Bring a Trailer has just wrapped up the sale of a rather remarkable 1979 Jeep Cherokee Chief restomod. The off-roader was rebuilt to “better-than-new” condition and swapped to a V10 engine sourced from a Dodge Viper. The buyer parted with $315,000.
After a full teardown and restoration, the Cherokee was resprayed in an exclusive combination of light blue and white coming from Aston Martin catalog. Retro graphics adorned the sides, and new wheels shod in BFGoodrich tires made it into the arches.
A peek inside reveals a tasteful and restrained interior that looks more period-correct than restomod. Rather than go all-out on expensive leather like many companies do, the tuner behind this project opted for Levi’s denim upholstery, something that Jeep itself used back in the era. Which is not to say that modern amenities aren’t present: there’s a Bluetooth multimedia system on board, power windows, an AC, a premium audio setup, and enhanced noise proofing all around.
As we said above, the engine bay is occupied by a 9.0-liter Viper V10. Built by Prefix, it outputs a cool 836 PS (825 hp / 615 kW) along with 1,017 Nm (750 lb-ft) of torque. A six-speed manual transmission sends the torque to a couple of heavy-duty Dana axles via an Atlas II transfer case.
Watch the videos to see and hear this truly one-off monster Jeep in action.