1989 Ford Cummins 12 Diesel Crew Cab Bronco F350 4 door Centurion 4x4 NO RESERVE

1989 Ford F-350 Description

This is a no-reserve auction on my Cummins Turbo Diesel powered 1989 Ford F350 (or rather Centurion C-350) Crew Cab Bronco 4x4 Custom Conversion. Because of patent reasons, Ford and Dodge could not manufacture a 4 door Suburban-type vehicle for many, many years... something like 1935 through 1998 Chevrolet had the patent on a Suburban-type vehicle. Though there was a definite customer demand. Well, the (now defunct) Centurion company out of Wisconsin found an aftermarket loophole answer to this dilemma, and they started building these 4-door Broncos from factory crew-cab pickups back in the late '70s. Behold, the awesome Centurion was born! It's the truck that Ford should've, could've and would've built, yet their hands were tied (legally). This company took an already great truck with solid-axles front & rear, and made it into something better than the GM Suburban counterpart. GM had an independent front suspension design that was underbuilt & weak... they also had a wheezy diesel engine that totally sucked, they had quality control issues in their plastic switches, gauges, lights, and other components, PLUS they didn't have a removeable rear top (for SUV to pickup truck transformability). Read on...

This is a capable off-road machine that can carry 9 passengers in style anyplace you wish (on or off the beaten trail). It has a decent amount of creature comforts, yet is still definitely no sissy SUV. It will take whatever abuse you can throw at it. This is a true One-Ton 4x4 full-size truck. I've owned & driven this truck all over the Country since 2008. I never intended to sell it, but I'm starting to get so many classic diesel vehicles that I have to liquidate some of them. It kills me to let it go, but I can't keep 'em all. The rear-most seat sits four. It's removeable as well (for cargo hauling space). This thing can be made into a pickup, or a Sport Utility Vehicle depending on what your needs are. The nice thing about it is the relatively short wheelbase for great turning radius and parking capabilities. Shorter than a 4-door short-box wheelbase, yet you can still haul 4x8 sheets of plywood or sheetrock with the tailgate down). I bolted in a goose-neck hitch-ball & thick steel plate which I've towed with a few times. Pulls like an F-350 should, but better (with Cummins power).

Tires are like new. Serpentine belt is fairly recent (no timing belt on a Cummins... as the camshaft is gear-driven). Brakes were done some years back, and work fine. Since the pictures were taken, I've removed all the green carpet, and replaced it with black diamond-plate rubber mat for a true hose-out interior. Carpet doesn't belong in trucks in my opinion anyway. Air conditioning isn't working, but is all hooked up with the original Ford equipment linked to the Dodge compressor. Probably just needs a charge and some wiring done to make it all happen (that is beyond my scope of expertise), but at least it's there in place... that's a good start. Has dual batteries, electric fans with thermostatic kick-on/off that is adjustable for whatever climate you live in (via a rheostat dial). Engine is a 12 valve bone-stock Cummins out of a 1989-91 Dodge Ram. It exhibits zero blow-by when you remove the oil-fill cap, and blows virtually no smoke out the tailpipe, even under hard acceleration under a load. You could change all that by turning up the injection pump, "rolling-coal" is not something I regard as cool. The truck is cool enough just as it sits. You could turn it up a little bit for more power than stock though if desired... and probably attain another 1-2mpg of fuel-economy gains, but I've never messed with the fuel-screw. The transmission is the Torqflight 727 and probably the most robust, durable automatic transmission on the planet! It is a non-overdrive unit, but the 3:73 axle gears and 37 inch tires help keep the engine RPMs down to allow it to cruise at Interstate speed. It goes 70+mph no problem, but the Cummins engine is mechanically governed at 2500 rpm, so it will last forever... but won't go much faster than 74mph. Some of the pictures are old, but currently the grill & headlights are from a late model Econoline to update the look of the truck. The old, faded 1989 plastic headlights were just not doin' it for me, and dull, yellowed, etc. As Midwest vehicles go... it is very much rust-free, but came from UTAH where they don't have severe winters, nor salt the roads, so it's had a relatively easy life before I brought it here. There is some rust in the rear wheelwells, over the wheelwell openings, and lower cab-corners, etc... but it's NOT that bad compared to what I'm used to. I could easily patch up the few little rust holes that are in the truck, and it would be ready for paint in little time at all. The body is pretty straight, but there is a small dent on the hood from a tree branch that fell on it years ago. Some of the pictures show a light-bar on the roof... I no longer have that. The Bronco Topper is presently installed, and comes with the truck. Heat works, but that's about the only accessory right now. Good glass, no cracks. 4-wheel-drive works very well, but in the interest of full-disclosure, the right front locking hub gets sticky sometimes, and needs to be replaced. It's the manual kind that you turn with your hand.

This truck weighs 8300 pounds, yet gets 19-20 miles per gallon on the highway. Being a diesel, you can run it off of most anything flamable. I have run used motor-oil (obtained for free) at times, as well as clean vegetable oil during the warmer months. It's a neat collector vehicle (due to its rarity), and very functional & utilitarian! Not your everyday wussy SUV! Take your brood on an adventure they won't forget with this super-rugged, fun-times, expedition rig! The suspension is stock F-350, but has a 4" body lift to accommodate the tall-block Cummins inline 6 cylinder diesel engine.

I have listed it at a VERY fair price because it needs some finishing touches. None of the dash gauges are hooked up, but that hasn't stopped me from using this as my daily hauling-rig for the past 8 years, driving all over the United States with it. I've been to Oregon, Washington, the East Coast, down South with it, etc... it's a reliable machine. There's a soft back-window & ford tailgate separating the bed from the passenger compartment. Ford mechanical speedometer does not work with the Mopar transmission which has an electric speedo output, BUT I have a Dodge speedometer gauge cluster that I'd include with the truck, OR there is a company that makes a box which has a motor in it... and converts the electric signal from the Mopar transmission to a mechanical movement to spin the Ford speedometer head. Costs about $280.00, so I haven't bothered with it (I've always just used my GPS suction-cupped to the windshield for a speedometer). Any further questions, please e-mail, or call me (afternoons and evenings) at (641) 512-5229. Thanks for looking.

I require a $250 deposit within 72 hours of auction's end via cashier's check, PayPal, or money order. Remainder of purchase price is to be paid for in full within 2 weeks of action's end. Cash in person is preferable, otherwise, if having the vehicle shipped, a cashier's check or bank wire-transfer is acceptable. Deposits are considered non-refundable. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation. I can store the vehicle here for a reasonable amount of time if you need to make shipping arrangements, or come pick it up in the Spring or something like that, but I require that it is paid for within 2 weeks of auction's end whether picked up yet or not. I have a good, clear title in my name, and can provide pictures front & back to the buyer prior to any payments being sent if desired.