Juicing my Granny - juiced it, drove it, broke it!

[HARDCORE]

Howdy RR guys & gals - this is my first thread! Woo!
I've been lurking / occasionally posting for ages (keep meaning to start something in Readers Rides for a project or two - will get on that!) but now I need to come to you for your collective genius & experience ;D

This is my Granny: (sorry the pics are proper w4nk)



She's a top of the line 2.8i Ghia X Executive with all the nice bits (leathers, electrics, air con, trip computer, etc..) and I love her dearly. Unfortunately she's pretty slow & handles like a houseboat but seeing as I have other toys that cater for my need for speed I find myself thinking I should concentrate on how unashamedly cool I think she is.

So here's the plan:
Clean the lines up a bit - remove the red stripes down the doors, bump strips etc, change the black over-riders for chrome ones (if poss) & the black mirrors for chrome (again if poss)
Maybe remove some/all of the spotlights (opinions on this?)
Chrome arches (eBayed these already)
Chrome wires & whitewalls (see: retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=pfsw&action=display&thread=55152&page=1 - picking these up at the weekend (if HSBC sort the bl00dy transfer out, lol))
& (getting to my actual point) hydraulics I don't want the thing to bounce around like a Dr.Dre video, more a way of solving the age-old conundrum: I like it best sitting on its belly with the wheels tucked right up BUT it's my daily drive & needs to negotiate Brighton's plethora of speed bumps & car parks.
I've been offered a full hydraulics set-up that's just been removed from an identical Mk2 Granny by someone (I don't know) very locally so am looking for any hits, tips & wrinkles you may have for me. Whilst I've dome most things car-build related fitting hydraulics is a whole new bag to me. When I go to look at the kit what should I be looking out for? Are there many of you on here that have fitted one of these set-ups? Literally anything you can feed me would be gleefully snapped up!

Thanks all,

Hardcore


Random selection of Granny & Lowrider pics (somewhere between the two is what we're looking at..)

[tonycocacola]

i cant help with any of your questions.
your thread title and username drew me in.

;D

[Zotez]

Where'd you get that pic from standlake arena?

[HARDCORE]

Jun 9, 2009 19:35:29 GMT tonycocacola said:

I cant help with any of your questions.
your thread title and username drew me in.

;D

Ha ha - that worked then ;D lol!

Jun 9, 2009 20:36:51 GMT Zotez said:

Where'd you get that pic from standlake arena?

Random Googling dude - sorry, is that a bit naughty? Didn't mean to offend.

HC.

[Zotez]

Not a problem at all! It wasnt my picture (although i took a similar one) just recognised it as the one from standlake arena.

Nice granada by the way!

[HARDCORE]

Jun 9, 2009 20:53:50 GMT Zotez said:

Not a problem at all! It wasnt my picture (although I took a similar one) just recognised it as the one from standlake arena.

Nice granada by the way!

Good knowledge!

Cheers!

HC.

[redgt2]

if it was mine i would just set about lowering it, keep the all the spots, avoid the chrome and poss paint the grill black...

but it's yours and what you have planned sounds good so do it, it's gonna look cool...nice car there..

oh i think i would keep the red stripe as well....

Hardcore, you know the score!!!! lol

[BiAS]

Any idea which Granada the set up you're buying came out of?
Only I've heard that the set up out of this

is being sold at the mo and it's not an ideal set up. I should know, I helped 24vster build it nearly 10 years ago.
Make sure that they're proper pumps, not smiths industries tipper pumps.
Lock out-able spheres seem to give the best ride quality for what you're after, but it is addictive and although you don't think you want big/quick moves now, trust me, you will
Try bigperm or utterpiffle on here for info and there are a couple of lowrider sites whose names escape me right now but are a mine of info, knowledge and experience.

[UtterPiffle]

Mk2's are one of the easiest cars to juice, and plenty have been done.

Come and say hello over at www.uklows.com
Plenty of people over there offering advice.

[popuptoaster]

I have to say its shouldn't handle that bad as stock ya know, i'd check all the bushes are ok, they are actually pretty fast cross country cars and will corner much better than most people expect.

[jettadeluxe]

It took me an afternoon to juice my old Mk2 Granada, they are a peice of pee.

Rears will be coil under, you'll need to take a holesaw to the rear strut tops to allow the rams into the boot. Fronts just bolted in to the stock shock mount. Run hoses into the boot, weld in mounts for batteries/tank/pumps, and wire up.

If your system is lifted out of another Granada, then most of the hard work is already done.

[Autofive]

slow and handling issues ??

the 2.8i should be perky enough - have you checked over the engine condition? - the cologne injection should develop 160bhp

as for handling - i agree with popup - check all bushes - and steering rack

i had 235 tyres fitted to my last granada, and fitted a new steering rack - and the handling was quite good for a large car, and it was a manual, which helped with its get-up-and-go




as for the suspension mods you are embarking on - i can't offer any help, as i was happy with the handling of the Granada

[HARDCORE]

Sorry guys, didn't mean to diss the Grannys handling abilities - as Autofive said for a large car it's actually not that bad. It gets un unfair comparison against my other Rides (a mildly tweaked Mk2 Escort & a totally tweaked V8 Manta)
Engine wise, despite its weight it pulls like a train so I don't think there's any problems there - that said I've got a Veng recon unit in the garage and as the torque converter needs changing anyway I'll probably slot that in while I'm at it.

Jun 9, 2009 23:11:35 GMT BiAS said:

Any idea which Granada the set up you're buying came out of?
Only I've heard that the set up out of this is being sold at the mo and it's not an ideal set up. I should know, I helped 24vster build it nearly 10 years ago.
Make sure that they're proper pumps, not smiths industries tipper pumps.
Lock out-able spheres seem to give the best ride quality for what you're after, but it is addictive and although you don't think you want big/quick moves now, trust me, you will
Try bigperm or utterpiffle on here for info and there are a couple of lowrider sites whose names escape me right now but are a mine of info, knowledge and experience.

Hi dude - I don't know what specific car the kit came from. I think it was a saloon but will enquire all the same - thanks for the heads-up!
Will ask about the pumps & spheres (what are spheres?) as well - again many thanks for the tip!

Jun 10, 2009 6:35:44 GMT UtterPiffle said:

Mk2's are one of the easiest cars to juice, and plenty have been done.

Come and say hello over at www.uklows.com
Plenty of people over there offering advice.

Thanks dude, that's what I need to hear! I've registered on uklows, just waiting for the admin to approve me see you there..

Jun 10, 2009 6:49:46 GMT popuptoaster said:

I have to say its shouldn't handle that bad as stock ya know, i'd check all the bushes are ok, they are actually pretty fast cross country cars and will corner much better than most people expect.

Jun 10, 2009 10:48:27 GMT Autofive said:

slow and handling issues ??

the 2.8i should be perky enough - have you checked over the engine condition? - the cologne injection should develop 160bhp

as for handling - I agree with popup - check all bushes - and steering rack

I had 235 tyres fitted to my last granada, and fitted a new steering rack - and the handling was quite good for a large car, and it was a manual, which helped with its get-up-and-go

as for the suspension mods you are embarking on - I can't offer any help, as I was happy with the handling of the Granada

Sound advice dudes - I'll check/replace all the bushes while I'm there. To be honest af all the countless mods I've made to rides over the years replacing the tired old bushes with decent poly ones has always been the most rewarding.

Jun 10, 2009 9:16:34 GMT @jettadeluxe said:

It took me an afternoon to juice my old Mk2 Granada, they are a peice of pee.

Rears will be coil under, you'll need to take a holesaw to the rear strut tops to allow the rams into the boot. Fronts just bolted in to the stock shock mount. Run hoses into the boot, weld in mounts for batteries/tank/pumps, and wire up.

If your system is lifted out of another Granada, then most of the hard work is already done.

Thank you! I think I have the confidence to go ahead & by the kit (pending to answers to above questions posed by BiAS)

[HARDCORE]

I picked up the aforementioned rims yesterday & couldn't resist a trial fitting this afternoon ;D

Suffice to say I've never loved my Granny more!
That said I badly need to hit her with the stick...





I'm waiting for the guy selling the juice to let me know when I can go take a looksie - watch this space...

HC.

[Dr Sexy]

The wires look awesome dude! As previously mentioned; dump the spots and red stripes. Add chrome arches! (and replace engine and gearbox ;-) )

glad to finally see you on RR!

RoB

[HARDCORE]

Jun 16, 2009 10:36:31 GMT Dr Sexy said:

The wires look awesome dude! As previously mentioned; dump the spots and red stripes. Add chrome arches! (and replace engine and gearbox ;-) )

glad to finally see you on RR!

RoB

Ahh, SexyBoy I thought you'd approve!
The plan is to have her juiced (& running, lol) for the Gathering - might need to borrow some of your time for that. (I'm off work now BTW)
eBayed chrome arches have arrived..

Just read ur Midge thread, I'd forgotten about that pic of it with my Manta wheels - well funny ;D

Speak soon bud,

HCx

[HARDCORE]

Well, as those of you at the Gathering of awesomeness might have seen I got my Granny juiced & she made it to Yeovil having been taxed that morning

Some piccies for ya, shamelessly stolen from RRG pic threads - thanks all! (I did take the one's in my sig!)







Sadly on the way home I broke it (nearly made it) - it seems juice & speed bumps don't mix too well



So, can anyone help me out with a drive shaft? My local friendly factor can do one for £80+VAT which isn't the end of the world, but I thought I'd try on here first

Cheers all,

HC

[kee]

shame you broke it but so glad you made it. looked amazing sitting in the grass on the campsite, one of my cars of the show.

[mk14dr]

Kee's right, its a pity you broke it, but when your car's that cool, you've got to take the rough with the smooth (no pun intended )

[HARDCORE]

Ahh gosh thanks guys - I do love my Granny ;D

So, went to remove the offending drive shaft yesterday & found the inner CV joint looking like this:



Oh dear! At least it doesn't need a whole shaft replacing - gonna ring around about a replacement CV this afternoon

HC.