Dipping a toe into the waters of classic car ownership for the first time can be daunting. Justifying spending a considerable sum on what is essentially a hobby can be challenging, and many enthusiasts resign themselves to a life as an interested spectator as a consequence. However, what if I told you that you could become the new owner of a low-mileage gem from the 1970s with 24,000 genuine miles on the clock for under $10,000? That could make the car worth a closer look and serious consideration. That opportunity awaits someone with this 1978 Ford Granda Ghia listed here on Craigslist in Kennewick, Washington. The seller’s price of $8,500 looks pretty attractive when we assess its overall condition. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Kevin for spotting this fantastic Ford.
The Granada enjoyed a brief but dazzling life within Ford’s American product range. It first appeared in showrooms in 1975 as the planned replacement for the Maverick. It sold well initially, but dwindling volumes saw it disappear at the end of 1982. Our feature car is a First Generation survivor that presents nicely in Light Blue with contrasting White Landau-style vinyl top and side moldings. I place a great store in a long-term ownership history, and this Granada ticks that box courtesy of the seller being its custodian since 2008. It has remained garage-kept throughout its life, making its rust-free status and lack of UV damage understandable. The paint shines impressively, the vinyl is excellent, and although I wouldn’t lumber it with the tag of showroom fresh, it is one of the nicest examples I have seen for a long period. A couple of underside shots are included in the listing, and they confirm the Ghia is rock-solid. The chrome sparkles exceptionally well for a survivor, the glass is spotless, and the narrow whitewalls are a perfect finishing touch for a vehicle marketed as the Granada’s range-topping model for 1978.
Powering the Granada is Ford’s iconic 302ci V8 that produces 139hp and 250 ft/lbs of torque. Shifting duties fall to a three-speed automatic transmission, while the new owner receives power steering and power brakes. The Malaise Era was biting deeply when this gem rolled off the production line, making its ¼-mile ET of 18.4 seconds unsurprising. Still, it could be worse. Had the original owner selected the 250ci six, that figure would have ballooned to 20.6 seconds. The seller recently installed new shocks, front brake calipers, and rear wheel cylinders. They say it runs and drives as well as it did when it rolled off the lot, and if the odometer reading of 24,331 genuine miles can be confirmed, potential buyers could be onto a winner.
Potential buyers seeking a classic that needs nothing will find this Granada attractive. Its interior is spotless, trimmed in Dark Blue vinyl with contrasting faux woodgrain inserts on the dash and door caps. There is no evidence of wear, abuse, or physical damage, and no aftermarket additions. If the front seat condition is impressive, the back seat looks exceptional. It is slightly dusty, suggesting it hasn’t seen much recent use. As the range-topping offering, the Ghia features some welcome luxury touches. The air conditioning doesn’t blow ice-cold, requiring investigation to confirm whether there is a system leak or other issues. The buyer also receives cruise control and an AM radio/cassette player. That might not seem much by modern standards, but it was considered respectable for a volume-selling model from that period.
I won’t kid you because this 1978 Granada Ghia is unlikely ever to become a mega-bucks classic. However, that may not be the object of the exercise with cars of this type. What its new owner receives for their cash is an extremely tidy survivor with an exceptionally low odometer reading. Its drivetrain combination is about as bulletproof as they come, meaning the buyer can anticipate spending more time on the road enjoying all it offers and less in their workshop performing maintenance tasks that could detract from the ownership experience. Pleasure and an escape from our crazy old world are what owning a classic car should be all about, and that is what the new owner should find locked away in this Ford. That makes it worth a closer look.
Reminds me a lot of Frank Costanza’s car that got trashed in “The Handicap Spot” episode of Seinfeld
A beautiful and now-rare piece of history. My tastes lean to GM’s vehicles but this Ford Granada is a real looker and a throwback to seemingly simpler and better times. Someone is going to end of as the happy owner of a unique vehicle.
The Granada was part of the profitable Fox body platform when luxury replaced sportiness.
This car completely sucked brand new and time hasn’t improved it. It’s an underpowered box meant for people without the means or common sense to buy something decent. Yes, this is a fine example of a turd…but it’s still an absolute turd.
Interestingly the Granada while the styling isn’t today’s, per the time it was a huge styling step up for ford, basically repurposing the maverick platform. The car came along at the right time after the Arab oil embargo with relatively efficient 200 and 250 6 cylinder base engines. For its day, the car was really considered quite nice, especially if a mid-size was enough car for your needs. Story has it that ford toned down the styling of the front clip given they felt the midsize Granada was taking sales from the larger, more profitable LTD full size. Likely the styling is far nicer for the Granda than the later Fairmont and other later Ford mid-size vehicles (which were homely, at best, as much of Detroit in the late 70s and 80s).
Cars this old and this clean will always be eye catchers and worth the money versus trying to restore one. Someone will enjoy this one and have a nice car for their ride down memory lane!
I had a 1978 Granada. It was black with a black vinyl roof and black interior. It had bucket seats, a console, automatic 302 and Ford chrome wheels. It was a looker.
Buying this car would be like kissing your sister, even if she was good looking, it would be gross. Ford’s styling at this time was quite.boring, but so was everyone else. I think the ads at the time, is it a Mercedes or Granada? The color and white vinyl top screams ” I have fallen and I can’t get up”.If this car was black, no vinyl roof, dark interior, dark tint, and a hopped up motor, ties and rims, maybe. Too much money, and to make it fun it’s not worth it. I have to say nada nada on the Granada.
More boring that today’s cars… er SUV’s… er crossovers. Whatever, most of them look pretty much the same.
I’m one of the weird people who like that what I always called 70’s Baroque styline.
the adds where caddy servile or Granada.
Remember that a 351Windsor was an option. Drop in high horsepower version with a five speed auto from perhaps an Explorer and maybe the 9 inch/disc brake rear end from the Versailles. And since it’s a first gen Mustang/Cougar underneath maybe a few more performance suspension pieces/upgraded wheels/tires etc and you’d have a nice car that could probably be done for a relatively reasonable price. And you’d rarely see another one at almost any auto show!
I think the Windsor was only offered in the Granada/Monarchs first year, and they are fairly rare, which isnt surprising as these were built during the “energy crisis” and the last thing most people wanted was a big V8. That being said, my buddy raced a Monarch in the Enduro class back in the mid 80s. He blew up the 302 that was originally in it, and we put a Windsor in it from a wrecked Torino – That little Monarch was a rocket with that 351 !
Is that an aftermarket dual exhaust, minus the cat convertor, that I see?
Nice job on the aftermarket Dual Exhaust – and no Cat.
I like it, so what if boring.
Nice set of wheels for the price – as a 2nd or starter car for $8,500. What else competes at those skinny dollars?
GLWTS!
Crager S/S with some BFG Radial T/A’s. Yep! And, be the only one at the cruise in.
I agree, I doubt that car came with factory dual exhaust. Also, does anyone besides me think the driveshaft has been replaced (note the new-looking sticker). And if 24k is true, is that amount of oil around the edges of the differential normal?
This is my dads car, the u joints were replaced do to being dry from so much sitting and originals were not Grease able joints and drive line was ballenced also at the time. For some reason the inspection cover on the rear differential was not true in straightness so it was replaced and now leak free. Could not find a better example of this car is absolutely show room mint as it could be. Speaks for itself at a true 24,000 original miles :)
A friend his mother had a 75’ Granada Ghia. Man did he rip on that car. One summer night I’m sitting outside my gas station job a station like Wally’s but here comes a flatbed with his car in two pieces. He tried jumping from one hill to another and the way it slammed broke it in two.
I had a two door 78 Granada, second best car I ever had.
250 six, four speed, AC, not much else.
Nice driving, comfortable car. If this one was closer I’d be tempted… hmm road trip from Washington to North Carolina in a 78 Granada?
This is my dads car it’s a beautiful example, fly on out and drive it home it’s a sweetheart of a driver You would not be disappointed :)
I bought a new one 250 6 4 speed great fun car had bench seat ps pb no ac
Ford Granadas were owned by the geeks and grandmother’s in my town. Even today, I wouldn’t own one if it was free.
And it’s got the 302… absolutely!
Love it.
Agree Jon 👍
Gorgeous 😍 Granada Ghia. In the world 🌎 famous Ford robin egg 🐦 blue pallette 🎨 🖌
Same paint scheme as the family 75 Mustang II Ghia back in the day. That poor car was so slow it couldn’t get out of it’s own way, spark knocked heavily under “acceleration”. Learned how to drive in it, though.
My mother had one back in the day it was a very stylish car
For whatever reason, I love it. Maybe because I was young when these were new. I don’t know.
These simple, dependable cars were everywhere in my day, I used to practice driving in one with the straight 6 when I was a teen in 1986-87, it belonged to a coworker. It’s neat to see one with the 302 in such nice, original condition, but it’ll never be worth much. You’d have to find someone willing to pay a lot for one, and there’s few people, if any, really interested enough. Good luck to the seller, he will need it.
People actually thought they were fooling others into thinking these were Mercedes …The Rolls Royce style grill was ubiquitous back then.
We owned a Mercury Monarch, supposedly an up vehicle from the Ford Granada. That Mercury was a poorly constructed car, with a faulty electrical system, and left my wife stranded several times in the downtown area of Dallas. I had to get my two very younger daughters up from their sleep and put them in the back of my Honda Hatchback to drive down to jiggle wires and the key in the ignition and then followed her home to ensure she got home safety. That Monarch spent as much time at the dealership as it did in our house… finally got rid of it when the dealership couldn’t fix it. My wife decided on the Honda Accord, and we never had any problems with any of our Hondas over then next 40 years.
Never ?
I bought one brand new off show room floor in 1978 got a great deal because of the options it had it was a base 4 Dr bench seat 250 ci 6 and the killer was a floor mounted factory 4 speed fun to drive car
Stick this thing then a small bumper Maverick in a wind tunnel and discover how (not) advanced the mid seventies box designs that Ford and Chrysler were selling were (not).
I’m a “Ford guy” but this era of Ford design has always hurt my eyes big time.
These were bad enough but the horrible cow catcher locomotive front ends on Torinos and Thunderbirds were even more gruesome.
Yeah… “beauty in the eye of the beholder” applies to cars of this era…
But I’ve always been beholden to sleek design instead of boxes on wheels with Landau roofs, giant bumpers and opera windows.
Lee Iocca saved Chrysler with a front drive, VW derived drivetrain that was at least 70% less boxy than a Cordoba and managed to sell a lot more of those K cars and Rabbit sized cars even after ditching the Fine Corinthian Leather.
I had a 1968 Torino gt 390 4 speed great car bought it new than 2 kids and house traded for new first year 1970 Merrick 200 ci 6 3 on the tree another great car also bought new a1978 Granada 4dr 250 ci 6 4 speed on the floor fantastic car and fun to drive back than Ford was trying to look like a caddy servile
I had a 1968 Torino gt 390 4 speed great car bought it new than 2 kids and house traded for new first year 1970 Merrick 200 ci 6 3 on the tree another great car also bought new a1978 Granada 4dr 250 ci 6 4 speed on the floor fantastic car and fun to drive back than Ford was trying to look like a caddy servile
I had it’s Mercury Monarch twin, but with the six cylinder, as a mail car in the Midwest. Great job on the country route. Gravel roads, fording creeks, rain, sleet, snow. Wish I had it back. Did an LP conversion. Always ran great.
Nice Granada. I have a black 1976 2 door Granada out in the garage with a factory 302, 4 speed. Mine looks great with the Magnum 500’s on it. Always gets a lot of lookers at the shows. Marti report on mine says it’s 1 of 504. I enjoy it but I know it’s never going to be worth much. I am saving the pictures of the exhaust on this one because it looks like a real clean install. When and if I get around to putting a stainless-steel set of shorty headers on mine, I could show it to the muffler shop doing the exhaust. It’s great to just see and get ideas off some of the stuff you see here on Barn Finds. Thanks BF for all the interesting cars you feature.
I had a ’75 Granada light green. I’ve always loved the light blue. 302 cu auto with all the options. Bucket seats. Lots of power. I loved it. I gave it to my son. Big mistake. He thought it could fly over the hills. Rough landings. Wish I was still driving it.
I had a Granada for one of the demos I was given as a salesperson during the early 80’s. It was the worst driving of any of the cars I was offered to use at the time. It felt like it wouldn’t track straight. Maybe it was the alignment but it was brand new. Loved when I got a Fairmont with the rack pinion steering. Never lent the salespersons Mustangs.
I’ve always liked these, It has a 302 from the factory. Lots of things can be done to the little 5.0. Perfect Sleeper.
Compared to what is currently out there for sale, this looks a very good buy for a classic car cruiser. Indestructible 302, well optioned for the day,,low mileage, and a rust free body?? Absolutely! Some dealer would have for sale for about 15k in my area. Nice, smooth 70’s cruiser here that you can fix yourself, parts are cheap, and will turn more heads than the 600 pound fat couple in their never to be off roaded 150 thousand dollar Land Rover.
$15k??? I can’t even sell my old Porsche for next to nothing and almost have to pay someone to buy my old Lotus, and you think someone will pay $15k for an old Granada?? What planet is this on??
most on this site i think are about my age late 70s now i bought a new Granada in 1978 great car and would think about this one for around 12k now a old porsche or lotus could not give them to me for free if they where in my yard they would go to the scrap yard we all like different cars for different reasons
Easy to explain. This is a nice, low mileage car that seems to be in excellent condition.
An old Porsche or Lotus in this condition would cost a LOT more, and would also me more expensive and difficult to maintain.
This is a car the new owner can buy and enjoy without doing a lot of work and sourcing hard to find parts first. It’s also much easier to work on.
You’re right about parts being reasonably priced unless you need a set of taillights, and most people do because the plastic that holds the light bulbs in just falls apart. A few years back I scored a set of brand new taillights still in the boxes. I’ll not bother to tell you what they cost but they wasn’t cheap by no means. But they solved my problems.
This is my dads car! It’s a sweetheart could not find a better example of a ford Granada, beautiful chrome work, flawless original interior and has been kept garaged since new. With just 24k original miles it’s as close to showroom mint as you can get. Sounds and runs beautiful with the dual exhaust with turbo mufflers just a really nice driving cruiser :)
Underwhelming is an overstatement regarding these and their Mercury stable mate the Monarch
Hello mudda, hello fadda,
here I am at
Camp Granada.
i remember that song lol
I would love to own this car! Unfortunately the money is not there to spend on my affliction ( cars,auto parts signs, antique parts)
My dad had a Station wagon version of the Granada and my mom drove the Fairmont station wagon, both were the same color both had the same engine and both were absolutely trouble free! They may not have been the most desirable cars on the road but as I said definitely dependable and my parents bought both cars on the same day and paid cash for them! There were no loans on them and that made them more attractive!
An uncle bought two door Mercury Monarch the year I start driving and my dad had a 73’ Grand Prix which wasn’t the 69’-72 but still a great personal luxury car. So I drive the monarch to my uncle’s and dad’s waiting for me in the Grand Prix. When I got in the GP after driving the Monarch I felt the difference immediately. GP felt like a luxury sports car high above the monarch. My uncle used to always say to talk your dad into getting a monarch. Yea right when I had GP anytime I wanted it but I would say no cause you already have one, anything that wouldn’t hurt his feelings. He said so look how many families drive chevys or fords.