This 1990 Jeep Wrangler Hides an LT1 V8 and a Wood-Trimmed InteriorMotoriousElizabeth PuckettTue, September 8, 2026 at 6:00 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleThis 1990 Jeep Wrangler Hides an LT1 V8 and a Wood-Trimmed InteriorA 1990 Jeep Wrangler with a fuel-injected LT1 V8 under the hood has surfaced in the Motorious inventory, and it is the kind of build that makes you look twice. Listed by Streetside Classics for $28,995, this YJ-generation Wrangler trades its factory inline-six for serious V8 power while adding a cabin that feels more furniture showroom than fire road.The exterior wears a matte, bedliner-style coating over an olive drab body, but the real surprise is underneath: the factory frame has given way to a custom tube chassis with a straight front axle riding on red coilover shocks, a look that owes more to hot rods than rock crawlers. A tube-style roll bar with an integrated LED light bar spans the width of the windshield frame, the doors have been left off entirely, and staggered performance tires on blacked-out wheels finish off a stance built for attention as much as capability.Step inside and the theme shifts again. The cargo area rides on a plank-wood floor straight out of a farmhouse, paired with a cowhide-print cushion, brown and tan cloth bucket seats, and a floor-mounted shifter. It is an unexpected combination for something riding on a straight-axle hot rod chassis, and it is exactly the kind of detail that separates a one-off custom build from a bolt-on kit.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe centerpiece, though, is under the hood. A 5.7-liter LT1 V8 swaps in for the Wrangler's original engine, bringing modern fuel injection and a substantial bump in torque and horsepower over anything Jeep offered in a YJ. LT1-swapped Wranglers are not unheard of in the restomod world, but pairing that engine with this level of interior finish work makes this particular build stand out.Stock 1990 Wranglers are far from blue-chip collectibles, but they have been gaining ground. Hagerty's valuation tools list a number-3 condition example of this configuration at roughly $9,900 to $11,500, and Hagerty's own data puts an average good-condition YJ closer to $12,178, with the last three years of public auction results ranging from about $4,400 to $41,800. Hagerty also tracks a 12-month average sale price near $13,300 across dozens of YJ Wranglers sold at auction, useful context for why a heavily customized, V8-swapped example asking $28,995 sits well above the norm for the model. Because Hagerty's price guide is built around original or lightly modified configurations, a bespoke build like this one is priced more on the strength of its execution than any book value, and shoppers weighing an offer are wise to run the numbers themselves before deciding.This Wrangler joins a growing lineup of Jeep-based customs moving through the collector market lately, including a 176-mile Bandit Outlaw Gladiator and a three-axle 6x6 Gladiator built by Maxximum Industries. For a look at how other shops are blending modern V8 power with classic sheetmetal, Motorious also covered a no-reserve 1970 Chevelle hiding an LS1 heart. Full photos, specs, and contact information for this 1990 Jeep Wrangler Custom Restomod are available now in the Motorious inventory.⚡️ Read the full article on MotoriousSign up for the Motorious Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.