It is one thing to be a classic car fan and another thing entirely to be able to drive one daily: resurrected museum exhibits don’t come cheap. This 1975 Jeep Cherokee restomod may not look like a supercar, but with a price tag of $295,000 before options, it certainly aims at that status.
Texas-based tuning company Vigilante, which completed the build, says it had to strip the car down to bare metal to restore it. It then had to be put on a custom frame with Dana 44 and 60 axles, Hydratech brakes with Baer six-piston calipers and other modern features.
A 6.4-liter Hemi V8 slotted in under the hood with 492 PS (485 hp / 362 kW) and 643 Nm (475 lb-ft) of torque. A six-speed manual transmission and an Atlas transfer case were entrusted with carrying the torque to the four wheels. Per the tuner, the idea was to make the old and capricious SUV ‘infinitely more drivable’ and agile on the road, and it was a success.
The exterior and the cabin aren’t described in detail, but you can check out the gallery for yourself to see new chromed bumpers, 17-inch wheels in BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires and a two-tone blue and white paintjob. The interior is solid beige for the most part and looks fairly elegant with its period-correct trim and lack of modern gadgetry. The tuner has managed to keep the stock AM/FM radio alive and added a Vintage Air Magnum V climate control system on board to justify the restomod status.