The cute and plucky Geo Tracker is a prominent symbol of the 1990s. While the Geo brand itself fell prey to the corporate incompetence that defined General Motors during this period, the Tracker’s soft top and its compact SUV dimensions helped the spunky soft roader gain a cult following even into the 2020s. One Tracker however has been given a V8-powered transplant and can be yours for the right price.
Little Tracker, Big Power
When it was new, the Geo Tracker was designed to appeal to the youth market and that was certainly reflected in the cute styling that helped cement the SUV in the minds of young buyers. Its performance hardware on the other hand was anything but memorable with a 1.6-liter 95-100 hp four-cylinder delivering adequate amounts of power.
This lukewarm muscle perhaps inspired the prior owner to rip it out and take the Tracker to the gym. In this case, that meant replacing it with a Ford-sourced 5.0-liter V8. The listing doesn’t mention how much power the new mill is producing, but it’s safe to say that it’s far more than 95 anemic horses. A five-speed Tremec manual gearbox is also equipped but unlike other Trackers that were four-wheel drive, this build used the base 2WD model as its underpinnings.
In addition to the muscle lurking under the hood, the seller (Steel City Classics) in Alabama also confirmed that this Tracker received a full frame-off restoration with the only giveaways to its beefed-up personality being bigger wheels, dual-exhaust system, and the rear-mounted parachute.
How Much?
If you’re a buyer that craves the perfect vehicular component for your Baywatch-themed garage or even your inner 1990s fantasies you’ll be pleased to hear that this particular Tracker is still currently for sale. Steel City is asking $17,900 for the SUV and while it might make you answer some hard questions from your friends about why you invested your hard-earned money into a modified Geo Tracker, we suggest putting them in the passenger seat. Nothing eliminates doubts better than the deep burble of a V8 especially during hard acceleration.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.