An 825-hp Viper V10 gives this classic Jeep Cherokee Chief new life. The build blends serious off-road hardware with tasteful retro touches. After an early engine scare, the V10 was rebuilt and thoroughly checked. Restomods live or die on restraint. Too little money and the thing feels half-finished; too much and it turns into a parody of itself, screaming for attention in a parking lot. This 1979 Jeep Cherokee Chief lands in the narrow space between those failures, and it does it with Aston Martin paint, a six-speed manual, a real four-wheel-drive system, and a 9.0-liter Viper V10. Look at it parked, and nothing gives away the supercar power underneath. Read: Vigilante’s Hemi-Powered Jeep Scrambler Costs More Than Three Wranglers 392s Currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer, this 1979 Cherokee Chief was built by Texas-based Vigilante, a company known for transforming classic Jeeps into modern machines without losing their original character. At first glance, it looks like a particularly clean restoration. The two-tone white-and-blue paint, 1975-style side graphics, and chunky BFGoodrich tires all fit perfectly with the Cherokee’s late-1970s personality. Photos BaT Under the hood sits a naturally aspirated 9.0-liter Prefix-built Viper Gen V V10 producing 825 horsepower (615 kW) and 750 lb-ft (1,017 Nm) of torque. That’s enough output to put this vintage Jeep solidly in modern supercar territory. Power in the Cherokee routes through a Tremec TR-6060 six-speed manual transmission, an Atlas II transfer case, and heavy-duty Dana axles front and rear. Inside the cabin, the build takes a slightly different approach. Rather than chasing a luxury SUV vibe, Vigilante leaned into Jeep and AMC heritage with blue Levi’s denim upholstery. Modern conveniences, including air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity, power windows, premium audio equipment, and extensive sound deadening, join vintage-inspired materials. Photos BaT Interestingly, the build wasn’t entirely trouble-free. According to the owner, an oil line reportedly separated shortly after the completed vehicle arrived at Prefix’s facility in Detroit, leading to an engine seizure. The engine was subsequently torn down, inspected, rebuilt with new bearings, and tested before being returned to service. As of this writing, bidding has already climbed into near-six-figure territory with a few days remaining. That’s no surprise. Plenty of restomods throw big power at a classic. Far fewer manage to combine 825 horsepower, a manual transmission, genuine off-road hardware, and denim seats into a package that feels cohesive without shouting at everyone to look at it. Check out the listing here. Photos BaT