I don't know if they go by any other name, or if they were ever available in the U.S., But on a recent trip to Mexico I saw what appeared to be a two-toned blue 79 Ford rendition of a late model excursion. It was big and long like an 80's Suburban and it has the unmistakable 79's model rear rectangular headlights. At first I thought " wow, they put a ford front end on a suburban" but after it turned the corner and I got a clear view of it, I saw that it was factory, all the body lines matched up and it had the typical 70's style ford truck tail lights. I had never seen or heard of a truck like that here in the U.S.. I managed to snap one picture of it as it drove away, showing that it had two big doors instead of a tailgate for the rear, but sadly that picture was accidentally deleted when my sister formatted the camera.

The next day I saw another one in the distance, but in solid white tagged with spots of rust and the same 79' front end. Unfortunately I didn't have the camera with me this time and I still couldn't get close enough to read what the badges say. It looked just like a suburban with four doors in the front, an enclosed cargo area with two big doors that swing out and windows all around.

I am curious to know if anyone else has seen these or if they know the correct name for them? I see everyone wanting to get their hands on a Crew cab for its passenger space and rarity, So I thought this story might interest some of you. Wish I had a picture for you, maybe I'll get another in the next trip.

 

Centurion. In the late '70s the Centurion company took a Bronco and mated it with a crew cab and you ended up with a 4door Bronco. They were all custom builds (not done by Ford) and are rather hard to find. Some guys on this site have restored them, and some have even built their own. Search past threads. You could have them built in a 1/2, 3/4, or 1 ton suspension and any engine offered in the F series at that time. So most had a 351/400 or 460. I think lots of large companies bought them - oil fields and forestry services. I would love to have one... but the only one I've ever seen was a '80-'86 bodystyle.

 

Here's a page dedicated to showing a custom build. I think they look pretty cool.
http://www.ncspecialties.com/autobody/fourdoor/

 

there used to be one running around coastal Ga. a few years back but with about an early 80's front end. you know the rounded look. first time i saw it i thought it was custom, until i got a better look. would like to try building one some day ( only in my dreams)

 

http://www.fourdoorbronco.com/

not sure if any 70's are on there tho

 

http://www.ncspecialties.com/autobody/fourdoor/

 

The Picador is the only 70s one around... I think. Things still pretty cool, like the way it looks better then the ones from Centurion.

 

I have seen those trucks in Mexico too. They are built by Ford of Mexico and could not be brought here for some reason or another. Its seems like Chevy had a deal with with Ford not to bring them into the states or something. They are often confused with the ones that are built here but they are unique to Mexico. I have never seen one here and most of them are in extremely rough condition. They are really wierd looking, not like the pretty Centurions.

 

Now, that is freakin' cool!

Glad we live in a free country where we can build and drive almost anything we want!
Good job on the 4 door Bronco, if it belongs to anyone here???

 

I saw one of these trucks in Mexico back in 1979. It was orange like a city truck. It had a '73 to '75 style two piece grille. Unfortunatly, I didn't get a photo.

 

Yeah, see I don't think the ones I saw in Mexico were custom builds. They did not look like four door broncos. they looked exactly like an 80's suburban where there was no 'cap' behind the second set of doors to cover the bed, it was all unibody. After talking with my dad, he says they're everywhere! I forgot to mention that later on, I did manage to see about two more after my first and second encounter, before my vacation was over.. One was parked, and another was partly dismantled. They are too common to be custom builds.

I do know that vehicle manufacturers sell models there not available in the US for some odd reason. There are many neat and practical cars in Mexico that aren't sold in the US. Like Ford's EcoSport, or Focus ST, and the Courier. Volkswagen has a line of small diesel pickups. They'd make alot of sense now considering the price of gas lately.

I'm kicking myself for not having a picture. Oh well. Next time I'm down there, I know what to look for.

 

Centurion isn't the only company to build the 1970's/80's's so called "Expeditions/Excursions." Hess & Eisenhardt, Sayers & Scovill, Eureka and Superior Coach have built some too. These four companies (there are others) specialize in funeral vehicles like hearses and flower cars. I've seen several Broncos with extended bodies. They were used as hearses originally. In some parts of the world, 4WD is needed, and the passenger car based hearses can't negotiate the poor roads.

 

I saw a small ford supercab in aruba called a tornado. dont know anything about it though

 

DAMMIT!!!!!!!!! and I thought I had an original idea, I was gonna build a 79 Excursion, not such a cool idea anymore, lol anyone who finds 1 for sale, I wanna buy it, or at least c it first

 

aruba is amazing, there are a ton of trucks down ther that have been around for a while but are new to the usa. i couldn't believe the older trucks on construction sites similar to the mid sized 4 door trucks recently being used here. the different types of vechicles we don't have on the roads here in the states.