This is the second Lil’ Red Express truck we’ve run across this month. While the other one needed some paint, this one looks almost new. The Lil’ Red was a two-year, low production truck that Dodge cooked up in the late 1970s to keep their image alive as the performance arm of Chrysler. It was about the fastest thing to come out of Detroit since the heyday of the muscle car about a decade earlier. The seller of this truck isn’t convinced he wants to sell it, so he’s testing the waters at $24,500 near Riverside, California and here on craigslist. Thank you, Pat L., for another great tip!
The Dodge Boys took a half-ton Ram “Utiline” pick-up (or step side), slapped on some red paint and put wood trim on the bed, added dual smokestacks on the outside for the exhaust, and the LiL’ Red Express came about for 1978. Dodge built only 2,188 of the trucks the first year and another 5,118 the next before they moved on to something else. While it was probably the coolest-looking truck around, what made the Lil’ Red Express special was what could be found under the hood.
These trucks used specialty-tuned 360 cubic inch V8’s, which included competition cylinder heads and a high-rise aluminum intake manifold in the first outing. For the second tear, they switched to a police interceptor motor. They would come without catalytic converter later and had 4-barrel carburetors that were a third larger than those on most vehicles of the era, even with larger engines. Good for 225 net hp @3800 RPM, all “Lil’ Reds” used a special 727 TorqueFlite automatic with 3.55:1 rear end gearing. The seller provides us with several photos of the truck, but none of the engine compartment are included for this one.
We’re told that this ’78 model truck was originally solid in Canada and has seen only 55,000 miles. You couldn’t buy one of these trucks new in California because of emissions requirements. The body is straight, the paint is shiny, and the wood trim appears up to snuff. The interior is equally nice and comes with bucket seats and a console, while a bench seat was more commonly found in these trucks. The instrument cluster and “tuff” steering wheel were different than what you’d find in Dodge’s regular trucks, having a muscle car flare to them.
The pickups used aftermarket wheels of differing widths and the wood on the tailgate and sides of the bed were made of oak and painted for protection, then bolted to the body using chrome-headed bolts. So, Dodge clearly went out of their way to make a production truck that looked like a custom model. Car and Driver tested one of these hot rods back in the day and it turned in a stunning performance going from 0 to 100 and easily exceeded 120 mph in total.
I remember seeing them as a kid and thinking they were the coolest truck on the road. Could be said they were the first to market a muscle truck. Only recently I discovered in 78 this was the fastest production vehicle sold in America. He might have to make a decision to let it go because it’s nice enough that his asking seems reasonable considering what other niche trucks are bringing. His asking would barely buy a fair to midland Bronco.
The most attractive front end on a Dodge truck ever! (they are still Dodge to me, not RAM) I was never a big fan of the vertical exhaust pipes, but this truck would be a blast to own and drive! I too remember them from my youth alphasud, saw them quite often up in Minnesota.
This is pure childhood nostalgia to me. Almost the same exact truck to what they rode in the old show Emergency. Same color, just is a step side and not the version they had with all the built in cabinets.
Very impressive truck.
I had both 78,79. They never had aluminum intake, always iron with a thermoquad. 78 because of gvw no cats, 79 had cats. Only 78 had diff width rims and no spare. 79 had same rims with spare. 78 were built at tecumse canada plant,79 built at warren,mi. 360 was a police engine stock, trans was stock 727 with modified valve body. They were noisy but fun. Also 78 last year for bird bath hood, 79 was raised.
18 yrs old and working at a Dodge dealer when these came out, so I love the LRT!! Still see them on the road now because they stand out like nothing else.
I wonder what it’s smogged as in CA
It’s smogged to federal standards. Even though you couldn’t buy it new in California, the state doesn’t stop used cars from being brought in once they have 7,500 miles in the odometer.
Steve R
..and if it’s tagged in the right zip-code, it may not be smogged at all.
That’s a pretty nice example, but don’t know about that $24.5K price…good luck on that one.
Two things that stand out…..the brake arm should be black and they never came with step bumpers, the proper bumper is the Ram Charger version.
Yes, they did come standard with the Ramcharger rear bumper. brake arm in body color is correct, though. My ’78 Ramcharger has a body colored brake arm.
even if they were ordered with a step bumper, that one is a newer bumper.
And while there are two extra gauges, that dash is the same as any ’78 Dodge truck would have had.
As stated before 1978 LRE’s were built as a 1978 3/4 Model year truck at the old Chrysler Tecumseh Road Truck Plant which was down the street from the Windsor Canada Plant 3 Plant Code 9103 which has been the home of Chrysler mini Vans from day one production in October 1983. The rear bumper on this example looks like it is from a 1988/89 Dodge Dakota pickup truck. As stated in the commentary the wood was not sprayed with paint ,but with a CLEAR COAT SEALER. However the wood floor in the pick up truck box was painted “RED” along with the rest of the truck.
I had a 78 little red express purchased in 82 was identical to this one quite a heat score cops always stopping me
If we put this truck next to another which is obviously one half as good, the asking price would seem, to me, to be a better deal than the other priced at one half as much. The asking price seems pretty close.
These trucks never came with aluminum high rise intakes. they had stock 360 4 barrel iron manifolds and Thermoquad carburetors. Fastest production vehicle ‘available to the public’ in 1978, but not the fastest vehicle produced that year. That honor goes to the Dodge Monaco and Plymouth Fury Police package cars with the 440 Magnum engines. They would roast a Little red Truck without breaking a sweat. Key word is available to the public. Private citizens were not able to buy the U code police cars. There are a few exceptions to that, however. If Police agencies ordered too many cars, or were unable for any reason to pay for all the cars they ordered, dealerships would then be able to sell them to anyone who walks onto their lot. A few folks got lucky back then and were able to purchase new ones.
Yep those 440’s were rated at 205 hp vs the LRE’s 225 hp but believe what you want.
Nice interior, no engine photos?
As stated before 1978 LRE came out of the Chrysler Tecumseh Road Truck Plant in Windsor, Ontario Canada just down the street from Chrysler Windsor Assembly Plant Referred to as Plant 3 Plant Code 9103 the home of Chrysler Mini Vans since October 1983. This article states that the wood is “Painted for Protection, the wood is sprayed with a clear sealer not PAINT. The wood in the box is painted “RED” body-color. The rear bumper on this vehicle looks like it came off a 1988/89/ Dodge Dakota it is not a FACTORY CORRECT PIECE for Model Year 1978..
This belongs in my shop! But what would I sell to make room?
Bought one new in 1978, paid $6250.00! Sure wish I kept it.
11 pics, none under the hood and only one interior?
We owned a 79 Lil Red, and bought one the last factory NOS bumper in Canada for it, from a dealer. That bumper is not the original factory bumper. We still have the original bumper…