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Paw Paw’s Granada: 1978 Ford Granada

This is one nice looking 1978 Ford Granada. I like it even more because the owner is a veteran who is in a VA hospital and his son is selling it on Craigslist for him. It can also be found on the CL archive when the link goes away. It’s located in Salem, Virginia and they’re asking what seems like a very reasonable $1,400. Thanks to Doug M. for sending in this tip!

It’s hard to tell the overall condition because most of the photos are cut off but when you string them together it looks like a nice car, certainly worth $1,400! Or it seems like to me, maybe not to NADA which lists a high-retail value of $1,575. This car isn’t perfect of course, you can see some tone differentiation in the paint and a few scratches here and there but I don’t see any rust and there isn’t any mention of rust. The Granada got rectangular headlights starting in 1978 as part of a mid-cycle refresh. I can go either way but I typically prefer round headlights unless it’s a 1980s car. I know, don’t ask.

The seller says that this is a “2 owner car with 75,000 miles” and that it’s his dad’s car. His dad is at a VA hospital and it’s maddening to me that he even has to mention this, but he says, “NO SCAMMERS PLEASE. THIS CAR IS PERSONAL.” If that doesn’t frost your shorts. Here’s this gentleman who served his country and his son has to say that. We all know that #$%! scammers could care less about anything but getting money out of people. Sigh.

Back to this white over red Granada. You can see a couple of cracks in the dash top and a dirty arm rest, but otherwise it looks like a nice car inside, too. It’s hard to beat a red interior especially when it’s in a cool 1970s pattern!

The engine looks cleaner than I thought it would, that’s always a good sign, isn’t it? And no red hoses! Bonus points. This is Ford’s 4.1L or 250 cubic-inch inline-six with 97 hp and 210 ft-lb of torque. With a 15.5-second 0-60 time it isn’t a fast car but I’m betting that it’s a nice highway car or commuter. Have any of you owned a ’78 Granada?

Comments

  1. Avatar John T.

    Message on Craigslist: This posting has been deleted by its author.
    Sold Already? $1400?? What a Bargain!!!

    Like 8
  2. Avatar Beatnik Bedouin

    While my preference is for a two-door and a V8, this looks like an excellent entry-level collectable or addition to someone’s collection.

    It would be nice if the next owner keeps in touch with the owner’s son, so that he knows his dad’s car is being looked after. I’ve done the same with the previously-mentioned one-owner Honda Cub in my collection that came out of the original owner’s estate.

    His adult son was in tears when I loaded the bike on the back of my friend’s pick up, and I made sure that he knew that I had the Li’l Honda running and back on the road the following morning, kept him informed as to what I had done to the machine, and often thanked him for the opportunity to be its next caretaker.

    Like 18
  3. Avatar Dave, SA

    Had the 250 straight six in the early to mid seventies Australian Falcons. With a dual exhausts and extractors they sounded like a 302.

    Like 0
  4. Avatar Fred W

    My parents had the identical car, except it was a loaded Ghia with V-8. I remember thinking it was a nice handling , peppy ride. I would have hated it with a six.

    Like 1
  5. Avatar Troy s

    Sign of the times, big contrast between this and, say, that green ’70 Thunderbird a few days ago. Still not a bad looking car though.
    I don’t know how much quicker the 302 would have been or if they even came with the 351, but even those would’ve been taxed heavily, just not quite as bad as the straight 6. Nice big pile of trash on the passenger floor by the way.😐

    Like 0
  6. Avatar mrgreenjeans

    I have a ’77 2 door Ghia with a 351 Windsor and auto in metallic bronze … as well as an ’80 with a 250 – 6 cyl. auto in a light powder blue. Both low mile one owners wearing color keyed styled steel wheels. They ARE nice cars but taken in the context of ’70s-’80s car building malaise seen across the board for American built autos.
    I often wonder what niche these will play in the context of car collecting…. slim to none is my guess. But it is refreshing to see a well kept example come to the forefront and make folks reminisce every now and then

    Like 6
  7. Avatar Bob C.

    I had a 1975 GranAda with a 302. It was fairly quick, considering it only had 122 net horsepower.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar jdjonesdr

    I had one as a company car back in the day. Comfortable criuser, but you could put it in drive and go back in the House to get your coffee before it would start moving.

    Like 2
  9. Avatar chad

    “Have any of you owned a ’78 Granada?”
    No but:
    Yes, got a ‘similar’ 250/4.1L in my 1st gen Bronco (never came w/1.)
    Don’t write the 6 cyl out, lotta tq @ v e r y low revs…
    Forget HP (to me) tq & ‘power to weight’ R where it’s @.

    Like 1
  10. Avatar newfieldscarnut

    His Dad saw it posted and made his son pull the ad . His son hasn’t been seen since .

    Like 1
    • Avatar theGasHole

      LOL, good one

      Like 0
  11. Avatar Reg Bruce

    In 1978 I rented one of these (with 900 miles on it) from Hertz in L.A. and set off with the wife and kids to see America by driving through various states with a final destination of Ohio.
    Absolutely, definitely, positively the worst car I’ve ever driven! The driver’s seat belt retracting mechanism failed before I even got out of California. The A/C compressor literally blew apart somewhere in the middle of Texas and caused a small engine compartment fire due to the refrigerant oil hitting the exhaust manifold. Luckily, I always travel with a small fire extinguisher. Must have had a premonition. I managed to cut-off the drive belt and continue. No serpentine belts in those days.
    In Aspen Colorado the kids started to complain that the rear seat was getting hot and smelling. They were right. This car did not have the high altitude package and the carburetor was delivering such a rich mixture that the catalytic converter was totally glowing red when I pulled off the road to investigate. I managed to pull up the rear seat cushion and remove its smoky-smelling underlay material and I’ve often wondered how much further the car could have gone before the seat caught fire. Turned around and went very gingerly back to a lower altitude.
    Then the last straw. In Nashville Tennessee the transmission started to slip in all gears except reverse. I nursed it all the way to Ohio but when I reached the Hertz depot to turn the car in, the transmission actually couldn’t make it up the ramp to the parking area and the car had to be pushed by their staff to its final resting place!
    Never again have I even entertained the idea of renting — let alone buying — a Ford.
    Sorry, Ford fans but this car was is one bad memory that won’t ever leave me.
    RB

    Like 2
    • Avatar Mike R

      I understand. I’ve been a Ford Guy forever, but one bad experience is enough .. I had two bad experiences with Chrysler’s Mitsubishi models. Why two? Well, my father helped my wife and I buy one, and we figured we couldn’t get fooled twice. Boy, were we wrong..

      Like 0
  12. Avatar Barry Klotz

    Yes, I have owned a 1979 Granada. Loved that car very much. It gave me great years of service . I put almost 150 miles a day on that Granada. It had a. 250 c.i. six under the hood. No problem driving it every day. Thanks Barry .

    Like 0
  13. Avatar Derek

    My great aunt bought a new Granada in 1977. Loved driving that car. Had the 302 and handled great. Was comfy and solid and quiet. Loved the color too was grey with red interior.

    Like 0

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