1972 Ford Granada coupe continuous build/improvement.

Interesting idea.

You have no idea how stressed I got reading that and seeing the pictures. Unless laying the inlet manifold back into position is the VERY FIRST thing you do next please either tape over the inlets or stuff some kitchen roll down them. I was getting a sweat on.
Other than that some good progress and these things do take time and there is always next summer to enjoy it.

So yet another week has come and gone. Am I the only one who feels like we’re all on a high speed train that is only picking up more and more speed? I just don’t know where all the time is going…


Anyway, back on topic… The week didn’t quite turn out how I expected. I had some commitments that I wasn’t fully aware of when I planned my week and due to the weather my “James” hat has seen quite a lot of use as well. So basically that put an end to all my best laid plans.


So come Friday I was again ready to dedicate the day to getting the engine buttoned up, completing the loom swap. And nothing was getting in my way this day. So I got up, walked and fed the dogs, watched some tv and then around 9, when it wasn’t too early in the morning anymore I set to work. First positioning the car for work, with the rain outside it was another day of working in the confined and light challenged garage.


Work started with fixing the TPS wiring. I think they initially made these wires to short as I found a soldered joint about 10 cm up the loom from the connector. Strangely enough this then didn’t seem to be enough as at the connector a few cm’s were again added between the green loom wires and the connector. Also one of these wires was unusually thick. I checked my spares and found that all TPS wires are just 1mm2 max so I found myself some good bits of wire in three different colors of sufficient length to go back to the first joint found. I fiddled around a bit getting the pins from the connector. My eyes aren’t what they used to be and it’s with these tasks I really notice. Anyway once the first one was out, the second and third quickly followed. Despite what the pics may show I actually changed the general cover of the intake ports for individual pieces of paper towel before any work was done so nothing could go down the intake.


Then it was a matter of deciding how to proceed. I’d wanted to undo the crimp, but those were so tightly crimped I just couldn’t get that done. So I decided to tin the ends of the crimp so it would accept a solder joint. That actually worked really well. It all took more time than I’d have liked as my “new” soldering iron just seems to have trouble getting heat in the bits quick enough…. Working on the loom in the car also meant that tools to hold the wires that I can use on the bench were not very convenient. So I made a very simple tool to aid in holding the wires in position firmly while soldering. Worked well. I wrapped the new bit and that was the loom fixed and with definitely enough length!



That was the final bit preventing me from putting the intake back on so that was next. Experience had taught me that I could leave most of the vacuum stuff attached or sort of in place so I thought installing it would now be a breeze. The gaskets were in the right place and tight enough to not want to move too easily. I put the intake on and it just wouldn’t sit right this time. A first issue was quickly identified as a vacuum line having gotten caught in the wrong place. That solved the problem on one side, but on the other it was less obvious. After careful lifting of the intake with much care for the gaskets, it turned out to be a bit of the wiring loom that would have gotten caught if I hadn’t investigated an just pushed on. No damage was done but it meant that a quick job was not quick anymore. Tightening the bolts was pretty painless as undoing them had taught me the best way to get to each one and with the gaskets in the right place they all went in to their holes with no problems.


Things were looking up. Hooking up the vacuum bits that were left and the final few connectors was a quick job and things like the throttle cable and brake booster vacuum finished the job. There was only one thing to attach and that was the EGR and that was where things went south again. The pipe just didn’t want to be in the right place. I should have checked before tightening the intake down but I forgot. There was however movement in the pipe, it just didn’t want to line up. As often the case, without any other effort than all the things you’ve been doing for the past 20 minutes, the thing suddenly just seated. Both an aaarrrggghhh and yessssss moment at the same time. But I wasn’t quite there just yet. This pipe is bolted to the intake with a plate and two bolts. One of those seated immediately, but the other just didn’t want to go in. And when it was in, I just couldn’t get a decent turn on it to make it stick. Limited room made this a very frustrating job. But then finally this bolt also seated properly and could be tightened. Slowly but surely due to having almost no throw. With that out of the way it was time to step back and see what I needed to do to finish the job.


Turns out I had not yet connected all engine wiring to their components so I finished that, with the crankshaft sensor being the fun one as the wire and connector go behind all the moving bits of the drive belt. The MAF and filter could be bolted back on as well at that time. Then the bottom coolant hose had to be done up and after a check that I hadn’t missed anything, no bolts left on the bench etc., I fitted the top cover back on. Job DONE!!





Took me a bit more of my day then expected, also not helped by one of those “James” moments. So not much more I could do. Although I did one more thing in preparation for ordering my loom materials. I did some determination on my existing wiring loom. Wire thicknesses I classed as 0.5, 1, 1,5, 2,5 or 4 when I was registering all wires. But how thick were these wires really, and I mean the copper core. So I stripped some bits of insulation on the various wires of each category and measured the so I could convert them to the industry standards of AWG/mm2. Over here we use the latter.


Earlier this week I had made a start on ordering some bits that I knew I would need. The fuse boxes, the uninsulated crimps, insulated crimps for the fuse boxes (I had trouble finding the right m4 ones in different wire thicknesses uninsulated) more shrink wrap (adhesive/watertight) and a crimping tool with multiple dies. These came in over the Friday and Saturday. It’s all pretty nice stuff, looks well-constructed and strong (also for the crimps). I added tie wraps when I saw them at the cash register in the supermarket. Mentally having trouble with the expense given the times we live in, but the car needs to get fixed.




I even found some EEC-V ecu pins, which would help me make a better loom, as it would mean one less crimp, one less connection but a fresh crimp right from the pin. But after initially a good contact with the seller he’s now verry quiet…


I may need some more practice, or my new crimping tool isn’t working optimally. Just doing some test crimps without wires, those uninsulated ones are a bit hit and miss…They either bend nicely and crimp well or they don’t bend at the right points but get squashed.


Saturday when I got the time I set to ordering more bits for the loom. This time relay bases, more crimps, and some 250-275 meters of wiring is various thicknesses and colors. A very time-consuming order due to the magnitude in different products… I was worried the whole time that I would take too long and that the website would empty my bin. Many websites do that, but thankfully this didn’t. I guess this will come in in the next few days. Mentally the bill quickly adds up. By the time I’m done I’ll have 600 euro’s in all this at least. The one good thing is that there will be leftovers and that tools are never a bad thing to add, but still… A load of money.

I think I now will have most if not all I need to fix the loom. I will need to have a new ground lead made up to spec to finish things off. Oh and I have yet to decide on a method and buy something for wrapping the loom.



So what is left? Well, still plenty I guess.


First up, probably a wiring test (after having fixed the original loom damage as found so far) on the original loom. This should make clear if all is good or not. I’ve not found any evidence of damaged wiring in the wrapped bits of the loom. But that is assuming wire damage is found along the entire wire in case of an issue. I’ve not found any wires going to or from connectors that look suspicious. And the damage I did find always concerned a full wire from connector to connector. So I have hope. If I need to add inspecting the full original loom as well it’s adding another mammoth task.


I need to redesign the power and ground system to the new fuse boxes. Distributing the many power feeds over the different fuses. How do I lead the earths back to the fuse boxes etc. I will be keeping the current central earth points as designed in the loom as I’m afraid things may work differently if I just lead each one to its own earth point. As the ecu tends to switch components by switching to earth as I understand and I guess that is why some components join in one location.


Question: would you take both positive and negative directly (one via a relay to create a switched fusebox) from the battery or would you lead the negative to the car body? The proposed earth system I have in mind now from the battery negative post is one lead to the car body, one lead to the engineblock, from engine block back to car body in a different position. The gearbox at the VSS sensor also has it’s own earth lead. And I was thinking of adding the earth for the fuse boxes directly to the battery as well. Mainly as the existing loom I’m trying to recreate also had a direct earth to the battery.


But, before I can complete this job, I should also go through the circuits in the car that I added. Like the power/foldable mirrors, the electric/heated seats, the power windows, central locking, electric bonnet popper and ICE system(s). I’d like to upgrade these circuits as well so they are more easily isolated and better terminated and fused (separately). But for this I need a good day in the car or more… Writing out what I’ve actually created back then. I want to move relays to more convenient locations as well. Just do a neater job than before.


And finally I have to find a method of making the loom. Limited access means it may be hard to do inside… And I think there’s no other way than to position the components where I want them all to be and then just run the wires, tie together what can be tied together and only when happy remove and wrap it all. I need to get a move on…


It’s a good thing I do actually like this process…I mean doing the thinking and the physical work. Although there are one or two major fears in the back of my mind: what if after all this work the ecu turns out to be damaged (in theory I could fix the earth and reconnect it all for a test)?? Or, possibly worse, what if the ecu is fine but the car won’t start or has another meltdown?? Best not think about that, given the expenditure, as it makes my stomach turn…


Best just crack on with it all…

Whilst both the fabric & PVC loop tape may look fine on the more modern cars of the late 60's & 70's onwards it looks rubbish on earlier cars - self amalgamating tape is fine and gives a suitable period look - its very easy to prevent it from sticking to anything else once you have wrapped the loom - a little powered French chalk or even talc applied to the tape and rubbed over a few times sorts the issue 

That is some pile of components and quite a few metres of wire. Rather you than me but I am sure you will manage it ok.

Bought myself a new mascotte for the Cossiemonster Granada... Now only to find a matching suit...

Good to make some progress. But, there is a but, I would not be happy with the crimping on the terminals in the 5th picture up from the bottom. The crimp to the wire looks to be ok but the crimp onto the insulation is not very good when you zoom in on it.

That's good. I just thought it looked a bit iffy but if they are secure that is all that matters.

I only spent half a smuch time on the car as I had liked this weekend. Even when I'm up early, it's sometimes just hard to set yourself to yet another session on the car...

I decided that if I was going to make a good job of the loom creation I'd need to work out where the power for all systems was going to come from. I decided there's really only one place where this could all fit. On top of the heater box. In my ideal situation I'd like to make a raised platform by 3d print, but I have lost my ability to design and print 3d stuff. Anyway, it's the best place I could find. It will maken power and earth leads to both battery and ecu as short as possible. Powwer to components even benefit though not as much maybe.

I decided to use the rather empty corner besides the heater box in front of the bonnet hinge as the spot to put my 6 relay bank. Need to make a bracket for it, so I'll dive into my materials to see what I can come up with...

I then made a start by creating the switched and unswitched feeds to the fuse boxes. Then I made the earths. All this thinking and doing took some time. But it was nice to have all the materials and the tools to crimp it all together. The crimps can survive my best efforts of undoing them so I have confidence in them. I used adhesive shrinkwrap to make it all as neat as I can and add some weather protection.

Obviously all wiring will be tucked away neatly and or wrapped when final install will be done. But, it's a start...

I also found a dozen or so very small jobs just tidying up previous work. Vacuum lines that were longer than needed. Some things that could be routed nicer now the loom is out etc. But it all eats time.







I also crimped the first of the power feeds to ecu pins, which also looked and felt good. Good thing I didn't go too thick with the wires as they wouldn't have fit. But as is, it's a nice decent crimp. I didn't install anything yet as I needed the power situation to be determined first.

For the bulk of the work I'm still hoping for one of two contacts to come through with the correct pins... If it takes too long, I'll have to use the crimp to the end of original wire method, which I'm trying to prevent.

I'm very much looking forward to actually making the bulk. Although it will be a careful process, especially if I get to use all new pins.

But for now we have another work week first...