This is just plain cool: a genuine Dodge Lil’ Red Express truck that was used daily up until 2004. It has 132,000 miles and the original graphics likely burned off from exposure. The seller knew of the truck and acquired it after the owner passed away. It’s not pretty, but it is cheap at just $4,500 and listed here on eBay. These often pop up in preserved or over-restored form, so snagging one as a project could be the gateway to a rewarding build or restoration. First order of business: replacement wood slats for the sides of the bed!
Speaking of gateways, finding a tailgate will be another restoration assignment. The wood in the bed looks save-able and the chrome bumper still shines nicely. The paint is rough on the back of the cab but glass looks solid. The seller acknowledges this is more of a project than he wants to take on at the moment, noting that while the chassis is solid, there is rust at the cab corners and bottoms of the doors. The front floors have previously been fiberglassed, so rust has been an issue in the past. Fortunately, the new-for-’79 flat hood is in good shape, as are the fenders.
The interior isn’t great, and the seller doesn’t say much about it. Mainly, it looks filthy and the seats and door panels will clearly need attention. The carpets strike me as bearing the scars of rodent infiltration but I can’t tell for sure. Spare parts are included with the Dodge and spread throughout the cabin. This is the downside to a vehicle that was exercised regularly: even for the most attentive owner, it just becomes a daily driver and suffers the consequences of use. Since the truck is located in Florida, critters and moisture can be sizable opponents when restoring a truck like this.
Fortunately, the seller believes the engine and transmission to be numbers-matching; unfortunately, he hasn’t even attempted to turn it over to verify it isn’t stuck. The listing says the starter is likely frozen and also that the neighborhood punks broke into the barn and cut the wires to the starter. As you can see by the open hose, the radiator has gone missing, which may have been pilfered by the same troublemakers. Also missing is the ’79-specific grill for the square headlights, but that shouldn’t be too hard to source. A Lil’ Red Express truck is always worth saving; does this one deserve rescuing?
I’d love to get one of these in affordable project form. I’m afraid this one might still be priced a bit high though considering the missing parts and rust. I’d consider the rescue if he’d accept about half the asking though.
This was on Craigs a few weeks ago at $4900.
https://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/cto/6174309065.html
.
This is the third time in the last month it’s cycled through eBay, each time it gets a bit cheaper. A few hours with a bucket is soapy water and a vacuum would help it sell.
Steve R
I don’t want to trash talk it’s a pretty cool truck I remember when they were brand new as I was 7 years old…
But that being said the 78 model is the one you want they fooled emissions for only one year as the 79s aren’t pushing as much power.
As my wife owns (and we restored) a 79 Lil Red, with roughly 73000 kms ( about 40000 miles ) on it, we have followed these trucks for years, likely 20 years or so.
The 79 had emissions controls, but was actually faster in the quarter mile than the 78.
There were fewer 78 made, about 2200, and about 5500 79’s in total.
There are a lot of myths about these trucks, lot of good reading involved to get the facts.
In 78 and 79 they were the fastest production vehicles made in North America, often imitated, but Chrysler saw a loophole and got some performance back on the streets.
One of the last pickups that came with proper hooks and chains on the tailgate-as the pickup gods intended! I seem to recall the first year of these it was claimed as the fastest new US-made vehicle from 0-100 mph. No converters as trucks were a loophole that year and it came stock with a whopping 225 horsepower (yeah, it got that bad in the late 70’s-early 80’s!)
This one’s been rode hard and put up wet-a lot! Still, you’d be utterly amazed at how a set of new white oak planks, properly stained and sealed will look against new bright red paint!
I would save it also, but for it being a 79 and not a 78,Its priced to high at this point in time. There seems to be a lot of them around still.
They all are worth saving!! I,M with jesse at 1/2 the asking price ,that would put a little interest in me. I hope it gets bought so it won’t get lost and turn to junk. Sounds like it needs a new good home NOW.
Cab rot is extensive and hard to fix. Whomever gets it will dump a truck load of money in this one/ oh and good luck finding a grill.
Inner fenders, cab floor, box – they all rusted out bad in this era Dodge. At least mine did.
Yup, good luck on the grill.
Tail gate is a bit easier.
Rims are almost impossible.
We are still looking for the wood grain pieces on the door panels, ours are badly scratched. Anyone out there with a set??
Good start on a project, but worth about half of the asking $$. You could easily put a socket/breaker bar on the the crankshaft bolt to see if the engine is seized.
Rear bumper not correct, they came with a Ramcharger rear bumper. Steering wheel not original. It has the least desirable red interior with a bench seat. It is missing the exhaust heat shields, too.
You can still buy new (repo) tailgates and heat shields, etc.
You could easily dump in an additional $5-10K in there and many, many hours to make it look good again.
I have had one of those (for 30 years) and it probably will never get finished. Picture shows how it was in 1988.
There’s likely more rust on this than is being seen here. I would want to do a close inspection on it before even considering making a bid. I would also make sure the engine at least turns over by hand. Then if all checks out, I might go as high as $3,000.
Anybody else hear the tones for KMG365 and have the sudden urge to call Rampart General?
I just did a quick search on the net for finished Lil Reds.
12 of them for sale on Hemmings. Lots of other sites to check.
Without doing the actual arithmetic, I’d say the average price is $25k.
Seems like some wiggle room in there to buy one and fix er up, if you are handy and don’t farm it all out.
I used to have a 78, it was a decent truck, more loud than fast, but still fun. Wood, Decals, and metal bed parts are all available and fairly cheap. Exhaust parts are NOT cheap, and trim items are tough to find. Now so many diesel trims have stacks on them, it kinda makes the Lil Red seem not so cool……Being that I had one, I’ll hold out for a Warlock next time
At one time I had a ’78 Warlock, 440″, automatic, A/C, Cruise, dynamite (for a truck ) radio, Metallic Black, faded gold striping, the only thing holding the bed on was gravity, but that sumbitch would haul ass weather towing my buddys street hemi ’66 Belvidere II to Island Dragway or a cord of firewood. I miss it sometimes, sold it for a new tire for my Harley & $800 bucks.
No wood side boards and chrome ‘stacks are two of the better aspects of this truck. With all the rust issues and missing parts, and so many for sale, the old adage “buy the best one you can find” rings true in this case.
Didn’t they all come with the black split buckets with the little center seat/console ?
Are parts disappearing off the original find ?
No they did not………that ugly red interior was an option. Those black buckets were a truck option beginning around 1974 or so. My interior is shown in the pictures.
These two were or still are in a town about an hour away from me.