Mopar® Madness

Roger Meiners

It may not look it, but this innocent-looking 1978 Jeep® Cherokee Chief two-door off-roader is the result of a massive makeover perpetrated by owner Jim Repp; Mopar® Off-Road Manager, Keith Montone; and a brain trust of retired and current Chrysler Group LLC Jeep engineers. Together, this group of Jeep gurus probably has a couple hundred years of off-roading experience. Add a pile of Mopar parts and kits and the result is a rock crusher second to none. We featured a photo of this piece, known as “Mopar Madness,” in the July/August 2009 issue of Mopar Magazine, but here we show how it all happened—in just a year!

The Chief features a 6.1L HEMI® engine, Mopar Reman 545 transmission and Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Rock-Trac® 4-to-1 transfer case. The vehicle rides on Jeep Wrangler Rubicon front and rear axles, a Jeep Wrangler 4.5 inch long-arm suspension kit and new design Goodyear® MT/R 35-inch tires. See page 29 of the July/August 2009 issue for a list of part numbers.

To view the entire article download the following pdf.

Mopar Madness Rock Crushing Makeover - PDF