Yahoo Autos Vigilante's 1966 Jeep Gladiator Custom ready to storm a beach or a BBQ
Easter Jeep Safari almost always sees a classic concept hit the red rocks of Moab. What if you want to go real-life Jeep classic, year-round? Head south to another set of rocks in Texas Hill Country, where Vigilante 4x4 would be happy to set you up. The shop specializes in the Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer, Cherokee, and J-Truck, restoring examples to better-than-new or restomodding them with new drivetrains and interiors. This 1966 J20 Gladiator Custom demonstrates the latter technique, its 57-year-old Empire Blue and off-white sheetmetal wrapping new internals from front to back. That includes the rails, swapped for Vigilante's reengineered frame.
Even if the original came with AMC's 5.2-liter "Vigilante" V8, that engine's 140 horsepower and 159 pound-feet of torque wouldn't compare to the new truck's 485 hp and 475 lb-ft from a 6.4-liter Hemi SRT-8. Power runs from there through a heavy-duty Tremec six-speed manual gearbox in this case, or customers can opt for a four-speed automatic. Further upgrades like the Dana 44 axle in front and Dana 60 in back, the four-link suspension with Eibach springs and Fox 2.0 dampers, and the 17-inch wheels hiding Baer six-piston calipers help an old girl keep her BFG A/T contact patches in contact with the ground.
