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Metropolitan Eddie Bauer: 1989 Ford Bronco Crew Cab

One of the more intriguing subsets of vehicles to emerge in the early 1990s was the collection of aftermarket four-door conversions of the classic Ford Bronco. In many ways, the companies that built these stretched square bodies seemingly had a crystal ball that enabled them to predict a future wherein everyone and their mother would want to drive a large 4×4 with room for three rows of seats. The builder of the Bronco conversion is a company called Magnum Motor Coach in Michigan that built the Bronco “Metropolitan”, which is listed here on eBay with bids to $14,500 and no reserve.

The Metropolitan conversion is the one to buy if you’re seeking a four-door Bronco. The reason being is Magnum actually built these trucks like Ford might have if they were so inclined. The chassis came from an F150, F250, or F350 Ford model, and by using a double-cab (or four-door) pickup body with a custom fiberglass rear enclosure over what would have been a bed, the Metropolitan effectively used almost all OEM pieces to create a stretched Bronco that looked like the factory built it. This is the main driver behind the four-door Magnum-built trucks today: the perceived difference in quality between these and the other aftermarket players.

In many ways, this Bronco Metropolitan makes a lot of sense as a classic daily driver even today. The three rows of seats, including the very generous second section, would still work for young families hauling kids and gear to school and practice. Even if bidding kisses $20,000, you’re still well below the going rate for a modern Chevy Suburban or GMC Denali, as those vehicles have gone sky-high price-wise, often reaching over $70,000 with the right options. Sure, this one won’t have an entertainment system of the gods or a booming stereo, but it will haul everyone and their gear with ease and be dirt-cheap to maintain in the meantime.

The seller reports that there’s a 351 Windsor under the hood paired with an automatic transmission. The listing notes that a tune-up was completed not too long ago, along with new brakes. The air conditioning, of course, has a leak, but that’s a minor gripe in the grand scheme of things. With under 60,000 miles and the desirable Eddie Bauer trim, this Bronco Metropolitan could easily slide into daily duty if needed, but in the meantime, it’s an incredible road trip and tailgating machine! The seller reports that while he loves the truck, he doesn’t find it desirable enough to give up garage space for, so the top bidder will take this rare four-door Bronco conversion home.

Comments

  1. Avatar angliagt Member

    I wouldn’t really call this a Bronco,as there seems to be
    little,or no Bronco parts on it.More like F150/250/350 based.

    Like 2
    • Avatar Jeff

      It actually looks like this was built from a Bronco body. They may have changed the entire chassis under (rather than stretching the Bronco chassis), but the VIN decodes as a Bronco, not an F-series truck.

      And it appears to have 2-door Bronco body panels back of the rear doors. Look at the C-pillar, the bulge on the roof right in front of the “bed” cap, and the tailgate. All Bronco, not truck.

      Makes me think they just cut a Bronco body in half behind the doors, and inserted the back-door section of a crew cab truck body. Does not look like they started with a crew cab truck body, or it would have a crew cab truck VIN and a screwy transition from back doors to bed.

      Like 5
      • Avatar SubGothius

        Yeah, this isn’t just a crew-cab F-series with a bed cap as the writeup suggests, as that would have a completely separate bed tray unconnected to the cab.

        That said, I don’t think they just cut a Bronco in half and spliced-in just the rear cabin section; rather, I think they cut the back half off a Bronco and cut the crew-cab behind the rear doors, then spliced the Bronco rear onto the crew-cab.

        Much less cutting and welding that way, tho’ I don’t know how they got away with retaining a Bronco VIN. Maybe if there was any official cooperation from Ford — e.g., as with the Fairmont Futura based Durango utes — perhaps Ford supplied Bronco VIN plates with their blessing?

        Like 4
      • Avatar Carol

        This vehicle came off the train just like this. I have been trying to find one for years! Its not as smooth as the shorter one, but you can get into the back seat! If you ever find another, give me a buzz! Finders fee!

        Like 1
      • Avatar Lee Anderson

        @SubGothius: If this was an F-350-based model (8-lug wheels), that would be the easiest way to do it. Chop an F-350 crew cab frame down ~30″ so it could fit a Bronco rear instead of an 8′ bed.

        But F-250s didn’t get crew cabs until 1996, and F-150s (5-lug wheels) not at all in the OBS. So they must have done this one the “hard” way, by extending the Bronco frame 35″ to fit another set of doors.

        Like 0
    • Avatar $ where mouth is

      uhmmm, actually it looks just like a bronco, cause it is, but with four doors ;)

      Like 1
  2. Avatar Cadmanls Member

    Well the Broncos today available 4 doors don’t quite resemble the original. This is a SUV sort of and looks well done. Got a family this could work. Cheaper than many options out there.

    Like 1
  3. Avatar Bob_in_TN Member

    Looks almost “normal.” As in, the average non-automotive-oriented person might look at it and think, this looks different but I can’t quite put my finger on it. Sharp-looking with the Eddie Bauer trim. Might end up being a good value.

    Like 12
    • Avatar Sam61

      Agree, looks more “normal” than some of hack conversions that pop up out of Mexico. Proportions are somewhat “Excurion-esq”

      Like 5
  4. Avatar 19sixty5 Member

    A friend of mine had a 4 door “Bronco”, built by another custom coach builder, Centurion. He traded in his regular Bronco for it and we installed a Boss snowplow on it. It was a pretty cool truck. I had never heard of the Metropolitan version until today!

    Like 11
    • Avatar JustPassinThru

      September 1989, I was stuck in Grand Junction, Colorado, with a blown-up Yugo (no, I’m not making this up). As you can imagine, the Yugo was done for, but there was some question – the engine wasn’t salvageable (timing belt came off) but there was a Fiat in a nearby yard, the engine might work.

      So I waited in an old Bohemian hotel a few days, and walked to the repair shop daily. Each day I’d pass the local Ford dealer, who had, IIRC, at least 5 Centurions out front. Maybe more. It obviously wasn’t a one-off.

      I had never heard of a Centurion, and I was mostly well-versed in the automotive world. I thought, at first, it was a sort of early run, looking at regions that they might sell…but then, I heard nothing more, until a few years ago when I got the backstory.

      Not sure how the wheelbase was stretched. It might be they scooted F-150 frames under the cut/pasted Bronco bodies.

      Like 4
    • Avatar Ed Knelsen

      I’ve seen a centurion conversion bronco with dual wheels at the rear. Looked great. About the same year as this.

      Like 1
  5. Avatar Dan August

    I wonder what the mpg for this is?

    Like 1
    • Avatar markp

      I bet this thing can’t get better than 12-15 on the highway with a tailwind in a hurricane.

      Like 2
  6. Avatar Bamapoppy

    I like everything about this! Never seen or heard of it but I really am impressed! I’m reminded of a Dodge conversion that I saw in a magazine where someone used Chevrolet doors behind the driver and passenger. That was an odd look but made me think why not do that with Dodge doors instead? Oh, and it didn’t have a Cummins, just a V8. I think. As an old codger I may be wrong again.

    Like 4
  7. Avatar Tony Primo

    I haven’t seen one of these in ages and today I see two of them!
    https://dailyturismo.com/classic-conversion-1990-ford-f-350-centurion/

    Like 1
  8. Avatar angliagt Member

    I had a guy who gave me a Cortina engine that came
    out of his houseboat that was modified by OMC.He had a
    Centurion,which didn’t look too bad from a little ways away.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Stan

    Be a cool 😎 ski 🎿 vehicle. Haul 5 up to the mountain ⛰️ ❄️

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Jason

    I always wondered why Ford never considered building something like this, to compete with the Suburban.

    Like 2
  11. Avatar Max Schwartzmeyer

    Didn’t the rear “bed cover” come off, making it a partial convertible type of thing…or was that just the GM’s ??

    Like 1
  12. Avatar Emmet

    While it looks great and I can see the quality in the build, they ruined the one thing that made the Bronco great. Killed the turning radius! I had a 96 full size Bronco to pull my boat. Had plenty of power and could turn on a dime. I miss that beast.

    Like 0
  13. Avatar scottymac

    Saw something recently, maybe a one-off custom, but looked very professionally finished. Probably a 1994 generation Bronco, but a complete custom front end with projector beam lights, and restyled rear end also.
    B R O N C O in big block letters diagonally up the sides. Had no camera. Anyone know if a shop is putting these out, or was it a one-off?

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Eric P Akins

    The 351 was anemic at best…this beast never hits overdrive I bet, constantly stays in passing gear…lol

    Like 1
  15. Avatar PRA4SNW

    SOLD for $19,555.

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Angelo Mosca

    Erik Akins, I have one & it hits over drive every time. A few hop ups though with cold air box chip & true duel exhaust. Was not anemic when it was stock

    Like 2
  17. Avatar bill

    it reminds me of megarexx trucks and there mega bronco. the modern version of this

    Like 0
  18. Avatar Ashtray

    I’m not impressed!
    Just my opinion!

    Like 0

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