The Lil’ Red Express edition was offered in 1978 and 1979 by Dodge and all were equipped with a 360 cubic inch police interceptor V8 engines. This example is a 1979 model listed here on eBay. It is located in Groveland, Florida and there are 4 days remaining in the auction. It is currently bid to $6,600 and is sold at no reserve. Most people don’t know that only 5,118 examples of the Li’l Red Express were produced in 1979 and it was not available for sale in California, Florida, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington. In 1978, only 2,188 units were produced.
The interior is dirty and looks like it has been sitting in a barn. The seller states that is exactly what this Lil’ Red Express edition truck has been doing for the last 10 years. The truck is said to have 69,000 original miles and was a 1 family owned truck since new. The seller pulled the vehicle from the barn and replaced the fluids, installed a new carburetor and it fired right up. The dealer who is selling it even states that there is no smoking from the tailpipes and no fluid leaks.
There original 360 V8 engine is said to run excellent and the three speed automatic transmission shifts well through all three gears. The engine was designated the EH-1 and was fed by a Carter Thermo-Quad carburetor and a dual plane, cast iron, EGR equipped intake manifold. A dual-snorkel air intake was mounted on top of the engine and exhaust was fed through dual exhaust fed stacks. The engine had an 8.2 to 1 compression ratio. The engine produced 225 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. A brake job is needed and probably some other work such as replacement of fuel lines is recommended. The truck will need new tires to safely drive it also.
The truck body looks great from a distance even with the wood paneling deteriorated and the decals faded. However, there is rust on several body panels and there a detailed photos to show the condition. I like an optimist but the seller describes the paint as “in OK condition for the age.” Power was listed as 225 hp for these trucks. Hot Rod magazine was able to achieve a 14.7 second quarter mile time in a 1978 pre-production prototype. That was almost as fast at the W72 equipped Trans Am with a published quarter mile time of 14.6 seconds. A catalytic converter was added in 1979 which was not present on 1978 models and quarter mile times were recorded at 15.7 seconds, a full second slower.
Wasn’t there a whole “trucker” phenomenon going on in movie theatres at the time? That’s what I thought the draw was supposed to be, with these bright red trucks and their prominent chrome stacks. Convoy, Every Which Way But Loose, Highballin’ ,etc.
Yes, I remember the trucker phase. BJ and the Bear was a TV show I loved to watch. I wore semi truck t-shirts. I remember watching a lot of semi truck shows. Smokey and the Bandit’s star was the Trans Am, but it’s co-star was a truck.
This needs a new cab .
Wowza the rust on roof cap and back lower cab is bad.
Salty air FL truck?
Nice try. Bruce Johnson is doing what he’s only ever done, playing superb jazz guitar.
Bruce Johnston is still active with The Beach Boys.
Since I was but a mere child when these debuted, I thought they were awesome. At the age of 50, I still think they are awesome.
Unfortunately, my talents don’t lie in the music area but I do like listening to Lil Deuce Coupe!
Function sometimes follows form. From sometimes follows fashion. As others have said there was a big marketing strategy that was spawned by the trucker movement and the CB craze. Maybe as big a deal was that ’78 was the last year a light truck would not have a catalytic converter. These were true dual exhaust systems with the really cool stacks. Few current production vehicles were a match for the l’il red.
Yes Chrysler pushed the envelope with their irreverent marketing but that’s a conversation for another day.
You don’t like it but others do and that’s what matters most.
I had a 79… although it had the emissions and converters I still smoked a 79 Corvette. Mine was just like the one shown sans the rot..
It had issues when I bought it… wanted to put a lemon where the decal on the door is.. Still a memorable ride
Li’l Red Truck. It’s a Li’l Red Truck, like is says on the tailgate and in all Dodge promotional materials.
Cc if you r going to be picky it actually reads. “Li’l Red EXRESS Truck”
Buddy has had one for 25 years loud and crude but lots of grins and thumbs up
Check out the tailgate and promotional materials. It’s officially “Li’l Red Truck.” No idea why Dodge confused things with that “EXPRESS” on the doors.
http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/ChryslerTrucksVans/1979%20Trucks%20and%20Vans/1979%20Dodge%20LRT%20Express%20Folder/1979%20Dodge%20LRT%20Express-01.html
Maybe it followed the whole trucker theme or that Express implies Speed.
Hahaha. You’re a hoot, Purple.
Thanks for that. 👍
360 cubes, 8.2 to 1 compression ratio, producing 225 HP and 295 ft-lbs is impressive for the year imo.
Grew up Washington State, had one of these running around back in the day, looked fun.
I’m guessing you don’t like Road Runners either…