I love your Cherokee Chief Daryl . I have always admired them since before I can remember. I really like the color and what you and your wife did with the interior . The LS swap is going to be amazing . Looking forward to your next video . Until next time take care .
I had a 76’, same color and configuration when I was in the Army. I had it while stationed at Ft. Benning. I painted the top white for some sun relief, made a custom overhead console for my CD player and CB. The 360 and Quadratec were awesome! Never got stuck! Ended up being the recovery vehicle for my buddies. Transfer case was leaky and the oil from the dealership was expensive! Loved every minute with it, except dropping the gas tank for sealing and the jankey rear window motor that inevitably failed with the window down. Ended up making a covered hatch to tweak the window motor when it failed. Great memories!
I have been a fan of the Cherokee CHIEF 2dr since the first time I saw one, I think I was like 5 or 6yrs old... Been awhile lol, but it was love at first site. My dad was a used car manager at a Jeep dealership and drove one for a few days as a demo and I recall sneaking out of bed late at night after my parents had gone to sleep and sitting in that Cherokee CHIEF dreaming that I was driving it til daylight!! Sorry for the long comment but I want to say that you have done ONE HELLUVA AN OUTSTANDING JOB ON THAT TRUCK!!!! THAT INTERIOR IS PERFECT AND ALL THE AMMENITIES AS WELL!! I have subscribed to your channel and look forward to more of your videos 👍
Is a 79 california legal? Emmisions, able to be DMV REGISTERED? I have a 78 Cherokee chief, wide track, quadra trac 360 bored over .30, lots of go fast other stuff. Wanna move back to CA
Personally i feel these Jeep should stay with the original engines, just built.. but thats just me, i hate when people swap engines in them. I wouldnt buy one with a un-original AMC 360 or 401.. I have a Grand Wagoneer, but thats just me
Dude! thanks for sharing. Im actually working on 89 Wagoneer rebuild. Im sure ill be picking your brain soon with questions. BTW the blue and black color scheme for this Chief is perfect!
Thanks for posting this. I'm in the middle of a resto on a 79 Cherokee. My friend is trying to talk me into transplanting a 5.7 HEMI but they seem difficult due to all the electronics needing to match up etc.
I am totally loving the Chief!!! I am so on board with the blue/chrome/blk combo, rich diamond stitch, new stance and wheel setup... just wished you would have switched to coils and updated shocks. I feel the 50" roof rack light bar gives it a little modern touch. 3-5 smaller led spot/flood set up might be a nice compromise though. Keep up the great job pumping new life in the old Chief. Looking forward to the engine swap, and seeing the final rig. I live in MN and would love to wheel with that bad boy and my 2018 Power Wagon one day.
Awesome Cherokee Chief, love the color combination. Keep Chrome bumpers! Leave grill alone! Light bar looks much better than round lights would. Great job on interior, I'm a retaired Auto Upholster 50 years exp. So you got your grade "A" from a Professional. Grade is based on creative and finished Work and beginner level. 👍🏼 I myself have a 1980 Cherokee Laredo SJ wagon. 2d owner Laredo was purchased by my in-laws in mid summer 1979 off Showroom floor. Black on Black with Grey cloth seat inserts. Interior is in Mint Condition, I re-upholsrterd Headliner and visors to factory specs. I will be showing my 1980 Cherokee Laredo here on UA-cam soon! Love your Cherokee Chief. Try not to overdo changes as you fell in love with what you saw! ✌🏼
My first vehicle I ever owned - 1977 Jeep Cherokee Chief. Had the better front end, other than that, very similar. Had 360 4bbl with RV cam. Super fun 4x4. Wish I kept it!
That color is perfect for that Cherokee. I would go with KC round lights on the roof rack. Doesn’t look right with the led bar. Can’t wait to see the engine replacement and what you do with the bumpers.
I had a 76 Cherokee Chief. 401 turbo hydro 400 on Quadratrak. My front axles would crack the bearing caps on the joints. Weak link . A blazer 44 is a spring over front axle and the width has to be close. My rear axle would twist the long side if I thrashed it hard and make thw wheel wobble. You can tell if the breaks surge. Get someone to follow in a car and if its twisted the wheel will be easy to spot. Put a detroit locker and first trip out I broke the pinion off at the seal. That thing weighs almost 5k. Most pickups pull it out when buried. If you make a front bumper keep it tight in you dont want a lot of overhang. They made some that set back in the grill. Same in the back. Mine was a bad ass. I Thrashed it weekly . On uneven ground you open the tail gate and it wont close. Also the window wouldnt go down. Good luck . 33s were all I could run.. hope you dont have a Quadratrak ! Also get a skid plate for the gas tank .
Awesome. I have the same vehicle, same year. I own 79 SAE CJ5, 55 Chevrolet NAPCO ect. I've invested a ridiculous amount of time and money restoring them and man oh man. I am so in love with my Chief. Don't black the grill out. I own a white on with with the blacked grill and think the chrome is asthetic af.
I grew up in a Grand Wagoneer, it also had the 360 v8. All I remember is she was big lol and comfy. It ended up at a junk yard as the yard tow-truck to drag everything around because it can.
Love the old Cherokees and wagoneers. My dad has a 67 wagoneer and my grandpa has one too same year but his has 350k on the odometer. He bought it new in 67. Being a 67 its a 327 with 3 on the tree.
Love the color. Always been a sucker for a good blue. If you do redo the paint take a solid look at the chevy Colorado Blue. Other than that id say take a look into optima batteries for those cold starts. Great job Daryl, really digging the build.
Love that color on the Cherokee. The 2 tone is absolutely beautiful. If you repaint keep the color scheme. Just my 2 cents. Also this really makes me miss my 84 Grand Wagoneer.
Since you asked - the blacking out of the grille will look great once you change out the bumpers. The light bar doesn't look bad honestly, but the circles (5) may suite nicely also given the vintage.
Had a 1963 Willy's Wagoneer, back around the '83, 84. Had gobs of power, since someone had replaced the 6 cyl with a Pontiac 389. Had a 3speed stick and 4.10 gears. Was a real booney basher. Could go anywhere. I have an '89 ZJ as a project now. But I really wouldn't mind a Cherokee Chief. I would convert it to possibly a Cummins R2.8 crate engine. And maybe a G56 transmission.
Greetings. I have a 83 cherokee. Yours is very nice. The interior does look great! I think the light bar looks fine since it kinda integrates into the roof rack. Go to fsjnetwork, there are some threads about LS swaps and that might save you some time. Mine has a 401 AMC, TF727 and Atlas 4 speed (2.0). I am rolling on a D60 up front and 14 bolt FF in the rear. 37" tires using a SOA in the front and Shackle flip in the rear. Loved seeing the pictures of it wheeling out by Ouray. A bunch of us meet up with our FSJ's each year, check it out on the FSJnetwork site. Thanks for sharing!
Nice truck. Owned 4 of these in the 80's. Hated the quadra-trac. The chain inside the transfer case stretches and skips under load. T15A trans and dana20 transfer case are more reliable but rougher than the automatic setup. Still these trucks stock still put to shame the garbage being built today. I have done off road feats in these Cherokees that put to shame the expensive toys built these days.
Nich chief ! But I think I got you beat with my "82" j20 ! 42k miles no rust original paint that looks great. Custom topper made in 82. I put a 3" lift and 20" black rhino armory wheels with 34" tiers . It's a hell of a fly fishing rig ! But i love your chief !!!!! Wish it was mine !
Spray line x bed liner or rhino liner on the Jeep and most definitely black it out. Maybe go with a line x coating in lithium grey with black bumpers and wheels + 4 front bumper lights. Nice jeep regardless!
I had one years ago. It was a great vehicle but my 360 4bbl really liked it's gas. If you could keep those diff lockers working it would claw through anything.
Love the Jeep. I have an 86 Wagoneer. Second best purchase so far. I'm stuck between 12v Cummins and LS swap for mine down the road. It would be awesome if you guys did a simple bumper set up for these things.
I had a 79 . I loved it and drive it for years till one day I hit something and knocked a vacuum line lose . I didnt know and I got off the trail and back on the blacktop . about 8 miles down the road it blew out the side of my transfer case. Its chain drive transfer case. Still my favorite 4×4. Spicer 44 and dayna parts. Correct?
lose the whole roof-rack and lights. Paint the roof a contrasting pale yellow to complement the blue. Great truck. I had a 1979 Cherokee S four-door and a 1985 Grand Wagoneer - both 360 v8 autos. the 1979 was my favorite!
I think 4-5 smaller lights would look better than the light bar, just looks out of place on an Old Cherokee. Sweet build though! im digging it and would love to own something like this!
Did you add the 3/16th thick steel support plates that go inside the C channle frame for the hitch ? These are there for more support for the hitch.. and to keep the frame from twisting
I knew you ran JK seats but didn't realize until now you used the JK seat brackets on the front. Did the interior front seat brackets work as well? Or did you have to fab up something for them?
Go retro or go home, KC round lights. The bulbs can be the new ones. If you want a new bumper research the 70’s round stock bumpers, there are some cool ones out there. They looked good Brown with black/silver flaked metallic.
Change out grill an head lights with old Jeep j10. I think ? Cant remember which one right now. an round head lights. an 4or 6 round lights on top Like the paint Like the Jeep. I was looking for one like that B4 I got my xj Close as I could get They r rusted out on the east cost Keep em going.
The Cherokee Chief is one of the best looking SUVs ever.
Brian A. You got that RIGHT... And they went thru the stuff very well.. = Great vehicle... always impressive
I agree, and I love that they're so rare. I've had mine since 1991 and can't part with it.
The Cherokee Chief is the first SUV. Sure brings back memories.
I had an 80 cherokee a while back. Loved that truck. Sad to have gotten rid of it!
Honestly Brian i don’t think i coulda said it Better! 🤘🏼
Loose the bar. Six round lights!
That color is absolutely perfect on that Cherokee!!! I love it just the way it is!
My Father had a 1978 Jeep Cherokee 2 door with almost the exact factory paint color, so I love it
I wished they still made these
Nice!! I really dig the color and detail work you’ve put into the Chief. Great job!!
Brings back so many memories from high school!! I had a red 79 Cherokee chief. So awesome to see one that was taken care of.
I love your Cherokee Chief Daryl . I have always admired them since before I can remember. I really like the color and what you and your wife did with the interior . The LS swap is going to be amazing . Looking forward to your next video . Until next time take care .
Simply awesome! Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely Beautiful Jeep!
very nice Cherokee and enjoyed the video. thanx for sharing.
My first time seeing this kind of a jeep. It's very beautiful.I like it very much. Good luck.
Awesome Jeep, my brother has a 1980 with 1978 grill copper in color - they are the coolest SUV's
wish I had the time and money to bring one of these back to life. Such an icon 4x4.
Great rig! The only upgrade I was thinking about you are already addressing. Good stuff.
Man what a handsome chief. It’s gonna be a great build I’m sure
Awesome resto. Love the styling choices. Will definitely be stealing some of these ideas for my Wagoneer.
I subscribed just to follow this build. I love the old Cherokees and can’t wait to see how this turns out.
She's a beauty ! Love the color as well.
I had a 76’, same color and configuration when I was in the Army. I had it while stationed at Ft. Benning. I painted the top white for some sun relief, made a custom overhead console for my CD player and CB. The 360 and Quadratec were awesome! Never got stuck! Ended up being the recovery vehicle for my buddies. Transfer case was leaky and the oil from the dealership was expensive! Loved every minute with it, except dropping the gas tank for sealing and the jankey rear window motor that inevitably failed with the window down. Ended up making a covered hatch to tweak the window motor when it failed. Great memories!
Love the color combo! Really nice!!
Beautiful old Cherokee I wish I had one it's my dream jeep
Nice to see your jeep = l always loved this vehicle...
I have been a fan of the Cherokee CHIEF 2dr since the first time I saw one, I think I was like 5 or 6yrs old... Been awhile lol, but it was love at first site. My dad was a used car manager at a Jeep dealership and drove one for a few days as a demo and I recall sneaking out of bed late at night after my parents had gone to sleep and sitting in that Cherokee CHIEF dreaming that I was driving it til daylight!! Sorry for the long comment but I want to say that you have done ONE HELLUVA AN OUTSTANDING JOB ON THAT TRUCK!!!! THAT INTERIOR IS PERFECT AND ALL THE AMMENITIES AS WELL!! I have subscribed to your channel and look forward to more of your videos 👍
I had a 79 Cherokee that was a twin to yours. Same color same everything. Sold it in Minnesota in 89.
One of my dream trucks is an old full size jeep. This one is a beautiful example.
Awesome work on the interior.
Love the Chief, it reminds me of 1 my family had. The LS is sweet but myself I think I'd went with a 5.7 hemi
Or even better a 360 amc
Is a 79 california legal? Emmisions, able to be DMV REGISTERED? I have a 78 Cherokee chief, wide track, quadra trac 360 bored over .30, lots of go fast other stuff. Wanna move back to CA
Personally i feel these Jeep should stay with the original engines, just built.. but thats just me, i hate when people swap engines in them. I wouldnt buy one with a un-original AMC 360 or 401.. I have a Grand Wagoneer, but thats just me
@@jeepsblackpowderandlights4305 Yes sir, all AMC!
You've done some really nice work on this old Jeep.
I'll be watching to see how it fits. I like this combo for my fsj and xj
Love this design... They can't make em like they used to.
Beautiful truck
Dude! thanks for sharing. Im actually working on 89 Wagoneer rebuild. Im sure ill be picking your brain soon with questions. BTW the blue and black color scheme for this Chief is perfect!
Thanks for posting this. I'm in the middle of a resto on a 79 Cherokee. My friend is trying to talk me into transplanting a 5.7 HEMI but they seem difficult due to all the electronics needing to match up etc.
I really like that color. Don’t see it often on a chief. Keep it!
Boo!!! LS Boo!!! Love everything about it otherwise haha I need to get that radio for my '83 J10
I am totally loving the Chief!!! I am so on board with the blue/chrome/blk combo, rich diamond stitch, new stance and wheel setup... just wished you would have switched to coils and updated shocks. I feel the 50" roof rack light bar gives it a little modern touch. 3-5 smaller led spot/flood set up might be a nice compromise though. Keep up the great job pumping new life in the old Chief. Looking forward to the engine swap, and seeing the final rig. I live in MN and would love to wheel with that bad boy and my 2018 Power Wagon one day.
Awesome Cherokee Chief, love the color combination. Keep Chrome bumpers!
Leave grill alone!
Light bar looks much better than round lights would.
Great job on interior, I'm a retaired Auto Upholster 50 years exp. So you got your grade "A" from a Professional.
Grade is based on creative and finished
Work and beginner level. 👍🏼
I myself have a 1980 Cherokee Laredo SJ wagon. 2d owner
Laredo was purchased by my in-laws in mid summer 1979 off Showroom floor.
Black on Black with Grey cloth seat inserts. Interior is in Mint Condition, I
re-upholsrterd Headliner and visors to factory specs.
I will be showing my 1980 Cherokee Laredo here on UA-cam soon!
Love your Cherokee Chief. Try not to overdo changes as you fell in love with what you saw! ✌🏼
Love the color and chrome grille.
I loved following this jeep build man! Super jealous, my dream Jeep! Maybe I can stop by and check it out some time!
100% on the round lights, some of those old school smiley face KC's would be cool
Wow super nice! I have a 1978 Cherokee chief I want to get running again
Wow, never seen one I liked this much....now I kinda want one.
My first vehicle I ever owned - 1977 Jeep Cherokee Chief. Had the better front end, other than that, very similar. Had 360 4bbl with RV cam. Super fun 4x4. Wish I kept it!
That color is perfect for that Cherokee. I would go with KC round lights on the roof rack. Doesn’t look right with the led bar. Can’t wait to see the engine replacement and what you do with the bumpers.
I had a 76 Cherokee Chief. 401 turbo hydro 400 on Quadratrak. My front axles would crack the bearing caps on the joints. Weak link . A blazer 44 is a spring over front axle and the width has to be close. My rear axle would twist the long side if I thrashed it hard and make thw wheel wobble. You can tell if the breaks surge. Get someone to follow in a car and if its twisted the wheel will be easy to spot. Put a detroit locker and first trip out I broke the pinion off at the seal. That thing weighs almost 5k. Most pickups pull it out when buried. If you make a front bumper keep it tight in you dont want a lot of overhang. They made some that set back in the grill. Same in the back. Mine was a bad ass. I Thrashed it weekly . On uneven ground you open the tail gate and it wont close. Also the window wouldnt go down. Good luck . 33s were all I could run.. hope you dont have a Quadratrak ! Also get a skid plate for the gas tank .
Great interior!
Always liked that body style! J20 as well!
Love the Cherokee Chief ... Wish my dad hadn't got me to trade mine off years ago.
Awesome. I have the same vehicle, same year. I own 79 SAE CJ5, 55 Chevrolet NAPCO ect. I've invested a ridiculous amount of time and money restoring them and man oh man. I am so in love with my Chief.
Don't black the grill out. I own a white on with with the blacked grill and think the chrome is asthetic af.
That is great looking chief
So clean!
I like that light bar on there looks good
I grew up in a Grand Wagoneer, it also had the 360 v8. All I remember is she was big lol and comfy. It ended up at a junk yard as the yard tow-truck to drag everything around because it can.
That blue is great. When I find a project, I'll be torn between painting it that color or a deep green
Leave the color. Looks great
Love the old Cherokees and wagoneers. My dad has a 67 wagoneer and my grandpa has one too same year but his has 350k on the odometer. He bought it new in 67. Being a 67 its a 327 with 3 on the tree.
Love the color. Always been a sucker for a good blue. If you do redo the paint take a solid look at the chevy Colorado Blue. Other than that id say take a look into optima batteries for those cold starts. Great job Daryl, really digging the build.
A new battery will for sure be going in with the new motor.
offsett diff was for the quadratrac. both outputs on the right of the transfer case. had 5 79s and a 78 years ago
Yep, for sure. The narrow tracks are way more (well 5" more) offset though.
GOOD LOOKING CLASSIC JEEP CHROKEE WITH EVERY DIME RESTORE TO MANY THEM WENT CRUSHER . ITS TRUE JEEP
Love that color on the Cherokee. The 2 tone is absolutely beautiful. If you repaint keep the color scheme. Just my 2 cents. Also this really makes me miss my 84 Grand Wagoneer.
Since you asked - the blacking out of the grille will look great once you change out the bumpers. The light bar doesn't look bad honestly, but the circles (5) may suite nicely also given the vintage.
Damn what a beauty! 😍
Had a 1963 Willy's Wagoneer, back around the '83, 84. Had gobs of power, since someone had replaced the 6 cyl with a Pontiac 389. Had a 3speed stick and 4.10 gears. Was a real booney basher. Could go anywhere. I have an '89 ZJ as a project now. But I really wouldn't mind a Cherokee Chief. I would convert it to possibly a Cummins R2.8 crate engine. And maybe a G56 transmission.
Greetings. I have a 83 cherokee. Yours is very nice. The interior does look great! I think the light bar looks fine since it kinda integrates into the roof rack. Go to fsjnetwork, there are some threads about LS swaps and that might save you some time. Mine has a 401 AMC, TF727 and Atlas 4 speed (2.0). I am rolling on a D60 up front and 14 bolt FF in the rear. 37" tires using a SOA in the front and Shackle flip in the rear. Loved seeing the pictures of it wheeling out by Ouray. A bunch of us meet up with our FSJ's each year, check it out on the FSJnetwork site. Thanks for sharing!
i think it looks great
my first jeep was a chief year 80 black great car
Nice truck. Owned 4 of these in the 80's. Hated the quadra-trac. The chain inside the transfer case stretches and skips under load. T15A trans and dana20 transfer case are more reliable but rougher than the automatic setup. Still these trucks stock still put to shame the garbage being built today. I have done off road feats in these Cherokees that put to shame the expensive toys built these days.
Nich chief ! But I think I got you beat with my "82" j20 ! 42k miles no rust original paint that looks great. Custom topper made in 82. I put a 3" lift and 20" black rhino armory wheels with 34" tiers . It's a hell of a fly fishing rig ! But i love your chief !!!!! Wish it was mine !
Absolutely beautiful work done. If you don't mind me asking, where'd you get the seats. Looking at a 76 cherokee but like how bolstered your seats are
I think it looks great in that color
welp 2 years too late
Spray line x bed liner or rhino liner on the Jeep and most definitely black it out. Maybe go with a line x coating in lithium grey with black bumpers and wheels + 4 front bumper lights. Nice jeep regardless!
Sweet Chief!
I had one years ago. It was a great vehicle but my 360 4bbl really liked it's gas. If you could keep those diff lockers working it would claw through anything.
Love the Jeep. I have an 86 Wagoneer. Second best purchase so far. I'm stuck between 12v Cummins and LS swap for mine down the road. It would be awesome if you guys did a simple bumper set up for these things.
Do the cummins. That would be such a cool build!
Definitely the 12 valve Cummins as they're a solid pretty much bullet proof diesel.
Looks good to me!
My first 4 wheel drive was a 77 Chief, green and white.
A jewel, that´s all
I miss my old 77 chief. Got mine from a farmer for $260. Drove it for nine years and sold it for $300.
Rear seat brackets do you have pics of them. Btw love it yall did a heck of a job. We have a 77 that were working on now.
Will snap some shots for you.
Battleship grey with the black stripe and blacked out matte grill. Keep the new light bar and give it a restored kinda feel
I had a 79 . I loved it and drive it for years till one day I hit something and knocked a vacuum line lose . I didnt know and I got off the trail and back on the blacktop . about 8 miles down the road it blew out the side of my transfer case.
Its chain drive transfer case.
Still my favorite 4×4. Spicer 44 and dayna parts. Correct?
lose the whole roof-rack and lights. Paint the roof a contrasting pale yellow to complement the blue. Great truck. I had a 1979 Cherokee S four-door and a 1985 Grand Wagoneer - both 360 v8 autos. the 1979 was my favorite!
Like the color. Dump the light bar and get period correct lights.👍🏼
Love the blue n black. Take out the chrome and black it out.
Man that thing is sharp looking at one. Right now on facebook market place
I think 4-5 smaller lights would look better than the light bar, just looks out of place on an Old Cherokee. Sweet build though! im digging it and would love to own something like this!
Did you add the 3/16th thick steel support plates that go inside the C channle frame for the hitch ? These are there for more support for the hitch.. and to keep the frame from twisting
Classic 4wds and round off road lights go like peanut butter and jelly. So does any wheels 17" or less and big tires.
It has rectangular headlights so the light bar looks good. Keep it.
Nice jeep :) The aluminum bumpers are nice but mine came apart in layers and they're hard to find.
I knew you ran JK seats but didn't realize until now you used the JK seat brackets on the front. Did the interior front seat brackets work as well? Or did you have to fab up something for them?
Go retro or go home, KC round lights. The bulbs can be the new ones. If you want a new bumper research the 70’s round stock bumpers, there are some cool ones out there.
They looked good Brown with black/silver flaked metallic.
This rig is sweet. What do you think about changing the front grill to the 60's gladiator style?
What can I say about this legend, its still ways better than best Chinese cars.
Nice Jeep. Who made those badges for you? I got '79 with manual transmission. About to start my restoration. Still have few parts to gather.
Классный автомобиль!
Color is awesome but I say keep the grill chrome and find reproduction chrome bumpers everything else is mint
So cool sir you car
Ditch that lightbar. Install 4 rectangular off road lights instead to compliment the headlamps - Keep it Classy!
Change out grill an head lights with old Jeep j10. I think ? Cant remember which one right now. an round head lights. an 4or 6 round lights on top Like the paint Like the Jeep. I was looking for one like that B4 I got my xj Close as I could get They r rusted out on the east cost Keep em going.