This fourdoor Ford foreshadowed late-model Broncos

Ddecades ahead of the '20 four-door Bronco, and even preceding the Ford Explorer and Excursion, came an SUV that could have passed for OEM and was built to answer the call for a three-row people-haulin' off-roader.

Looking back to the February 1994 issue of Four Wheeler, we took a ride in the Centurion 150SC 4x4 conversion to see how the one-of-a-kind machine stacked up against the competition.

Based in White Pigeon, Michigan, Centurion made its mark in the '80s and '90s doing extensive custom work to vans and four-bys. One of the company's notable creations was the Centurion Classic, a predecessor to the modern four-door Ford Bronco. Centurion began with a short bed F-150 Supercab XLT Lariat straight from the source at Dearborn, Michigan. The pickup would be loaded with all the power goodies, four-speaker stereo system, A/C, towing package, full gauges, automatic transmission, limited-slip differential and 3.55s in the rear axle, and the 5.8L V-8.

Centurion's process first involved removing the bed and cutting off the rear of the cab. In went Ford roof panel extensions, new B-pillars and rear doors from a crew cab, followed by quarter panels, a tailgate, and the cap from a Bronco. Using OEM panels meant the bodywork was on point and for the Centurion Classic 150, no modifications were necessary for the chassis. Opting for the Centurion Classic 350 meant beginning with a Ford F-350 and eventually required shortening the frame by 28 inches.