The usual restomod recipe is a well-worn checklist: paint the metal, add a modern stereo, chuck a small-block Chevy V-8 under the hood, and call it a day. This restomodded vintage Jeep, however, brings both outrageous firepower and thoughtful details to bear. Found on Bring a Trailer, it's a 1979 Cherokee with a Viper engine, Dana front and rear axles, and a modest lift with BFG K02 tires. Best part? It comes with denim-covered seats in true AMC throwback style.
The build was done by Vigilante 4x4 of Texas, which specializes in building some of the wildest Jeeps you've ever seen. This car wears the company's own billet aluminum wheels and was stripped to bare metal before being reworked from the ground up.
View Price on AmazonThe two-tone white and sky-blue paintwork is not only period correct but gives this chunky two-door SUV a bright and friendly look, like a big kid's Tonka toy. The 1975-style accent decals down the side are a secret handshake any longtime fan of Jeep will appreciate.
Under the hood, let's talk about that V-10 Viper engine, because it is emphatically not subtle. Displacing 9.0 liters, it's been put together by specialist Prefix, and it makes 825 horsepower and 750 lb-ft of torque. Power gets to the ground via a Tremec six-speed manual gearbox and a two-speed transfer case with manual locking hubs up front.
The interior gets the Levi's treatment like an old AMC Gremlin, mixed with modern amenities including power windows, a Bluetooth stereo, and suitably Texas-capable air conditioning. It's simple and clean and fun, and it makes you think that Stellantis might give the people at Levi's a call again and put out a special-edition Wrangler.
Source: caranddriver.com
