This 1979 Jeep Cherokee S hides a very special secret under the hood: a V10 engine from a Dodge Viper. The restomod project comes from a Texas-based builder called Vigilante 4×4, which is known for cramming modern engines into older Jeep vehicles. CarBuzz drove a 1975 Cherokee S from Vigilante, but that one was powered by a 6.4-liter V8 producing 485 horsepower. This one takes vintage Jeeps to a new level with a whopping 825 hp.
“I am proud to say that we have built the fastest vintage Jeep in the world. This 1979 Cherokee S with a Viper V10 is the result of countless hours of design, engineering, fabrication, paint, and so much more. It’s a true labor of love, and you’d be hard-pressed to find another team around the globe who has as much knowledge and experience working in Jeep restoration and modification as we have here at Vigilante. We encourage all Vigilante customers to think big when designing their dream Vigilante Jeep, and the Viper V10 Cherokee is our latest example of pushing the boundaries of what a classic Jeep can do.”
– Daniel van Doveren, Vigilante Co-Founder and CEO
Thousands Of Hours To Build
Each Viper Cherokee is meticulously restored over thousands of hours at Vigilante’s Texas facility. This vehicle started life as a single-color 1979 Cherokee S, which had its body stripped to bare metal and repainted in a lovely Frosted Glass Blue and Stratus White two-tone combination with a tribal stripe. A full 3D scan checks to make sure no body modifications are required and a new wiring harness is installed to enable the new modern electric components. Every body panel is original with no reproduction parts.
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The interior boasts a true 1970s vibe with original Levis Denim fabric and Moore & Giles fine leather. Each seat has new springs, foam, padding, and powder coating. The climate controls are modern, but look like the original units. A Bluetooth stereo has also been installed but is hidden to look like the ’70s one. Vigilante even adds Dynamat soundproofing to make the cabin quieter than the original Cherokee.
Viper Power
Power comes from a Dodge Viper V10 engine, but it’s far from stock. Vigilante uses a Gen V Prefix Viper engine, displacing 550 cubic inches (9.0 liters). If you want to purchase this engine for your own build, it costs $28,600. Pricing for the build from Vigilante starts at $295,000. The punched-out V10 delivers 825 horsepower, going out to four-wheel-drive via an Atlas-II transfer case with a six-speed manual transmission.
Dana 44 and Dana 60 Currie Enterprise axles ensure that the Viper engine doesn’t completely twist the Cherokee into an unusable pretzel. Four-link Eibach coil suspension with Fox Racing shocks gives this classic Jeep modern handling, ensuring those 825 horses don’t send you straight into the nearest tree, while six-piston brakes with Hydroboost provide stopping power if you get a little too overzealous with the throttle. Worth the cash? There’s nothing else like this out there, so yes.
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