The most recent episode of Texas Metal sees the team turn the compact Bronco II into the coolest and loudest car on the road.
Bill Carlton and his expert Ekstensive Metal Works team has officially returned for a seventh season of their hit show, Texas Metal.
The Ekstensive Metal Works team has spent the last few months dutifully cranking out even more of their signature cool-as-can-be builds and now we finally get to see the process play out on our screens.
What you missed on the “89 Bronco on Blast” build
The most recent, “’89 Bronco on Blast” episode sees Carlton and the team start one of their most daring projects yet.
We already know that the Ekstensive Metal Works shop can make just about any truck look and feel like the cat’s meow, but this project challenges them to pull out all the stops on a fairly uncool-to-begin-with Bronco II.
And, of course, the team quickly comes up with a plan to make this little unassuming SUV one of the meanest (and loudest) vehicles on the road by adding that signature Texas Metal flair.
But this classic baby Bronco is not the only trick that Carlton and the team have up their sleeves in this episode, as they also set out to start working on a beat-up 1949 Ford truck.
In a show of true craftsmanship, this second challenging build requires that the Ekstensive Metal Works team pull out all of their best fabrication and welding tricks, for a one-of-kind build.
In order to complete this second project, the Ekstensive Metal Works begins work on constructing an almost-entirely custom-built new frame, complete with a unique independent rear suspension system.
All about Texas Metal’s new season
The “’89 Bronco on Blast” episode certainly pulls out all the stops when it comes to the Ekstensive Metal Works team’s impressive array of skills, but it is only one of many episodes in the Texas Metal season seven lineup.
The most notable details about this season are as follows:
| Detail | Description |
| Premiere episode | “Ram Tow, ’49 Ford Show” on January 31, 2024 |
| Most recent episode | “’89 Bronco on Blast” on January 31, 2024 |
| Timeslot | Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET or 8 p.m. CT |
| Availability | New episodes will be released on MotorTrend TV and on the MotorTrend+ streaming service |
The Bronco II: A short history
The Broncos have always been synonymous with the world of American SUV’s. But while both the first generation Bronco, and its cousin, the full-sized Bronco, took the market by storm in the ‘60s and ‘70s, the more compact Ford Bronco II fell (or should we say, rolled) flat on its face soon after its introduction in 1983.
And by the time that news had spread about the Bronco II’s stability issues in the early ‘90s, Ford had already started planning its replacement – the Explorer.
That is, of course, until Carlton and the rest of the Ekstensive Metal works team decided that they would rebrand this once-disgraced SUV as one of the coolest rides on the Texas roads.
The final product
If you have followed along with any of the Texas Metal projects over the years, you will already know that the Texas Metal team prides themselves in their ability to do in-shop body work.
As a result, this little ‘89 Bronco II left the Ekstensive Metal Works shop at the end of this episode, with a brand-new 5.0 crate engine, new brakes, and a reworked chassis to support it all.
And of course, in classic Texas Metal style, Carlton and the team capped off this impressive build by lowering the entire SUV to just inches off the ground. They also added an impressive sound system to match its new, cooler look.
What you can expect from next week’s Texas Metal episode
The Ekstensive Metal Works has been teasing the seventh season for quite a long time. And though the team has already tackled a 2023 Ram truck, a ’49 Ford F-1 and this compact ’89 Bronco II so far this season, it seems like there may be a few more impressive builds yet to come.
Next week, Carlton and the team take on one of his personal favorites, a 1968 GTO. This episode will air on February 14, 2024, and will be titled “’52 Wrecker Complete”.
And since the Texas Metal team always has a lot going on behind the scenes, they will also be finishing up one of their biggest builds to date by putting the last few touches on an impressive ’52 tow truck.
Rumor has it that we might also get to see a fully-custom Texas Metal-style Ferrari build a bit later in this season.
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