

mint condition, and parts for a Mk1 Granada are

very hard to get — and there’s not much

reproduction stuff out there,” says Craig. “It’s

been very rewarding though. I carried out most

the work myself, apart from the engine which was

built by Chris Allitt, the prep and paint was done

by Lee Proctor. It certainly got a great reception

at the Classic Ford Show at Mallory Park — the

colour in particular sets it off.”

It’s defi nitely a hook, that’s for sure, although

it’s when the bonnet comes up that people really

start asking questions. We certainly did. It’s a car

that subverts normality, and treads its own path.

Sometimes, as daft and impossible as it seems,

you really do have to expect the unexpected.

Tech Spec

Body

1972 Granada 3-litre GXL Auto, vinyl deleted,

rear vents filled, side mouldings deleted,

rear GXL trim swapped for smaller L trim,

Consul bumpers, all new headlights,

indicators and foglights, big single wing

mirror replaced by small mirrors either side,

light smoke window tints.

Paint: Seat Alor Blue

Engine

2.3-litre i4 rebuilt with 2-litre cams and sump,

Galaxy four-branch manifold, Ike

Engineering alloy inlet with Weber 38 DGAS

carb, Canems ECU, rocker cover and top

plate hydro-dipped, custom Alicool

aluminium radiator, custom stainless

exhaust system by Demand Engineering

Power: 175bhp

Transmission

Type-9 five-speed, 1800 Zetec flywheel

ultra-lightened and drilled to take Pinto

clutch, Quaife LSD, new driveshafts, all

new bearings

Suspension

Spax 35 mm lowering springs, front and rear

subframes shot-blasted and powdercoated,

polybushed throughout

Brakes

Front: Austin Princess four-pot callipers with

drilled and grooved discs.

Rear: standard drums with new shoes

and cylinders. Line-lock, braided hoses,

nickel-plated pipes

Wheels and tyres

7x14 inch banded steels, with

205/60R14 tyres

Interior

Ghia black interior with six-dial dash, GXL

centre console, custom black headlining,

re-webbed seatbelts, speakers hidden under

dash, 6x9s in rear shelf

Thanks

I’d like to thank Lee for the great paintwork,

Chris Allitt for the engine (01638 742041,

http://www.allittmotorsport.co.uk), Spax

(www.spaxperformance.com), Demand

Engineering (01473 890820, https://

demandengineering.co.uk), Canems

(01724 700222, http://canems.co.uk), Alicool

(01543 898700, http://alicool.co.uk), and

anyone who’s helped in any way, from

advice to physically helping with the build

a

BUILD THREAD

Finding a new project is sometimes all about luck, and

Craig certainly had it when this Mk1 appeared.

Craig heard about the super-solid GXL through a

friend and snapped it up as quickly as he could.

With Craig happy with the bodywork, friend Lee then

painted the shell in Alor Blue — a modern Seat shade.

With the shell stripped bare Craig decided to remove

and fi ll the vents in the C-pillars for a smoother look.

Craig then cracked on with fi tting up the shell, adding

uprated springs all-round, plus front four-pot callipers.

For the same reason, he decided the leave the vinyl

roof off. Any repairs were done at the same time.