1973 Ford
Consul GT. 3000cc.
A new body and
impressive driving dynamics gave car buyers plenty of reasons to consider
Ford’s replacement for its Mk4 Zephyr and Zodiac, but if they needed convincing
then there was the reappearance of the Consul nametag.
Launched in May 1972
the Consul was available in standard, L or GT levels of trim. Compared to the
Granada the Consul was sparse but it wasn’t all bad as the L had a reasonable
specification, building on that of the standard model with the additions of
loop pile carpet, semi-reclining front seats, vanity mirror, heated rear screen
and trip mileage recorder.
The lack of creature
comforts was a blessing in disguise for the GT though, the 3-litre V6-powered
Consul weighing 50 kg less than the similarly-engined Granada and giving it a
slight performance edge. Based on the L with a smattering of go-faster goodies
including vented front discs, circular driving lights and upgraded
instrumentation, the GT was good for 0-60 mph in just 9 seconds. There was V6
goodness for standard and L models too, in the shape of the uprated, 120 bhp
2544cc engine. The 2-litre V4 was also upgraded from that found in the Zephyr
and the Consul had the handling to match with semi-trailing arm rear
suspension.
The Consul improved as
time went on, with the Estate arriving in September 1972 and 2-litre Pinto
engine replacing the V4 in September 1974. A little over a year later, the
Consul name was dropped and the range branded as Granada. The Consul’s played
second fiddle to the Granada ever since but with rarity now firmly on its side
there’s a very good argument for less is more.
“The consul played
second fiddle to the Granada but with rarity on its side there’s a good
argument for less is more”
Interior
of Ford Consul GT V6
Body
Two-part inner sills
are prone to rust, especially the rear jacking points, and can be rotten even
if the outer looks sound. Valances can rust too, although the rear’s more
important as it holds the hangers for the fuel tank. Other rust areas are the
rear arches, front wings, lower rear quarters, and the leading edge of the
hard-to-replace bonnet. Rusty doors can be a pain as the two-piece doorframes
of early Consuls are unique. Sunroof-equipped cars commonly rot out the rear
roof pillars and A-pillars/front of the sills. Anodized trim is flimsy and hard
to source, while bumpers are also getting scarce.
Interior
Replacement trim is
near impossible to find, especially the GT’s Beta cloth. Unfortunately, the
Consul’s vinyl seat covering isn’t hardy either, tending to crack and split. As
well as their covering, the seats’ frames and bases can perish, metal fatigue
causing the frames to snap in extreme cases and the foam bases going flat and
crumbling over time. Sorting a tired base isn’t too hard, but the frame could
be as decent second-hand seats — especially the buckets of pre-December 1973
cars — are tricky to track down.
The V6
consul weighs less than the granada giving it a performance edge
