1979 DODGE 'LIL RED EXPRESS TRUCK'

     

       

ADVENTURER 150

       

The restoration on this Lil Red Express Truck was started by the previous owner who is a two time recipient of the militarys' Silver Star  award for valor in South East Asia. He indicates to us that the mileage shown on the odometer is  accurate, and that he completed the body and paint restoration. The bed and reassembly of the vehicle was completed here in Houston.  The motor and transmission did not require any mechanical attention, save a new coil, due to the minimal mileage on the truck.  Indeed a gorgeous restoration of a unique vehicle with a history of ownership by one of our local heroes from conflicts past. Will gather attention wherever it is taken, and it sure to draw a crowd.

       

 

     

       

The L’il Red Truck was introduced by Dodge  in March 1978, following the release of such selfproclaimed “adult toys” as the Dodge Warlock.  The Warlock had been essentially a showy truck, with the fat tires, bucket  seats, and wood trim that had once been popular among muscle car owners, the L'il Red Truck was to be the“Red Warlock,” but the name changed along the way. Engineered for speed, the Little Red Truck  was built on the short-wheelbase (115 inch) Utiline-style half-ton D150 with a  6,050 pound gross vehicle weight, but the real attraction was the high  performance 360 V8 breathing through a four-barrel carburetor, pushing power to  the ground through a 3.55:1, 9.25 inch rear axle, bereft of most pollution  control equipment. According to Dodge, the E58-specification (police) engine  was equipped with SuperFlow heads, a police cam (252° duration with 33° of  overlap), dual-snorkel air intake, heavy duty valve springs, cold air  induction, and big dual exhausts departing big-rig-style just aft of the cab.  The modified A-727 transmission (standard and required) had a 2500 rpm stall  converter. The truck itself  required the Adventurer package.

     

       

.  While the press release claimed it was not available in California, at least one of our  readers said it was, and press releases have been known to be inaccurate. The  company may well have been able to CARB-certify the L’il Red Express Truck  after the releases were issued — or perhaps for the 1978 model year. The 1977  brochure noted it was not available in California, Florida, Maryland, Oregon,  or Washington, and might not meet local noise standards elsewhere.

     

       

According to the L’il Red Express Club,  the L’il Red Truck was the child of Tom Hoover, who discovered that government  regulations allowed for an already-certified engine to be modified somewhat  without recertification. For the prototype, they used a standard 360 truck  engine, but added W-2 heads, the cam from a 1968 340 V8, a modified Edelbrock  intake manifold, dual exhausts, and a cold air intake (through the parking  lights). Preparation of the truck has been credited  to Tom Hoover, Dick Maxwell, and Dave Koffel, who combined their efforts with  the Product, Planning and Performance Group. They took the standard  short-wheelbase stepside pickup, a relatively low-weight truck, and dropped in  the modded 360 V8 and A-727 transmission with a 2500 stall converter. The twin  stacks were a good 2.5 inches in diameter; the rear axle was a 3.55 Sure Grip,  and the Goodyears were GR60 in front and a generous LR60 in the rear (roughly  275/60-15), — not tall, but wide. Front wheels were 15x7, rear wheels were  15x8. For the actual production model, the W-2  heads were killed by the production people, partly because they had never been  fully endurance tested, and the cold air intake was moved to the radiator yoke.  According to the L’il Red Express Club (no longer on-line), the following  additional items were added to the stock 360 in 1978:

       

          Camshaft  from the 1968 340 4-bbl.
          Red stripe valvesprings with damper from the 1968 340  4-bbl.
          Standard valve retainers (replacing rotators)
          Large Thermo-Quad from Police 360

       

Intake  manifold from the 1978 Police 360
Windage tray from Police 360
Roller timing chain and sprockets from Police 360
Dual-snorkel air cleaner with fresh air ducts
Chrome valve covers and air cleaner lid
Street-Hemi style mufflers

Cosmetic modifications included chrome plated air cleaner, valve covers,  dual exhaust tailpipes and heat shields, side steps, and rear bumper. The only  color was bright red with a gold tape stripe package and gold decals on the  doors and tailgate. Body side and tailgate body trim were made of real oak,  with chrome-headed bolts; the high end cabin (including convenience package  YF1) was done in red or black, and owners could get either bucket (at extra  cost) or bench seats; included in the package was an oil pressure gauge,  automatic transmission, and rear stabilizer bar. The gross vehicle weight was  6,100 pounds      

       

Some have written that, in 1979, the 360 was detuned, using  a standard 360 cam to make assembly easier, and adding catalytic converters.  Kelly Looysen wrote that both years used the same cams and confirmed that the  1979 Li’l Red Trucks used catalytic converters, and therefore required unleaded  fuel. He also wrote, “Any quarter-mile times I have seen give a slight  advantage to the ’79; my guess is that the higher octane fuel made
          up for the ‘cats.’’ He pointed out that,  if a lower-performance cam had been used, the 1979s would likely be slower.

     

       

The Dodge L’il Red Truck was limited  production (2,188 units in 1978, 5,118 in 1979), but in an era when the future  was coming quickly - a quarter of the nation’s production was trucks and vans -  it called attention to the new Dodge D-150 and to Dodge’s pickups in general,  in a way the other  “adult toys” had not done. Still, when the 1979 gas crisis hit,  trucks sat on dealer lots and resale prices plummeted; 1980 production was  cancelled.
          The L’il Red Truck was by no means cheap; it added $1,131  to the cost of a basic D-150, which normally sold for $5,168, but it also  required a number of other options, including automatic transmission,  Adventurer package (for the interior trim), FM stereo, convenience package, oil  pressure gauge, and quad-rectangular headlamps. The total was over $2,000 more  than a base D-150: $7,422. Bucket seats added nearly $200; air conditioning was  another $624. Included in that price was power steering, a special steering  wheel, five-slot chrome disc 15” x 8” wheels, and raised white letter LR60  tires. As you can see from the following chart, dealers made quite a profit off  the L’il Red Trucks - if they sold them at retail. Chrysler might not have done  so well, given the low volumes.

     

Power windows added for convenience

American Racing Equipment "Torque Thrust" Mag Wheels on all 4 corners with new BF Goodrich T/A Radial Tires

360 Cu In Interceptor motor.

Entirely new wood in bed, fresh varnish

       

Terms of Sale

       

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

     

TEXAS BUYERS PAY  SALES TAX
        WINNING BIDDER PAYS $500.00 GOOD FAITH DEPOSIT VIA PAYPAL WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THE END OF THE AUCTION UNLESS A PRIOR AGREEMENT IS MADE WITH THE SELLER.
        BALANCE TO  BE PAID WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FRAME (5 DAYS).  BANK WIRE TRANSFER - CASHIERS CHECK - LOAN CHECK      ...."RUNS  AND DRIVES WITHOUT ISSUES"....",DOES NOT IMPLY OR INFER ANY TYPE OF WARRANTY. "TEXAS BUYERS GUIDE", PURSUANT TO TEXAS LAWS COVERS WARRANTY ISSUES. BUYER AGREES TO SIGN THIS FORM.     

   SOLD "AS IS" WITH NO IMPLIED WARRANTY.

       

Inspection

     

VEHICLE IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION IN HOUSTON BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. WE WELCOME AN INSPECTION BY YOU OR YOUR DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE. COST OF THE INSPECTION IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BUYER. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR VARYING OPINIONS.

       

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AS A COURTESY, AND WE STRESS AS A COURTESY, COLLECTOR MOTORS LLC  WILL ASSIST YOU IN SECURING TRANSPORTATION UTILIZING OUR NETWORK OF  SHIPPING COMPANIES WITH THE PROPER LICENSING & INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS. RATES WILL BE COMMERCIAL. SECURE & CLIMATE CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT OR OPEN CARRIER. WE TAKE CARE OF THE SHIPPING WORRIES, AS A COURTESY TO YOU, TO MAKE YOUR PURCHASE AN ENJOYABLE             EXPERIENCE. VEHICLE AND/OR TITLE WILL BE RELEASED OR SHIPPED ONLY AFTER ALL PAYMENTS HAVE CLEARED  ALL FINANCIAL  INSTITUTIONS. TEXAS BANKING POLICIES PREVAIL. 20 DAY TEMPORARY TAG WILL BE ISSUED, AS A COURTESY, IF NEEDED. BUYER RESPONSIBLE TO KNOW THE DMV REGISTRATION POLICIES OF THEIR HOME STATE.

       

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