Vehicle Description
Just watch, these cool pickups are going to be the next big thing.
In 1979, this Dodge Lil' Red Express truck was about as close as
you were going to get to a real muscle car with a full bed, and I
doubt we'll ever get an OEM building a truck with chrome stacks,
wood paneling, and this much personality. With only 5,118 'Lil Reds
built in 1979, these cool trucks are becoming more collectable each
year.
The name says it all: Lil' Red Express. It's a red pickup, neatly
dressed up to look a little vintage with the wood paneling on the
bed and the big gold logo on the doors. It was the '70s so anything
was possible, and in an era with giant screaming birds on the hood,
this is a real standout. It was repainted in a correct shade of
bright red and a full professional buff-and-wax would really bring
out the shine that much more and give it a fantastic look. There's
already a movement afoot to preserve and celebrate these trucks, so
they didn't modify or change any of the details; why would you on
something that's already so custom-looking? It hasn't been damaged
or rusty, so the repaint simply erased several decades of use, and
although certainly not perfect, today it looks just as eye-catching
as it did when it first hit the streets. That's real oak in the bed
and outside on the sides, although it's not structural, merely
decorative, and all of it is in great shape, too. There's also
plenty of chrome, including the aforementioned exhaust stacks, plus
new heavy-duty bumpers and a grille with stacked headlights that
were new for 1979.
You had a surprising number of choices inside, with this truck
getting the most uniform: a red bench seat with matching door
panels, dash, and carpet. The Express was loaded and was the most
expensive truck in Chrysler showrooms in 1979, and this one
includes fully functional A/C that uses upgraded R134a refrigerant
inside. The interior has been mostly restored and still looks
pretty fresh today, including a nicely wrapped vinyl seat, a set of
reproduction door panels that look right at home, a crack-free
dash, and plush carpets that only show very minor use. You do get a
fairly comprehensive set of gauges inside a restored bezel, as well
as an AM/FM/Cassette radio that still sounds pretty good. All that
vivid red inside gives the Dodge a sporty demeanor and keeps it
from seeming too serious and you'll probably find it's easy to get
comfortable in this 40-year-old hauler.
There was plenty of muscle on tap when you bought a Lil' Red
Express, thanks to a strong-running 360 that was not necessarily
burdened by the same pollution controls that strangled the muscle
cars. The 360 cubic inch V8 was upgraded by the factory with a cam
from a 1968 340, heavy-duty valve train, a police-spec intake
manifold and a full roller timing chain. It's still quite stock,
although the carburetor was replaced with an Edelbrock 600CFM
4-barrel, and the performance may still surprise you, even today.
The chrome dual snorkel air cleaner was also part of the package,
and it's dressed pretty much the way the factory did it, right down
to the original decal on the lid. It's tidy and shows signs of
routine maintenance, but no modifications outside the carb and A/C
compressor, which suggests it's always been treated well. A
heavy-duty TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic was the only transmission
available, and it spins 3.55 gears out back, so it feels punchy
around town but cruises easily on the highway. Obviously dual
exhaust was standard, and this truck also carries dual
Glasspack-style mufflers for a little added punch. Cool Cragar
wheels with fat 275/60/15 Mastercraft white-letter radials complete
the ideal '70s look.
Lots of fun and sure to be a hotter collectable once everyone gets
their Trans Am fix, this Dodge Lil' Red Express is ready to play.
Call now!
