Ford Granada (North America) VIN Decoder: Generations, Engines and VIN Lookup Guide
Every North American Ford Granada carries an identification number, and reading it is the quickest way to confirm what a particular car really is before you trust a seller’s description. This Granada was a compact American sedan and coupe built from 1975 to 1982, a different car from the European Granada, sold as an affordable alternative to pricier compacts and closely related to the Mercury Monarch. The number confirms the model year, the engine the car left the line with and the plant that built it. You can run a Granada number through the decoder at the top of this page, and the guide below explains how the number is built, walks through both generations, and points out what to check when you look one over.
How a Ford Granada VIN is put together
The first generation Granada, built from 1975 to 1980, predates the 17 character VIN and uses a shorter Ford identification number found on the data plate and the body. From 1981 the second generation car switched to the modern 17 character VIN, which begins with 1FA for Ford built passenger cars in the United States. In the earlier format the first character is the model year, the second is the assembly plant, and further characters give the body and engine codes before the sequential build number. In the later 17 character VIN the engine sits in the middle block and position ten gives the model year. The quick reference below covers the clues you will use most often when you read a Ford Granada number.
| VIN clue | What it means |
|---|---|
| First character (1975 to 1980) | Model year, for example 6 is 1976 and 0 is 1980 |
| WMI 1FA (1981 to 1982) | Ford Granada built by Ford in the United States |
| Engine code | For example a 250 six, a 255 V8 or a 302 V8 |
| Check digit (1981 to 1982) | Position nine validates the 17 character VIN |
| Assembly plant | The factory that built the car |
On a car this old, matching the number on the data plate with the title and any other stampings is the first check worth doing.
How a Ford Granada is identified
This is the North American Granada, a compact from the late 1970s and early 1980s, and it sits right on the change to the modern VIN. Cars from the 1981 model year on carry the seventeen character VIN, which begins with 1FA on a United States built Ford passenger car. The earlier cars, from 1975 to 1980, predate that system and instead are identified by an older Ford number, a shorter code stamped on the car and set out on the door data plate.
What the old Ford number tells you
On the 1975 to 1980 cars the stamped number and the data plate together record the model year, the plant, the body style and the engine. Restorers translate each field against a year specific Ford chart rather than reading it straight through like a modern VIN. On the 1981 and 1982 cars you read the seventeen character VIN in the usual way, with the tenth character giving the model year.
Where to find the number on a Ford Granada
On the later cars the VIN reads through the windshield at the base of the glass on the driver side and repeats on the door jamb label. On the earlier cars look for the data plate on the door or door pillar and the stamped number on the body. On any car of this age, the plate, the stamped number and the paperwork all need to agree before you buy.
A short history, generation by generation
The Granada arrived in 1975 as a neatly styled compact that Ford marketed as a sensible, near luxury choice, and it sold strongly through the late 1970s on the same rear wheel drive platform that underpinned the Maverick. For 1981 the Granada moved onto the Fox platform, sharing much with the Fairmont, and added a four cylinder option before the name gave way to the LTD in 1983. The table below sums up both generations.
| Generation | Years | Body styles | Key engines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Granada first generation | 1975 to 1980 | Sedan, coupe | 200 and 250 six, 302 and 351 V8 |
| Ford Granada second generation | 1981 to 1982 | Sedan, coupe | 2.3 I4, 200 six, 255 and 302 V8 |
Ford Granada engines and specifications
Because the engine code is part of the number, a proper check confirms the engine the car was born with. The figures below cover the main engines, with power as a range because output changed across the years.
| Configuration | Years | Power | Layout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Granada 200 and 250 six | 1975 to 1982 | about 85 to 100 hp | Inline-6 |
| Ford Granada 2.3 I4 | 1981 to 1982 | about 88 hp | Inline-4 petrol |
| Ford Granada 302 V8 | 1975 to 1982 | about 130 to 140 hp | Small-block V8 |
| Ford Granada 351 V8 | 1975 to 1977 | about 150 hp | Windsor V8 |
Ford Granada by model year
Buyers searching for a specific year want to know what they are getting, so the table below maps several model years to their year code, generation and engine options. Cars from 1975 to 1980 use the year digit, while 1981 and 1982 cars use the 17 character VIN year code.
| Model year | Year code | Generation | Engine options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Granada 1976 | 6 | First generation | 250 six, 302 V8 |
| Ford Granada 1978 | 8 | First generation | 250 six, 302 V8 |
| Ford Granada 1980 | 0 | First generation | 200 six, 302 V8 |
| Ford Granada 1981 | B | Second generation | 2.3 I4, 255 V8 |
| Ford Granada 1982 | C | Second generation | 200 six, 302 V8 |
Reliability and the things worth checking
These are simple, easy to service cars, but every survivor is old now, so condition matters far more than reputation. The most common points to check are summarized below.
| Engine or area | What to check |
|---|---|
| Ford Granada inline six | Tough and simple, watch for age related oil leaks and cooling neglect |
| Ford Granada 302 V8 | Durable and easy to service, confirm general condition and history |
| Ford Granada body | Rust in floors, lower panels and around the rear window is the main enemy |
| Ford Granada originality | Verify the engine and trim against the data plate |
Buying a used Ford Granada
When you find one worth pursuing, read the number first and make sure the model year and engine line up with the seller’s description and the title. These are inexpensive cars now, so condition and a clean history matter most, and you should check carefully for corrosion, which is the thing most likely to end an otherwise sound car. When you are ready, enter your Ford Granada number in the decoder above to confirm the year, engine and plant, then use the advice here to make sure the car is genuinely what it claims to be.