I have always called these trucks the L’il Red Express, but I have seen them listed as L’il Red Truck and also L’il Red Express Truck. Even on sites specific to trucks like this 1978 Dodge L’il Red Express Truck it’s sometimes listed by different names. Confusing. This one is listed on eBay with a current bid of just over $4,500 but the reserve isn’t met. It’s located in Flora, Mississippi, just north of the capital city: Jackson.
A good friend of mine had a L’il Red Express, as I have called them for the last forty years. Sometime in the late-1980s, after having spun out on the freeway in the winter and smashed it up a bit, he had it restored back to like-new condition. It was a great truck, all bone-stock almost like this one, except for the tires and wheels and it appears that the front clip is a different shade of red? These trucks were only made for the 1978 and 1979 model years and this one could end up being a good deal, although Hagerty lists a #3 good condition truck as being worth $18,500 so this one has a long way to go on the auction.
The L’il Red Express Truck was a part of Dodge’s “Adult Toys” family of trucks. It’s fairly widely known as one of the last really unique and fast trucks to be made in that era and in 1978 they were the fastest American production vehicle from 0 to 100 mph. The seller says that this “truck is mostly all original and in good condition with no rust issues.” Some of the panel gaps seem off and I wonder why the front end seems like a different shade of red. The seller has refinished the wood on this L’il Red Truck – “recently removed the wood trim on both sides and tailgate, sanded and applied new varnish to them, installed with new stainless bolts and acorn nuts.”
The interior looks pretty good and from what I understand all of them came with an automatic transmission, so no harping on a lack of a manual here. Ha, as if I ever do that. (cough) These trucks weren’t cheap, coming in at just under $8,000 and that’s without the AC option which this one has. But, the equivalent of just over $30,000 barely raises an eyebrow today for a pickup purchase. Many are $10,000, $20,000, or even more than that in today’s crazy world of posh pickups.
Like having an automatic transmission, all of these trucks came with Dodge’s modified, tweaked, and otherwise hotten’d (is that a word?) up 360 cubic-inch V8 with 225 hp. Two of them were made with a 440 V8 for Canadian show purposes, according to the Chrysler bible: Allpar. In 1979 the engines were short on power due to emissions equipment. This one “rides down the highway at 70 plus with no issues.” Have any of you owned a Dodge L’il Red Express Truck?
Never seen a ac compressor mounted like that from the factory, don’t remember any that way (mind altering substances from 70’s have that effect).
As I recall, trucks were exempt from the emission rules imposed on autos, making trucks the only factory hot rods thru the 70’s.
This would make someone a great summer driver if the price stays reasonable.
Sorry horn has to go!
I agree, that is after market. If it had a 440, were they not black and called Warlocks?
Do i remember the weight class on these to be 5000 to avoid emissions?
Had a Tradesmen 200 van of the same vintage ordered new especially for fun and work. 360 4bbl. 3:54 ratio no a/c. and Rally Wheels
Ran 15 seconds flat at Englishtown and as we tweaked, it eventually ran 12.85 @ 105 still as a work truck. Great memories!
1978 was the more desirable year. 79 was when the catalytic converters were added
That is not factory A/C it’s add on, I have a 78 with factory A/C and that’s not it.
I didn’t think that looked like a Chrysler AC unit. Thanks for the info, Steven.
I was a junior in high school in 78. I remember ridiculing these trucks mercilessly. We all thought they were just totally goofy and useless trucks. Probably because they were. A marketing failure when new equals collectabity today. Its still a goofy looking truck. Being highly collectible doesnt change that.
I really try hard not to say anything negative publicly, but what you are saying is 100% on the money. We laughed at these trucks when they were new. On the other hand, I liked the same era Z28 and Trans-Am which were cut from the same cloth.
My best friends older brother had one- it was faster than any truck (and most cars) in our high school parking lot. Im sure many people were laughing at the “goofy truck” until their doors were blown off. I know he hauled hay and towed a horse trailer, so it wasn’t useless. I sure thought it was cool. Yes, it was a little in your face, but so were muscle cars. And, being bold seems the thing to do for truck buyers today- GM is seemingly on a mission to create the truck with the largest frontal area of any pickup truck ever- a truly goofy looking truck IMO. If GM put stacks and wood on that thing, all the bowtie fanboys would mortgage their house and sell a kidney for the privilege of an $800 payment.
Can’t help but ask but we’re these available in California without cat’s even in ’78? With that motor being fairly “hot” for the times I would almost think not. Cool trucks and I have seen them here for years now, but I just figured they were brought in from a different state and went through a referee station to be registered. Tough state when it comes to emissions compliance, yuck.
I believe, these flew under the radar, as truck emissions lagged behind passenger cars for a couple years. It’s why these were made in the 1st place. It just goes to show you, how the high performance era had waned, if THIS, was the fastest accelerating vehicle sold.
1978 was the last year for the D150 (heavy half ton pickup)to run without a catalytic converter,my dad bought a regular D150 with the slant six/three on the tree,pretty much bare bones pickup,the D100 series did have the converters though.
I know they say there’s no rust, but I’d go over it with a fine tooth comb. Having owned a 76 new that turned into a rust bucket, I’d be suspicious of anything and everything potentially being rusty.
Don’t forget to carry a spare ballast resistor if you buy it. It’s a $2 part and the reason mopars of this vintage don’t start in the rain. Mopars will run forever, if you can get it started. I’ve only known one slant six to ever die. And that dunce drained the oil, put 5 quarts of marvel mystery oil in, then drove it on a 40 mile round trip on the parkway to “clean” the engine. All I can say is he got some bad advice, but that 225 didn’t go gentle into that good night!
Funny you mention ballast resistors, I learned the hard way to carry an extra. Thing was if it wouldn’t start (usually after a short drive), swap it out when the truck wouldn’t start and you were back in business. After the first couple of times, I checked out the old one and found nothing wrong with it. I then started reusing them and never had an issue with them. No idea what caused the start failure, just swapping the ballast resistor allowed the truck to start when otherwise it wouldn’t.
WI think it would be cool to make a newer dodge truck into a tribute truck. Wooden rails red paint gold pin stripping, chrome stacks, and Crome steel wheels. Wouldn’t take much. Wait a minute I have a dodge cumins 4×4 that’s red, chrome steel wheels all it needs is a chrome stack, wooden rails, and gold pin stripping. I’d call mine Big Red Express as its a much bigger truck. Hmmmmm !! I’ve only ever seen a few of these back in the day there were very few of these around up where I live.
One of these has showed up in town recently, minus the bed. Someone has installed a 88-98 Chevy stepside bed on it. Amazingly, it doesn’t look bad, just quite not right.
I always liked these trucks except for one thing, those stacks. I can’t believe someone at Chrysler approved installing those things. And it may be sacrilege, but if it were mine, they would have to go on a shelf & a nice set of quiet mufflers & pipes in their place, where they belong, UNDER the bed exiting behind the rear tires.
You forget the times that truck was used. It was the 70’s, brother. The song and movie “Convoy” (1978) had CB radios and Big trucks all in vogue. Those double stacks were definitely cutting edge for the time. My conservative and staid father embarrassed us all by buying and installing a CB radio in our family truckster (1974 440ci Chrysler Town and Country SW). People really went wild over everything trucking. Remember Smokey and the Bandit?
Isn’t this the only vehicle that could go “double the double nickel” in some Car and Driver test in the late seventies? Seems like I remember reading that.
Yes you are right!
And that is NOT the right Ac compreesure Dodge used a 2 cyl V style!
No longer available.
there were some with the w2 heads and the 78 had a semi ramair going from signle lites in grill to air cleaner
Probably just me but didn’t care for the factory decals on the doors back then and still don’t. Feel the same with the ugly birds on the hoods of the Firebirds but I have to agree from an investment standpoint they are worth more money today.
Oh ok fine I’ll be the one who has to say it: “Adult Toys” sure means something different these days then it did back then.
Can see many things that are not original, having owned a ’79 since 1988.
Hood ornament, wooden racks, wheels, rear bumper (they came with Ram Charger bumpers), grey carpet, shifter knob, grey cloth insert in seat, hood release, brake pedal arm (black), and that A/C compressor and horn….already sighted.
It is the L’il Red Express. It is obviously a truck so putting that in the title is somewhat redundant. This looks like a good project. I had a Dodge truck that looked much like this back in the 80’s, it didn’t get the L’il Red designation though, I don’t think it was available with 4×4.
Had a 79… even with cats I still smoked a 79 Vette 😏..transmission was the reason I dumped it.. would downshift into 2nd at 60 mph.. it’s still on the road last I knew… wish I had it.. would put a A518 in it
The fix was probably some adjustment of the linkage…make it longer! This one.