Last April, we stumbled upon one of the most bizarrely awesome projects we had ever heard of: Greg Huizenga’s 1983 Jeep Cherokee. In short, this is going to be one of the most radical non-offroad Cherokees out there, if not the most radical. A modified 1971 Chevrolet C-10 chassis supports the SJ’s body while a turbocharged 5.7L Hemi and six-speed from a 2010 Dodge Challenger donor provide the grunt. Out back, a Moser 9-inch floater axle takes the punishment of the Hemi. What’s the plan for the Cherokee? It used to be a drag truck, but Huizenga decided that he wanted to make it an all-around machine, the closest thing to a do-it-all setup he could make. Since he now has a 1977 Wagoneer to handle drag duties, the Cherokee’s jack-of-all-trades mission would make sense. 

Greg dropped us a line to let us know that the Cherokee is up and moving. The photos and video speak for themselves: this thing is nasty in all of the right ways. There is something awesome about this violent two-door brick that defies explanation. And that’s before you hear Greg get on the loud pedal and let the 5.7 roar. It’s the last thing you’d expect out of a full-sized Jeep, it flies in the face of what is the “right” thing to do to one, and we love it.