M1009 Centurion conversion

[DanzboysM1009]

SS Crew-

I was driving around the other day and saw a Ford Centurion parked next to me, thought it was cool. I liked it, so I did some research, they are super hard to find and diesel ones are going for upwards of $10,000. These are trucks that Ford built as a conversion back in the 90s before they committed to the Excursion as a way to combat Chevy's Suburban. Now, I'm a single dad and don't have much cash and totally love my 1985 M1009. I bought it for me and my boys to have a convertible for the the summer, we'll be taking the top off it. My M1009 has horrible floors and they need replacing, so I thought about selling it to get a Centurion, again, they are hard to find. However, I was wondering if I could convert my M1009 into a type of Centurion itself. I was wondering if I could find a donor civy suburban and put my 6.2 into it, whack part of the frame off and take the rear section of my M1009 and graft it onto the back of the suburban cab. Or if I could find a crew cab pickup and cut the back off the cab, that may be a better option. I'd get the 4 doors and the removable top. Just curious as to what you all think, full well knowing that cutting an M1009 for any reason may be frowned upon on this site. Just think it would be cool project and I'd end up with a unique truck in the end. Any help or insight into the suburban or crew cab would be appreciated.

LCDR Dan

 

[K9Vic]

Ford had nothing to do with the Centurion they are aftermarket conversions, it converted by Centurion. The conversion involved combining a new crew cab short bed F350 Series truck with a Bronco tailgate and fiberglass top. They are not extended Bronco trucks, they are a crew cab pickup with a bronco rear body molded in one piece. Now that the Excursion is gone there is an aftermarket company Custom Autos by Tim making them again out of new crew cab trucks, but they are utilizing used Excursion shells for the rear.

An Avalanche is simply a Suburban with the rear cut out with added support at the back of the cab. That rear roll bar is added support, not looks. I have see the older 80s Suburban trucks done the same aftermarket, but not sure if a blazer top would even fit. Anything can be done with time and money, but I see no point in doing it. Just by a diesel Suburban and make it into a CUCV clone.

 

[CycleJay]

Hi Danz,

I thought of a simpler way for you to do your mod.

Simply take a suburban, and very carefully cut the roof off over the cargo area.
Then put jambs/weatherstripping on both sides of where the cutting was made.
Then add some bolt holes, to both sides, so you can bolt the roof back on,
and make it removable just like the M1009..

That way you do not have to do any chopping to the frame, etc..
And it goes from being a major project, to a minor or moderate project.

Hope that helps.. Good luck.. Good idea too..

Good day,

CJ

 

[DriverSideImpact1008]

Hi Danz,

I thought of a simpler way for you to do your mod.

Simply take a suburban, and very carefully cut the roof off over the cargo area.
Then put jambs/weatherstripping on both sides of where the cutting was made.
Then add some bolt holes, to both sides, so you can bolt the roof back on,
and make it removable just like the M1009..

That way you do not have to do any chopping to the frame, etc..
And it goes from being a major project, to a minor or moderate project.

Hope that helps.. Good luck.. Good idea too..

Good day,

CJ

This was my thinking as well. It'd be way too complicated and expensive to stretch a Blazer or to chop a little off the back of a Burb.

It'd be so much cheaper and easier to find a Burb with a tailgate/rear window (non-barn-door rear) and put a Blazer cap on it.

It would make a really nice "M1007" as many have deemed it.

 

[DriverSideImpact1008]

In fact after a quick search a few guys have done it. And several different ways. They seem to graft part of the bottom rear of the Blazer on also.

This is just one page with a pic. But there are a bunch of more on some of the other pages of this thread on Colorado K5.
UPDATE Topless Suburban on Rocks Build Thread 10.26.8 - Page 3 - CK5 Blazer Forums


And here you can get a better idea of what they cut and graft on.
http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=174188&page=6

 

[jdeoliveira74]

the off road guys have done it to a burb.. cool conversion. I think it will be alot of work for a suburban with the top to come off of the back of the truck. I say if your gonna do that might as well go all the way and cut the roof to the front and have a sof t top made!

 

[DanzboysM1009]

Well I'll be dammed, that looks WAY easier than what I had thought. I thought the rear of the Burb was longer than the top of the Blazer, dang. Interesting that the back half of my M1009 is in pristine condition while the bottom half is rusted to ****. May just hunt down a burb and transplant the 6.2 and tranny into it and do the top grafting, cool. Thanks for all the help, I appreciate it.

LCDR Dan