Vehicle Description
This 1979 Dodge Lil' Red Express is a beefy performance pickup
truck with tasteful upgrades and a gorgeous attention-grabbing
look! When it came to automotive performance, the decade of the
1970s was seemingly a step backwards. With the onset of the new
performance dampening government regulations intended to curb smog
and other environmental pollution, the muscle car era of the 1960s
was over as America's automakers were forced to build more
practical grocery getters that polluted less and were more fuel
efficient. However, like most government regulations, there was a
loophole; but, more on that a little later. In the late 70s,
Dodge's parent company Chrysler was in serious financial trouble.
In an attempt to reinvigorate Chrysler, the Big Three Detroit
automaker brought in famed automotive executive Lee Iacocca, whose
largest career achievement at that point was bringing the Mustang
to Ford and transforming a once sleepy brand into marque that
attracted a more youthful customer base. In an effort to catch
lightning in a bottle for a second time in his career, the team at
Dodge borrowed a formula used by Iacocca at Ford; that is, enticing
younger buyers to the brand with cool-looking, performance oriented
vehicles. In order to produce a true performance vehicle in spite
of the new government regulations, Dodge took advantage of the
aforementioned loophole in the regulations. Since the new
regulations only applied to passenger cars, Dodge came up with a
performance oriented truck line known as "The Adult Toys From
Dodge," comprised of the Warlock, Ramcharger, Street Van, and, of
course, the Lil' Red Express. The Lil' Red Express Pickup Trucks
were, and continue to be, some of the most iconic American made
pickup trucks of all time. Sporting a bright Canyon Red paint
scheme, elevated wood paneling, special decals, and perhaps its
most memorable feature, dual chrome vertically-mounted exhaust
pipes with heat shields. Not only were the Lil' Red Express trucks
extremely eye catching rigs, they were also some of the fastest
production vehicles on the road at the time with some folks
remembering them beating Corvettes in the quarter mile. Looking
back, the Warlock and Lil' Red Express were among the first
performance-oriented pickup trucks, released decades before Ford's
Lightning and Raptor trucks or even GM's Typhoon and Syclone
models. This particular example comes to us from the hands of
collector who owned the truck for the past 20 years. Under the hood
on this '79 Lil' Red is a 360 Cubic Inch V8 engine fed by an
upgraded Holley single 4 barrel carburetor mounted atop an
Edelbrock aluminum intake. The 360 V8 is backed by a Torqueflite
727 Automatic transmission that ensures that just about anybody can
take this Dodge Pickup for a spin around the block. Exhaust exits
the powerful Mopar V8 through a set of headers up through a pair
chrome vertical exhaust stacks that have an iconic look and produce
a fantastic sound. This 1979 Lil Red Express Pickup Truck comes
absolutely loaded with options! With power front disc brakes and
power drums in the rear, bringing this '79 Dodge to a complete stop
is easy. Power steering is another wonderful addition on any
classic truck since it improves the overall driving experience and
makes getting in and out of a tight parking space almost
effortless. Further aiding parking efforts are a pair of chrome
outside mirrors so that you can see whats on your sides at all
times. You'll be able to stay cool while cruising even on the
hottest summer days since this 1979 Lil' Red Pickup comes equipped
with Air Conditioning. Previous ownership also added several period
upgrades including cab-mounted driving lights and a sunroof. The
steel stepside pickup box and tailgate appear to be in great shape
as is the wooden bed and the decorative wooden side stakes. Riding
on a set of raised letter BFGoodrich Radial T/A tires mounted on
chrome wheels, this 1979 Dodge truck has a fantastic look and even
better ride. The exterior has been refinished in a beautiful Canyon
Red paint and is accented with golden Lil' Red decals and wood trim
that together complete the exterior appearance of this 70s
performance truck. The interior of this 1979 Dodge Lil' Red Express
Pickup Truck is absolutely stunning! The bench seat with folding
center armrest have been reupholstered in gorgeous black vinyl. The
matching door panels, black carpeting, "Tuff" steering wheel, and
black padded dash are in wonderful condition as well and all appear
to retain a mostly stock look. The instrument cluster comes
outfitted with an 85 MPH speedometer, 8,000 RPM Sun Super Tach II
tachometer, volt gauge, vacuum gauge, alternator gauge, temperature
gauge, oil pressure gauge, and fuel gauge. The original radio has
been upgraded to an Eclipse AM/FM/CD entertainment system with a
number of speakers added around the cab so that you can listen to
all of your favorite tunes while cruising down the road. Other
interior upgrades include a dash-mounted Autometer Pro-Lite warning
light, various lighting and climate controls, an under-dash mounted
CB radio, and locking glovebox. Whether you're buying your very
first classic pickup truck or you're adding to your existing
collection of Mopars, this 1979 Dodge Lil' Red Express would make
an excellent addition. Give Ellingson's a call today at
763-428-7337!
*360 Cu. In. V8
*Single 4 Barrel Carburetor
*Torqueflite 727 Automatic Transmission
*Power Front Disc Brakes
*Power Steering
*Air Conditioning
*Canyon Red Exterior w/ Lil' Red Decals
*Black Vinyl Interior
*Auxiliary Sunroof & Accessories
*Dual Chrome Vertical Exhaust Stacks
*1 of 5,118 Produced
*Odometer Reads: 36,685 Miles
If an inaccurate automobile price is inadvertently listed on this
Website, Seller reserves the right to NOT honor the erroneous
price.
For more information and a current list of vehicles, call
763-428-7337.
