Ford Granada: The American Mercedes of the 1970’s

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

If you are a fan of Ford porducts Check out the Ford Playlist kzbin.info/aero/PL605A953806019984

[@magerted64]

I had a 1976, passed down from my dad. 302 v8, got very close to 30 mpg and could get it to 120mph. I could squeeze 7 people in it until i broke the springs. Had a lot of good times in that car.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Awesome thanks for sharing!

[@Stangmaster]

Nice "story."

[@1ufcfanatic795]

All I remember my dad saying about his ‘76 Grenada was “it accelerates really good going down hill.”

[@mikeperry6794]

The Ford was much cheaper to fix than Mercedes.

[@tonywhite8730]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@wesdoobner7521]

yes, they went downhill fast

[@1aikane]

My family had a 1977 Granada with the 302 V8. That car was very fast!

[@brianfisher4940]

For a mid price Ford and Mercury there was something refreshing about them for the times. They were comfortable, roomy and quiet.

[@The4preston]

As someone who learned how to drive with his dad's 1978 Mercury Monarch, I have to respectfully disagree. They were comfortable, roomy and quiet, but try steering one. They were ok to drive at low speeds in city traffic. But if you want to see your life flash before your eyes take one out on the highway. Chronic over steer and stability problems. Also had a nasty habit of stalling at traffic lights. I am nostalgic about many things, but the car I drove as a teenager is not one of them.

[@Atomwaffen-y3s]

Yeah.. let's put opera windows on a 💩box!

[@trainglen22]

How I wish that Ford had a decent 2 and 4 door like the 1978 Granada ESS now instead of the SUV'S they are selling at the local dealerships.

[@ohger1]

The Fusion was a pretty decent car but didn't sell well. From 2017 to 2020 sales dropped in half. Right now, SUVs and pickemups are where it's at. That may change in the future as tastes change.

[@danielcapalbo5293]

Yeah I know, tell me about it.

[@jimlubinski4731]

@@ohger1 Sure hope it changes in the future!

[@MarkStebbins-xx7ee]

My dad had a 1977, Ford, Granada, 250 inline 6, 4 spd. My mom had a 1975, Mercury, Monarch, inline 6, automatic. Both were good cars. I wish they would bring them back.

[@Snake-ms7sj]

back in the early 1990's, my sister was looking for a used car and I found a mint used 1976 2 door Ghia at a dealer in Pennsylvania. White with light blue vinyl roof and interior. Had the 302 in it. Had something like 52k miles on it. I drove it from the dealer in Pennsylvania to upstate New York where she lived and it drove excellent. She was really pleased with that car, but unfortunately had it less than a year as some idiot in a U-haul not paying attention rear ended her and totaled it. What a shame.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing!

[@johnireland6301]

Ford collector and stock holder. The Granada and Monarch sold well and were good looking. I wish Ford would have added a few more gauges apart from a fuel gauge.

[@Troy_nov1965]

That was my biggest compliant about the Granada /Monarch . The dash and gauge layout was horrid. All the fake wood did not help it a all. Should have had a dash and options like the Tbird, but i know they were trying to be cheap with the them and it showed in that dash.

[@milfordcivic6755]

The Lincoln Continental never had more than a speedo and fuel gauge.

[@The4preston]

@@Troy_nov1965 Granada/Monarch compensated for the lack of gauges with a series of warning lights for oil, engine, etc. They were situated in the bottom left hand corner of the dash and hard to spot. Some people actually preferred them to the gauges because the lights were viewed as more modern and state of the art. Ah, the '70s.

[@DUCKSAREEVILLLLLLLL]

@@The4preston The oil pressure dummy light should read "JUNK ME".

[@williamdavis8161]

Drove my 78 coupe on a 6k mile trip last year. It did great!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

That is awesome! That's my kind of trip! I did a 6K trip in a 77 Maverick last year. It's on the channel. Thanks for watching!

[@miguelescobedo2837]

My parents had a beautiful 1976 dark green Monarch. I loved that car and wish I could get one today.

[@jcuprisi]

The Granada-Monarch-Versailles were the last vehicles to use the original 1960’s Falcon platform that became the Mustang through 1973 and later Mavericks and Comets. It was the final evolution of that platform. Refined and improved over its nearly 30 year lifetime. For a long time it was not uncommon to swap the 4-wheel disc setup into early mustangs.

[@neilouellette3004]

My 1980's girlfriend of 4 yrs, her mother had a 1977 Granada Ghia Coupe w/the 250 flat six. Car was nice looking w/unreal reliability. She drove that car up to her passing away around 2010.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

That is impressive! Thanks for sharing!

[@Doc1855]

The Ford inline 6cyl engines were bulletproof. I had 2 F150s with the 4.9L inline 6cyl. I put over 500K miles on my 82 and almost 700K on my 96.

[@d.e.b.b5788]

Wow! a '77 Granada with a flat six! Must have been a great competitor for the Porsches!

[@DUCKSAREEVILLLLLLLL]

@@d.e.b.b5788 You moron, these were cheap transportation for workers, not cocaine sniffing yuppies.

[@RockandrollNegro]

I had a 1982 Granada 4 door with the 250 I6, and it was still running in 2012. I sold it to a young guy that needed a car and didn't have much money. The air conditioning still worked! Only thing I ever did was replace the heater core.

[@tallpaul9475]

1978 two door white w/blue half vinyl roof, blue interior, inline six cylinder. Miss that car, and the grandpa that drove it.

[@Helm-w1q]

Bet you miss Grandpa the most. Stop a minute, look up and say ,Hi Grandpa. Wait wait a minute and listen. You know the sound of his voice, listen you will hear him say Hi.

[@tallpaul9475]

That is absolutely true, he was a very good person. @@Helm-w1q

[@marcomoreno8188]

@@tallpaul9475 Just like my Dads '72 coupe deville. I miss the car and m.j ore of my Pop. Hes gone since 2019. Im from South side of Chicago.

[@PInk77W1]

In the late 70s These cars were everywhere. Tons of sales

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Agreed and that's why all of those in the comments section that are doubting or making fun of the market campaign (there are plenty) don't understand marketing.

[@PInk77W1]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs I just remember seeing them everywhere when I was a teen

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

@@PInk77W1 That's because they were everywhere. Ford sold a TON of these cars over their short run.

[@PInk77W1]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs Yeap I remember seeing 5-10 a day as a teen

[@TheDumpbin]

Just proved how bad a taste in cars the 50 to 70 somethings that bought these had. Just pure junk, from when they left the factory.

[@andrewwasson6153]

My best friend in high school had a black 77 2 door Granada. It had a 302, 4-speed (4th was O/D). It was a fast car. Not quick off the line but fast and it handled fairly well. It would slide & drift predictably. He put true dual exhaust on it. We should have improved the carb and intake. It had the factory 2 barrel. That was a really nice car.

[@tcrutch65]

I remember that commercial comparing it to a Mercedes. I Dad bought one silver on red. I felt cool in it

[@jchapman8248]

Back in 1979, I bought a 1977 four door Ford Grenada, small V-8 (my first car). It was two toned. It had a metallic gold body with a cream colored vinyl top with a cream colored interior. It had a great smooth ride. It glided on the highway and was fast.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing

[@cossieboa5717]

The European Granada was a real Mercedes competitor

[@marguskiis7711]

not much...

[@scrambler69-xk3kv]

We just knew we would hear that oh ours was better crap. Never fails we are so superior. Gets damned old. We do just fine over- hear, thank you.

[@d.e.b.b5788]

What drugs are you on? I want some!

[@bobuncle8704]

Had a Granada. Solid reliable car.

[@TheRedRocket]

This is a good film on the Granada, Tony. Thank you. I was a mechanic at Foothill Ford in California at the time the Granada was selling. I remember that the body and coachwork were pretty solid, but the engines were choked with emissions equipment like air pumps and cat converters (which were new at the time). Those motors used to wheeze and had poor drive-ability. These cars were popular with the double-knit leisure suit crowd. They definitely weren't in the same class as a Mercedes, but like you said, they cost 1/3 the price.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for the kinds words and for watching. It took all the manufacturers a few years to figure out how to build an engine that could deliver power, drivability, while running clean.

[@williampetsch1244]

Loved this video on the Granada. I picked one up in Colorado two years ago for under $700 bucks. 2dr with the 250 4.1 inline 6It hadn’t been started for awhile and radiator has a slight leak. Motor just purrs so smooth. After two years I finally had it shipped to my home in Minnesota after sitting outside the whole time. after jumping the battery it started right up and just runs so smoothly. No rust on the car the landau roof has dry rotted away and the headliner needs to be replaced but the car is basically all original and fun to drive

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

$700 is an awesome price for a rust free running car! Great find!

[@johnmaki3046]

These actually were GREAT Ford products and GREAT American vehicles!

[@Freedonone]

Had new two door 1977. Green on Green. It was the only car I'd ever ordered to spec. I don't recall any issues with that car. Today I drive the Lincoln navigator. They've come a long way in the past 40 years. 'When better cars are built....Ford will build them"

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for watching and for sharing your experience!

[@delrayshaffer6376]

Always preferred the round headlight earlier models compared to the rectangular later models. They looked classier.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I would agree with you on the headlights. I think the square ones were brighter and that's why there was the switch.

[@markohara6855]

My Mom and Dad bought a new 77 Granada 2 door with the 250 engine and auto trans. I got my drivers license that year and that car really took a beating! Great car. It was a cream color with matching landau top. I drove it to senior prom. My tux and my girlfriends dress was same color as the car. 😊 Nice job on the video.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing and for the kind words!

[@johnmaki3046]

These were WINNERS!

[@turnne]

When I was a child my parents had a Granada and a Versailles.

[@johnmaki3046]

As a NON-Ford person; I can say, after owning two (beaten) examples, THESE WERE GREAT OLD CARS! Great gas mileage, good workmanship, good day-to-day rides ANYWHERE!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Maybe one of these days Ford can win you over. :) Thanks for watching!

[@louislepage5111]

I remember seeing these things everywhere !!!!!😊

[@touncyTB]

my mom had one a '77, in '79 had a nice set of brushed aluminum slot wheels/tires, asked her if i could put them on for her, they were nice... she said 'yes' ..she loved those wheels... really made the cream granada 'pop'.. she eventually went lincolns as she got older... last thing she told me "my slot wheels were my favorite gift 'I' ever received." she called them her "slots" kept 'em spotless, whole car ...they were on my '73 grabber orange/white stock maverick, put factory's back on when selling

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

That's pretty awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[@touncyTB]

not exactly intentional, bought the car 2 yrs earlier, but the year the bucs went worst 2 first.. playoffs after an 0-26 start.. everyone wanted that car.. got an offer i could not refuse ...regret it to this day tho

[@Joe-cu4hi]

My dad bought a new 1975 Granada 4 door Ghia. I still recall people rubbernecking to see it and several even asked to look inside. Our barber came out and sat in it. I say one a few years ago and the owner allowed me to sit in it. I’m 6’ 165 lbs and it felt SO small, I scratched my head wondering how we all fit in it? We were 4 kids mom and dad 😂 thank you for sharing brought back happy memories

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for sharing your story!

[@Maddyswalk]

There's NO Way a Granada or even Any Ford product including Lincoln at the time that can compare in Any Way to the engineering and build quality of Mercedes at the time. WOW.

[@ericbitzer5247]

My first car was the 76 Mercury Monarch. I loved that car, but it was no Mercedes.

[@timothyharrison8953]

The first car I owned was a 1975 4 door Ghia. White with turquoise top and interior. 302, auto, AM/FM stereo, and AC. This was the end of 1982. My dad got it for me, as I was fresh out of basic training for the Air Force and needed transportation. He bought it for $500. It had a tick over 100k miles, ran okay, and looked fair. I drove it for the next three years, replaced the vinyl top, rebuilt the transmission, and got $1000 in trade on a new Ford Escort in 1985.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing!

[@steppen10]

I inherited my Dad's 77 Granada in 1987 after he passed away. My Mom guilted me into taking it and both of my brothers were smarter than I was and declined to take it. It was the money pit of my life. I was more than a little happy when I finally got rid of it. I can still feel the brakes pulling to the left to this day; a feeling that no Ford dealer was ever able to fix.

[@DUCKSAREEVILLLLLLLL]

If the car went a decade with no one bleeding them, ANY car's brakes could fail. I also find it very odd that they couldn't fix pre ABS brakes. Those must have been the most incompetent shops in the world. Please give us their names so we can avoid them. Thanks.

[@towgod7985]

Really well done video! No stupid humour, was just about the cars. THAT, was a refreshing change from other car channels. Cheers.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you very much! I hope you subscribed as there are plenty of other videos like this one on the channel.

[@Doc1855]

My best friend growing up, her parents owned 3 of them and they got better fuel economy with the 302 V8 than the original 6cyl . So on their 3rd one was another 302

[@OldRustySteele]

That’s not surprising. The Ford in-line 6 cylinder engines were reliable, but not very fuel efficient or zippy. My dad had a ‘75 Granada with the 302 V8 and traded it in 5 years later for an ‘80 Granada with the 250 6-cylinder. The ‘75 was a better car than the ‘80. The 302 V8 was really the best choice for the Granada.

[@Doc1855]

@@OldRustySteele The 302 is a Great engine for many Ford models. I’ve had a couple of F150s with the 4.9L (300 inline 6cyl) were Super Reliable, a LOT of low end Torque, which is why I ordered them that way. And I’ve had a few F150s with the 302 (5.0L) V8, One with a 351 and another one with a 390. I got more trouble free mileage from the 4.9L, Inline 6cyl. It’s really too bad that Ford stopped producing them.

[@OldRustySteele]

Hi Doc! Yes that 300 cid (4.9 L) inline 6 was a dependable workhorse. A fine engine. My dad was a FORD guy and had that engine in his last F-150. He had 2 other F-150’s before that one, both with a 302 V8. He was disappointed by the gas mileage of the 6 banger, and I had told him even before buying it to stick to the V8. I’m an engineer and knew that big 6 was designed for low end torque, not for fuel economy. My dad was retired and had 40 acres in rural Missouri, but didn’t need a heavy duty truck and mainly used it for light hauling and driving to the nearest Walmart, so for him the 302 was a better engine. He made the same mistake on his second Granada, too. He thought fewer cylinders automatically meant better gas mileage. Pop was a bit hardheaded especially later in his life and the more I tried to convince him that the V8 was the better choice, the less he listened! (BTW, My adult sons say that about me, now, but I vehemently deny it! 😂).

[@Doc1855]

@@OldRustySteele I’m a Ford guy myself. In fact we’ve got an old Ford Ranger pickup that we mainly use for work around our property. I was thinking about buying a new F150 4WD XL to put a snow plow on (we live on a private road and get 5-7 feet of snow every winter), but I about fell over when I saw the price. I just wanted a barebones truck with the 302, but in order to get the 302, you have to buy other packages with it. So we’ll just keep using our Ranger. Yes we tend to get a little headstrong as we age. What do the kids know nowadays anyway 😂. My dad was a mechanical engineer. I know how things work, but my passion was psychology and abnormal psychology. I did well for my wife and family in that field. I retired early so now I just work our property and have become a house husband. My wife still works as she’s a bit younger than me. Enjoy your day! Doc

[@keeganandersson4281]

The 6 cylinders were laughably anemic, so you really needed to mash the pedal to get the car to accelerate at all. Of course when you do that, you guzzle gas. The V8, while nothing special at all, at least had enough juice to get the car moving without putting the pedal through the floor

[@413x398]

I had no idea there was a 351 available in this model. I don't think I've ever seen one. Can you imagine a 351 ESS? My new quest!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Best of luck to you sir! Thanks for watching!

[@demonorse]

My dad had one, the "ghia" version with a 302. I just got my license and drove it a couple times.

[@howardp924]

Parents had the Mercury equivalent the Monarch. It was a 2 door and had a 302. It was heavily optioned. It was a great high school date car in'78.

[@newedge2001-z5d]

Growing up, i think every grandma in the neighborhood owned one of these. The last one i road in was that baby blue color. Can't remember what year. Hell Tony, i don't know if your making feel old or young again but i love the content.Thx man!😁

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Same story with me. I more than a few rides homes from the mall in the back seat of those cars before i could legally drive. Thanks for watching Daryl!

[@scottstallings5029]

GREAT CHANNEL!! THANK YOU 😊

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for the kind words and for watching!

[@welleffitthen]

Great video, these cars were everywhere mid 70s on, neighbors had one I swear had a 4 speed manual on the floor. Great cars and affordable for the time.

[@MegaRetr]

Wow such a informative video😊 thanks a lot

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for the kind words and for watching!

[@OathTaker3]

I totally miss my 1977 Granada Ghia 4 door, V8, with the BBS style rims & power everything (pictured @ 4:41) I eventually passed it to my Sister who unfortunately didn't drive very well. I must say I drove it hard at that time (17) but it was always reliable & after a few years it only needed a alternator, brakes & battery, not bad at all, they sure don't build them like they used to.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Very cool and I think a majority of young men back then were hard on cars. Thank you for watching!

[@benjaminwilliams3568]

I agree.

[@dannysdailys]

When I was a kid, my family was involved in a boating emergency. (we survived and so did the boat) And we had to rent a car to drive us home and my Dad got a Brown and Tan Granada 4 door super luxury edition with a V-8. I got stuck driving it and was really impressed with the car. They fell out of favor quickly and I never got a chance to buy one. But the one we had, was a very nice car.

[@peterruddick1952]

I've always been a GM guy (until recently), but I always liked the Ford Granada and its concept and execution. But it never got the respect it deserved.

[@keeganandersson4281]

One thing they could have done with this car that would have made it far better imo was put the Cologne V6 in it instead of either of the American I6’s. That V6 had smaller displacement and was super compact, more fuel-efficient, yet more powerful than both

[@richceglinski7543]

Not one prospective Mercedes customer was fooled into buying a Granada as an equivalent car.

[@MichaelSellers5691]

I have owned many Mercedes vehicles. But I’ve never owned a Ford vehicle.

[@jasontomica8938]

Exactly and what an embarrassing Ford vehicle

[@tonywhite8730]

That was such a funny thing Ford did

[@floydmarseeii4007]

I’ve owned two Granada Gihas. A 1977 2dr 302, and a 1980 2dr 250 inline 6. I would love to find another one, with the 4spd option, and put a nice hot 351w in it. Great video, thanks for sharing. These cars were basically a rebodied 67-70 Mustang coupe, but with better brakes. I’ve used several front brake systems from Granadas to upgrade the brakes systems on first generation Mustangs and Mavericks.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Very nice!

[@travislostaglia8861]

I would say better handling to I have a 78 Granada with the HD handling option and it has a bigger front sway bar than my brother’s 73 Mach 1 with the competition suspension

[@ohiodave54]

my mom had a '76 granada ghia 4-door. 302, floor shift auto., console, buckets, 4 wheel disc brakes. came with a traction lock rear axle that we did not order. silver, silver vinyl roof, burgundy leather interior. it was a cruiser.

[@glx68]

Hi I'm from Germany. In 1976 my father bought a Mercury Monarch Ghia. Only a few over 50 cars were ever sold in Germany. Looking back that was a very exclusive buy. It had the legendary 351 cui V8/5,8 litre V8. It was a very reliable, quiet and comfy car. And if you drove it adequately it had also a good mileage. This vid's a nice reminder for me; thank you so much!😊

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for your comment and for watching!

[@TheREALOC1972]

These mid late 70's cars are making a HUGE comeback since Covid, My best friend has a 2 door 77 Granada that he's been driving since spring, I just bought a 76 Nova, one of the young 20's something at work has a 78 Volare Sport. I'm noticing a bunch more at cars and coffee's and local car shows too, one of the guys in Car club has a 74 or 75 Malubu that he just finished.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I would agree and I think it's because most of the cars from the 60's are getting to pricey. Thanks for watching!

[@TheREALOC1972]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs Yep, I was going to say that, Alot of them started out as cheap projects to have something to tinker with while everything was locked down and it just grew from there.

[@brucetifer]

We had a 75 Granada. It was my wife’s when I met her. We drove that thing into the ground. And I’ve been driving fords ever since.

[@BobNSuch]

I had a 1978 4-dr white Granada. It was my first car and what I loved about it was how much extras you got with the car compared to other models in its class.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

It certainly provided a lot for not a lot of money. Thanks for watching!

[@brianjensen7985]

I had a 1979 Granada I bought used in 1989. It was a pretty darn good car. Not sure why I got rid of it.

[@Maddyswalk]

There Isn't any way Shape or Form in the Universe that the Granada could EVER be compared to ANY Mercedes at that time...I grew up in the 70's..and knew the difference. WOW Really.🙄😳😆

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

You would have to talk to Ford's marketing team as they did it constantly. That might be difficult as most of them are no longer with us.

[@rafaelm.2056]

I remember my uncle having a 1979 Granada. It was like sitting in an old fashioned bathtub. The suspension was really stiff and the car rattled, just like most Fords at the time. The Fox body wasn't any better. I recall the dash on the Fairmont rattled horribly when going over rough roads. The Fox body LTD appeared to have cured this by adding an additional support member in the middle.

[@AdvantureRoad]

Had a 78 4 door in brown as my first car way back in 94. It was a solid and reliable car. Of course, as a young man in a rural community I HAD to have a pickup. Looking back now, I wish I had that car back

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing your experience with the Granada.

[@barryspaar3538]

My driver's ed car was a 76 Monarch 4 door with a 351. My parents had a 71 Maverick 4 door and a 73 Pinto wagon at the time. In 1980, I bought a 77 Granada Ghia 2 door with a 302. You might say that I have a love for these cars. After selling the Pinto, my dad bought a used 78 Monarch with the 250 six. The Granada and Monarch (much like the Maverick/Comet) IMO were pretty reliable cars. Thanks for the video.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for sharing your memories, I am glad you enjoyed the video.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

I once read in Hemmings News that a Ford Granada or Mercury Monarch is a great collectible car. Parts are easy to find, and the article mentioned that it is so easy to work on that all you need are "tweezers and a screwdriver." A Granada/Monach taken to a car show or cruise night, will get loads of people swarming all around it reminiscing of the days when either they owned one, it was one of their parent's cars or someone else in the family had one at one time. Nice video on these famous American cars and thanks for sharing!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing and for the kind words. It is appreciated!

[@JoeyP322]

I bought a used ‘77 Granada in the late 80’s. Was in mint condition. Loved that car. Transmission failed out a little over 100k. I’d love to own one again

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Fortunately these are not popular among collectors and decent examples can be found in the southwest that are rust free at low prices.

[@michaelh3544]

My first car, 16 1/2 years old, so many good memories. It was very good to me .

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for watching and sharing your experience.

[@rob_v_nj]

We had 3 of these in my house when i started driving. Nice rides. They had the 302 with the C4 trans. I remember they used to eat the ignition module. We used to keep spares.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

All the Fords with the early electronic ignition did that. Spares for those run $12 on Rock Auto.

[@josephliptak3183]

Had the 1978 midnight blue 2 door with landau vinyl roof that was yellow, and pinstripes everywhere. Loved that car !! I wish I had it now. 250 1 barrel carb inline six!!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for watching!

[@johnsorensen3831]

Absolutely love your work!! I worked in the car business mid-seventies to late 1980. Your videos bring me back to probably the best time of my life. So thank you from the bottom of my heart and keep on doing such great work. 😁🏁

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Wow, thank you so much! I enjoy making these videos and hearing from people like you makes it much easier to keep pressing on.

[@johnsorensen3831]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs Thank you for your kind words. I’m a car guy through and through! Since 2000, I’ve had 62 different cars and trucks. I see you have a Mach1 in your garage. I too have a Mach1 in mine. It’s a 2004 Mach1 In competition orange with 20,000 miles on it. It’s my third Mach 1 of the same body style. Probably much like you I’m a Ford guy! I’ve had quite a few GM products, but I am blue oval all the way! How do you know so much about Ford products? I’d be curious to know. Anyway, it’s getting towards bedtime, so thank you again for your excellent work! 🚗 🏎️

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

@@johnsorensen3831 I had a an 03 Mach 1 which was also white. As to my knowledge of Ford Products. I've been around Fords all of my life. I have owned north of 500 cars and trucks in my lifetime. Most of those were Fords. Of course there is a lot I'm still learning and I pick up a few things with each and every video. Ford's has a really good achieve that is open to the public. I use that when I'm preparing a video and I read the magazine reviews of the car I'm looking at making a video for.

[@IndyBatman]

Between my dad, myself and my brothers, we had 4 Granada's, Monarch's back in the early 80's

[@rbcrain2469]

Hi Tony, I had a 1978 4 door Monarch Ghia black on black with red interior fully optioned except for sunroof and V8 . A real comfy cruiser.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing!

[@edmccandlish520]

Hey Tony !!!!! Thanks for this nice profile of the Granada. Such a forgotten and overlooked car in my opinion. Always enjoyed them. Have a 76' header panel as a wall hanger. So I guess I kind of have one 😅 keep the great content coming !!!👍

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Glad you enjoyed it. Someone somewhere wants that header panel. :)

[@MrJubileej]

The video was very interesting and very thorough. I didn't realize that it came with a manual transmission. My grandfather had a '76 Granada - the last car he owned before he passed away in 1983. It was a 4-door with auto transmission, gray exterior with red interior.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for the kind words and for watching.

[@nysavvy9241]

I purchased a white 1978 Granada coupe w green vinyl roof and seats in 1987. Had 50k miles with a straight 6. That car was so reliable, comfortable, solid, good on gas, and never stranded me. Owned it for 6 years.I miss that car.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Awesome thanks for sharing!

[@kevinducharme1263]

I lucked into a 1980 2 door Granada w/302, Auto, Aluminum rims, and centre console. the vinyl roof was complemented by a professionally installed sunroof that never leaked. as a college student in 1988, that thing saved me a ton of money on fuel. I sold it once I got done college. man, I miss that car.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing your story and for watching!

[@new2000car]

Great video, thanks! Truly a great car for an old person back then. The steering and handling was so unsporty. Fords always had a slower steering ratio, and having driven a few of these in the day, I think these actually cornered worse than the competition. I was driving one (a 79 baby blue two door, running an errand for a retiree) (at 16 years old) and went to make a sharp turn at 25 mph, and almost crashed. Tire squeal, leaning, no feel from the steering wheel, it was scary drama where other cars could handle it much better. I remember even the super soft Malibus of the day took that corner much better. Obviously I couldn't complain to anyone, had to keep the almost crash to myself.

[@d.e.b.b5788]

They were the downsized land yachts, for people who wanted better mileage ( say, 15mpg instead of their Buick 225's 6!). To me, it drove like a pig, but I was young and drove a Mustang. It was my father's first car with a/c, and for him, that was all it took. Looked nice in front of the house, and when my moms back went bad, we installed Recaro orthopedic seats and a nice console, and she loved it. No where near being anything like a Merc, but for an old American couple who just cruise the highways to visit relatives, it was a good car.

[@edpoe4622]

Now these "terrible" 70s cars are more in demand than these damn EVs!

[@roliepoliecolie2200]

Drove my Granny's old 78 4 door baby blue Granada along with my cousin Genise from Daytona to Sunnyvale, Ca back in 1986. I was 19 and she was 18, we slept in the car. We watched the fireworks in Tuscon then Phoenix as we were cruising by on I 10. It took $96 in gas, maybe 69c a gallon 😂

[@janetyurkin822]

We had a 76. It was a good car. We had it for 12 years.

[@oneninerniner3427]

The Granada was one car I never had and I had many. We used to trade a lot, somtimes several vehicles a year. Mid seventies through the eighties were the bane, uninspiring years for the auto industry in my opinion. Still interesting to go back to those times. Thanks for pulling that together Tony.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you sir for watching!

[@rudyring1197]

i had a 1975 Granada and which i had another one just like it.

[@penguinmaster7]

my grandmother had a white v8 granada. she drove that thing until it couldn't be fixed anymore. i miss that old car

[@bobgambill6495]

My mom and dad had one. I learned to drive on one it was actually a very good little sturdy car.

[@johnjones393]

Back in the early 90s I owned a 76 Granada sedan with the 302. It was rusted out but did the job as a winter beater. Got two years out of it before the transmission gave out. It wasn't a bad car, it started everyday and was comfortable.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I think that's all you can ask from a beater car.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

I had a six-cylinder, 1979 Mercury Monarch sedan as my first car. I purchased it used from a Hertz used car dealership in August 1980. Hertz gave it a one-year drive-train warranty. It went everywhere but straight. I was constantly taking it to Sears to have the steering aligned until finally the service manager told me these Granadas and Monarchs were near impossible to get the steering "just right." Otherwise, it was a pretty good first car with AC, an AM radio and no cruise control. I traded it in on a new 1983 Thunderbird in that year.

[@lookingthroughice7843]

My god i loved the Granada, that car was bullet proof. If i can find a decent shaped granada or monarch today i would by it and restore it. It's not a rocket and thats not what I'm looking for but i would drop a 5.0 in it and a automatic transmission only because of knee problems. 👍👍👍👍👍🍻

[@d.e.b.b5788]

Oh, go whole hog. Drop in a hot new engine with a sequential paddle shift trans, supercharge it, create the worlds best sleeper, and then take it out and shut down Corvettes, Astons, Jags, and Ferraris. No greater thrill, than seeing the look on your opponent's face when they lose to Grandma's car!

[@RoadRunnergarage8570]

My Aunt had a 75 then a 78 Granada... Very nice cars!!

[@kevincostello3856]

Just found youre channel, Subscribed Immediately!!! Being a lifelong Ford guy this is a glive fit so to speak. I vividly remember these cars growing up. Granada Ghia, Merc Grand Monarch Ghia then of course my personal favorite favorite the Versailles. If only they had the formal roof line like the 1980 Versailles did, might just might have had better sales. Ive alot of content here to view and thank you, outstanding work youve done here and please keep'em coming

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for the kind words and for subscribing! It is appreciated.

[@edwardcnnell2853]

I had a 1976 Mercury model of the Granada, the four door Monarch. 302Ci V8, 3 speed automatic transmission. It has a lot more bad than good. The good: A comfortable car especially on long trips. Handled well enough. Good trunk space. The bad: Poor quality control during production. Little things like left over fittings or such were left rattling around in the engine compartment. The dealer after several tries could not find and fix the clunking noise coming from the rear of the car. I finally crawled underneath and found that the shock mount brackets had not been torqued down and wrenched them tight. Very poor support from Mercury. Only two years after buying it the heater control valve in the engine compartment failed. Went to the dealer and they had discontinued making them. The hose fittings on the only one they had faced the wrong direction. I had to run an extra six feet of heater hose to make it loop around in the engine compartment and connect to the valve. The engine never ran right except for one short period. I had an intermittent engine knock especially at highway speeds. Only one dealer tuneup corrected it but that soon returned to the engine knock at the next scheduled maintenance. As an aside the tires were not Mercury / Ford's fault. They were the Firestone 500 which were found to be defective eventually resulting in a nationwide recall. I replaced all the 500s before the recall so I later got a set of new tires I kept in storage for future use. If I got one of those today I would replace the carburetor with and after market fuel injection system that are made to bolt onto the carburetor mount. That should get rid of the temperamental engine problems and make for a good ride. I and my wife divorced and she being a “new” person took the monarch because it was the latest year car we owned and it had been paid off early, no car payments. She later traded it in on a new Chevy Monza that was sitting on the lot from an apparent fail to complete the deal from the buyer. It had every option possible and paid full price. The Monarch was burning oil and rather than just poor cheap oil into it or fixing the problem she opted for a car payment on something that was new.

[@b58hustler71]

I bought a used 1976 Granada Ghia in 87 for a work vehicle. Had the 302 and buckets. A perfect car for driving from the south suburbs into Chicago on the Dan Ryan.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing

[@ryan07jeep]

“Yep it’s a Granada full of nuns!”- Dorthy Zbornak 😂

[@Ronn-p3r]

Hey Tony..the Lincoln Versailles video was awesome.thanks again Man.came by to see this video

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for watching! I hope you enjoyed this one too.

[@Ronn-p3r]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs Awesome stuff on this channel!! Right On Tony!!👍

[@Jgeneraledger23]

Fun, solid, reliable cars. Never had a bit of trouble with ours.

[@jlh4jc]

This was the first car I remember my Mom had. I remember it being a light blue color.

[@sombra6153]

Back when the Granada was first introduced, an uncle had a 74 Mercedes 280. It was a nice car and he always wanted to run it 90-100 mph on the backroads. I recall it handled great. So I thought the Granada being comparable to the 280 was cool. My dad did not seem inclined to want to buy one, however; and when I started reading magazine reviews, it was pretty clear they were not. I remembers the Versailles had four wheel disc brakes on a 9inch (?), but didn’t realize the Granada also had the option. The 4 speed OD was still pretty much the typical less than forward thinking Dearborn when the accountants got to rule the roost. Nevertheless they were incredibly popular and I wouldn’t necessarily turn down a two door today if the price was right, even if it was a 200/3 speed and hadn’t been wrecked. Just don’t see them today.

[@smellsuperb1]

Had a '76 coupe and a '77 four door. The 4-dr had oil pressure issues and couldn't do a highway trip without shutting off several times once you got back on city streets lol. But the AC was ice cold and i only paid $250 for it. Drove it for almost a year and sold it for the same $250.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

It sounds like you got a free ride out of the deal. I have always heard there are no free rides....

[@smellsuperb1]

I wouldn't say "free" lol, but I didn't put a dime into fixing it. Nice break even TBH.

[@lonnybush5612]

My first car in 1985 was a 79 Grenada with all the options. Unfortunately, 4 years later, I got rear-ended. Bent the frame. Totalled. A few years later, I bought a 1982. Loved both.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@edl617]

I had the 2 door with the 302. Nice riding car, 16 miles per gallon. Gas tank 15 usable gallons. . Refueling every 240 miles roughly.

[@JohnnyArtPavlou]

I probably already commented on this… My first car was a 1976 mercury monarch. I really like that car. I got that car in high school and I got it from very good price from her older woman down the street. It was a lot of fun. And completely unsexy.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for watching and some of us can easily overcome an unsexy car. :)

[@McRocket]

I really enjoyed this. You gave us all pertinent details without overwhelming us (I especially liked the sales figures). The video seemed much shorter than it actually was - a sure sign (imo) that it was enjoyable. Thank you. My thoughts after watching it: - I REALLY miss lean-looking cars with straight(ish) lines. Rather than the deformed, jelly bean cars of today. - I was impressed that they optioned four-wheel discs on it. - Man...did it sell a LOT. And I still am not entirely sure why. Any theories anyone? ☮

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you sir and thanks for watching!

[@Joe-cu4hi]

I was in Junior high when my dad bought the new 1975 Granada Ghia. It sold as I recall because it was beautiful and in a size that was kinda different and new. The interior was unmatched for the time, so much detail in a small package. Although the Torino was my favorite 😊

[@greatbasingoldrush]

Good job. Mom had one and i took good care of it for her for 20 years. 302 auto black on black maroon int.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@thomaspeacock7248]

I traded a '73 Pinto for a '76 Granada Ghia. I had specially ordered my Granada loaded up with a ton of options like the 4 wheel disc brakes, leather interior, 302 V-8, etc. The options alone cost an extra $2,000. It was lime green metallic with white half vinyl top, side moldings. List price was just over $7,000. But a big disappointment too. Mechanically, not a good purchase. I tried Ford again with the purchase of a new '79 Ford Fiesta 2 dr. The Fiesta was the best of the 3 but very much underpowered.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for watching. FYI that Fiesta had an engine in it that was almost twice the size of what was available in Europe. :)

[@thomaspeacock7248]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs I should’ve kept the Fiesta far longer than I did. I’d finished paying off the loan but let it go for a ‘84 Isuzu 4WD truck. The truck was a joke. I could not get it up to 55mph going downhill with the wind. I dumped it a year later but did not learn from that financial disaster because I bought an’85 Isuzu Impulse. Another bad decision.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

@@thomaspeacock7248 Sorry it worked out that way for you. I am working on a Fiesta video this weekend. Mostly because there are at least two people in my area that STILL drive them as fairly often. Neither are that nice but they still drive those cars. Lord knows how many miles are on those cars. I had to look into the history to see just how many were made and why they stopped importing that car. So far it's been a fun dig into history. Video should be out in a few weeks time.

[@Bobby-kp6ln]

I had an S code mercury monarch coupe with gold magnum style wheels and pinstripes. Loaded with options, recluning seats, console, ac cruise etc. HO 302

[@jeetime9436]

Dad had one. He was really proud. Remember him showing me that the car had FM and AM radio. He told me, "You normally only get AM but this car has FM, a really big deal." I was gobsmacked with awe. 2nd thing Dad did was tuck the safety belts in the back under the seat, those pesky things just get in the way of a comfortable ride. I remember standing on back hump between the seats when my mom hit the brakes, next thing I knew, I was kissing the windshield. Kind of like the ways cats or dogs will sit in the back window. A chubby, 40 pound 7 year old launched through the air, plunking on the front dash, looking at the car in front of us bumper sticker of "Have a Nice Day". Gollee, those were the days.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thing were very different back then.

[@wmkl000]

My mother purchased a 1975 Monarch Ghia 2dr with the 351V8. It was a torque monster, 1/4 throttle from a standing start would light the tires (she never knew). Of course we had to defeat the CA emission controls to get it to run right, the secret was drilling out the main jets slightly, suddenly it ran perfectly. Mileage was never great, 12-14mpg but it lasted over 150,000 with no failures at all. The biggest problem was the doors in the 2 door weighed hundreds of pounds and opening them when the car was facing uphill was a struggle! Ford succeeded in making a very upscale compact, not cheap though, her's stickered at over $6000 in 1975 dollars. Luckily it had been sitting on the lot for some time and she got it for considerably less.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing!

[@carlosg1165]

❤❤❤❤❤loved your channel Tony keep them coming 😊😊😊😊😊

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks so much