Ford Granada Tuning

"I'd catch a Granada for you..."

Square and very in your face the Granada was the bad boy of the Ford range most popular in the 1980's. It's getting hard to track one down now and is already regarded by enthusiasts as a classic.

The dreamy 2.3 litre engine positively purred when tuned properly. Handling modifications are usually your first port of call for the Granada. The car is quite heavy so it benefits from coil overs or at the least get adjustable shocks.

Drop the car optimally somewhere in the region of 35mm and fit stiffer dampers, bigger drops will need other modifications in most instances.

See our video which provides a complete introduction to Ford Tuning, it contains some tips on performance and handling modifications.

Turning our attention to the Granadas engine we need to get a bit more power out of the top end.

To be completely frank and honest, on the more modest engine sizes you are wasting your time spending money on modifications, so if this applies to you get yourself an engine swap to the 2.3 or the 2.8 then apply the following mods.

EngineTuning options.

The following mods are usually carried out by our members, decide how far you want to go before you begin.

For NA (naturally aspirated) engines please watch our video which covers the 5 principles of tuning your Granada. Be sure to keep up with our latest YouTube content and subscribe.

Best mods for your Granada

1. Engine Tunes - A Remapped Granada ECU provides the biggest gains for your investment, aftermarket ECUs, and Tuning boxes are all alternatives.
2. Intake Mods and Exhaust - Note that on their own these mods won't ADD PERFORMANCE in most applications, but they will enable you to lift power after other mods by lessening the restriction.
3. Lightened Flywheels - a lighter flywheel will noticably improve the engines free revving nature. In some cases flywheel lightening is not recommended for all Granada engines.
4. Granada Suspension - Replacing worn bushings and shocks dramatically improves Granada handling Poly Bushes and Coilovers are typically fitted to achieve this
5. Fast road Camshafts are generally the biggest mechanical mod upgrade, but ideally be installed by someone who knows what they are doing and you might struggle to find one but you might have a local firm to regrind a stock camshaft .
6. Internal engine mods - crank, pistons, conrods & compression ratio including balancing and blueprinting
7. Brake Upgrades - Stopping your Granada ought to be listed in your priority list.
8. Turbo upgrades - forced induction is the most efficient approach to improve intake air supply, this means you are able to combust more fuel and make higher power. Typically one of the most challenging mods it does provide the largest gains.

Granada Tuning Stages

Typical stage 1 mods often include: Suspension upgrade (drop ), Alloy wheels, Lighter flywheel, Panel air filter, Engine Tunes/Remapping, Sports exhaust.

Typical stage 2 mods often include: Fast road cam, high flow fuel injector, Power/Sport clutch, Ported and polished head, fuel pump upgrades.

Typical stage 3 mods often include: Competition cam, Internal engine upgrades (pistons/head/valves), Adding or upgrading forced induction (turbo/supercharger), Engine balancing, Sports gearbox.

A fast road cam will be one of the best power mod you can do mechanically to your engine. You will need to ensure that the engine is not starved of fuel so will need to uprate the fuelling. You can get a more snappy acceleration by fitting a fuel pressure boost valve. Uprated injectors will enable you to supply sufficient fuel to the engine. When increasing your fuelling you will also need to get a bigger fuel pump to supply it.

Granada Intake and Exhaust.

Breathing mods are usually next up. For small Granada engine sizes go with a washable panel air filter. On larger engines and turbo vehicles an induction kit will help increase power. Do not go with the biggest exhaust you can find - the best for power gains are usually between 1.7 to 2.5 inches.

When you start tuning your Granada you will find that the standard clutch starts to complain so get an uprated clutch. Turbo engines are just begging to be custom remapped. You will see big power gains on most turbo engined cars including diesels making a tune/remap one of the most cost effective modifications.The largest power gains for NA (naturally aspirated) engines usually involve the addition of forced induction. It is easier to bolt on a supercharger than it is to get a turbo working. It is harder to map a turbo as the boost comes on exponentially with engine speed. It is easier to map a supercharger because the boost is proportional to engine speed on a linear curve. Adding forced induction will usually require a lower compression ratio or water injection.

Granada Handling/Suspension upgrades

Many Granada owners uprate the handling of their cars with suspension mods as a priority, this will certainly increase your enjoyment of the car.

We would go to a maximum drop of 25 - 44 on most models. You risk compromising your handling if you go lower than this.

Adjusting the handling is often the first step in using the Granada.Adjusting the Granada's handling is often the first step in tuning it.

Handling upgrades are often the initial step for the Granada.

Good Quality coilovers permit you to adjust the suspension height and this allows you to fine tune your cornering performance.

What considerations must you make when setting up and selecting your suspension if your Granada serves as a daily car as well?

Upgrading your Bushes

What factors should you consider when setting up and selecting your bushes if your Granada is also used as a daily driver?

You may struggle to find a full set of poly bushings, but most stores have the primary mounts available. You may be able to have custom polyeyurothane bushes created to suit your needs.

It is possible to connect the Granada's suspension components to the chassis of the Granada using poly bushes, which are direct replacements for the rubber mounts. The rubber ones will deteriorate with time and need replacing anyway so why not upgrade.

By replacing new OEM rubber bushings, you may greatly improve your vehicle's performance.

Because polyurethane bushes are stiffer, the ride may be less forgiving, but the bushes will last longer and maintain the car's handling over a longer time.

They may also hasten the stress of other suspension parts due to the increased vibration and play.

A new set of poly bushings may be able to minimize the excessive play that comes with rubber bushes.

A common misconception is that a non-adjustable suspension system that lowers the vehicle by60mm from a franchised component shop is the best option. But suspension design and setup is quite complex.

Claims are often made that all Granada models and years may be able to utilise the same suspension kits sold by vendors.

The 'generic one set for all models' approach is obviously a flawed assumption when it comes to adequately supporting a diverse variety of cars. Engine weights and trim levels, and even alloy rims will affect the handling and require different suspension setups.

How low should you go on the Granada?

When it comes to road vehicles, the maximum suspension drop is 25 - 44 mm, but when it comes to cars that are factory fitted with lowered springs, the maximum suspension drop is 19 mm, according to TorqueCars.

Tolerances may be greatly lowered by altering the diameter of the wheels. Lowering a vehicle, even with 17-inch wheels and stock suspension, will create several issues.

Because the Granada is lower, less air travels under it, which may aid in stability; nonetheless, the main goal should always be to enhance handling.

It is critical to use the proper shocks when employing lower springs buying matched components as a kit.

If you set the toe out to 1 to 2 degrees on the front, and add a small amount of negative camber then cornering will often be enhanced.

Putting meatier brake discs and better performance pads will make for sharper improved braking.

Please note that race brake pads can be noisier and will need to be hot before they bite.

In every day driving the brakes are only applied now and then and won't stop you as well so choose friction pads which have a low working temperature.

Ford Granada Wheel modifications.

The benefits of alloy wheels include a lower unsprung weight and more efficient brake cooling.

The downside to large alloy wheels on your Granada is that you alter your effective final drive ratio and this will have a detrimental effect on performance.

For this reason we would advise sticking to a maximum wheel size of 17 inches, although we know some of our members have gone larger than this with no problems.

Please join us in our forum to discuss the Granada options in more detail with our Granada owners. It would also be worth reading our Ford tuning articles to get a full grasp of the pros and cons of each type of modification.

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This article is flagged for an update, so please pass on specific tips below that I can include. All articles, and content was written by me, Waynne Smith TorqueCars founder. Some outlines are just too general so I appreciate your feedback and suggestions. This entry was filed under Ford. You can leave a response below or join our forum to discuss this article and car modification in detail with our members.

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