Dodge Li'l Red Express - Could it beat a Corvette?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ต.ค. 2024
- Dodge released the Lil' Red Express Truck In 1978. It was one of the most unique Dodge trucks that had ever been produced. The Lil' Red Express was not only a real looker but these trucks were also real performers. In 1978 The Dodge Lil' Red Express was the fastest American made vehicle from 0 to 100 MPH as tested by Car and Driver magazine.
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my grandpa was a MOPAR salesman from 1946-1979 & I remember a couple of them sitting on his lot when I was 14 wishing I had a license so I could get me one! They were the coolest trucks I had ever seen & to this day they still are other than the Ram SRT-10 & the Dakota R/T! They sat there for quite some time as you stated there was a gas shortage then one day they were gone! I hope whoever got them took care of them because I know I would have!
I agree. They are nice! Thanks for watching! Make sure and subscribe.
i remember an old (new at the time) superbird sitting at the local dealership in oklahoma when i was like first or second grader
@@maddhatter3564 Lol yea nobody wanted them because they looked so cartoonish but 50 yrs later they are million dollar cars
I had a 78. These were cool trucks!
Very underrated. Still valued way below where it should be.
I haven't seen one in a while Johnny. Thanks for watching! Make sure and subscribe.
They are still out there for sale.I watch for them.A rusted out LRE without floorboards are 19k.The ones in good to great condition are going for 30 to 48k.Sure wish I had that kind of money.I'd get one today!
I still see one of them trucks running around in my hometown I think it's a nice looking truck and it's in really good shape they keep good care of it
My best friend in high school got one of these for our graduation in 1978...it was fast & cool looking👍
I have one
Of these I need to bring it back to life. It’s on my list
How's that going?
@@dankline9162 Still sitting working on other projects So not so well. Trying to decide if I need to make that someone else’s project
I was working at a dodge dealership at that time ,got to take one right off the car hauler to "road test" for check in!! Ran the piss out of it 🤯🤯🙏 cool ass trucks 🤯🤯🤗
You should have had the taste slapped out ya mouth by the owner
@@wildestcowboy2668 was no owner ,just new inventory 🤓
@@jamesshipley4985 oh well that's different. I drove a hellcat charger but the owner let me before she left. Sold a demon but didn't get to drive it
My dad has a 78, he got it from his dad. Its his pride and joy.
Excellent truck very beautiful I also love the warlock truck that was cool too
I liked the Warlock, also.
@@donaldcrabbe7404 yeah Donald they're really neat 👍👍👍
I know a guy who own a 79 it surprised me i did not know about this truck before this day best truck ever
There were a couple Lil Red Express trucks in the neighborhood. The Colour and the stacks made the truck stand out.
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You know what's cool is the bed rear fenders fit from 55-86 stepsides wow!
The Lil' Red Express truck was *quickest* in the quarter mile, the Corvette still had the title of fastest mph at top end due to the streamlining.
Actually the fastest stock production sports car top end was the avanti r4
The trans am was 1 mph faster than a corvette also.
2:54 LOL look at that door hinge, it’s huuuge!
Had a neighbor that bought one. He was a retired guy. Wish I could've bought it when he passed. Loved that vehicle.
I saw this truck when I was looking for model cars on eBay. I thought it was some old concept truck or something and that it wasn’t legit. Then, about a month ago, I was parked at a grocery store and it pulled up right in front of me. Totally fell in love with it 😆
Crazy right! Buddy of mine had a cousin who was dating this girl back in the day. She bought a new one and would take it to the beach. She was about 6 years older then me but her and that truck were hot! lol
Nice job. My Lil Red was featured on a DRIVE video a few years ago by Michael Musto. They are super vehicles.
Garbage complete junk
I remember that video. It was one of the few decent lil red express ones one of the better lil red express videos on TH-cam.
I absolutely love this body style. The trucks built in that era were the best looking trucks ever. I had a 77 Dodge Adventurer pickup. It wasn't a step side but it was still a great looking truck. Plus it was powerful and nice to drive. I would love to find another one
best looking trucks TILL 1978. the square headlights looked like crap
My one little league coach owned one of these back in 1979. It was definitely eye catching!
the only one i saw driving was owned by a coach in 82, you weren't in east Texas?
I had the 79. Black buckets. Loved my truck. My brother snuck out with it one night for a date and wrapped it around a big oak tree. Only had 5K miles on it.
Gas prices soared to $1 a gallon in 79. Those were the days
LOL...Those were the days Thomas! Thanks for watching and the comment. We hope you are a subscriber!
Fair enough I love my Aussie Utes like HSV Maloos, Holden Commodore SS’s and the likes but I also love American pickups as well and it really doesn’t matter the brand. I’ve seen and heard about these pickups before and they are on my dream car garage list. Thanks so much for sharing. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
kudos to Tom Hoover and Chrysler for finding a loophole to help keep real performance (for the time) around. Look what this little gem has morphed into these days. 40 yrs ago trucks and performance was almost unheard of. LOL "Adult Toys" has a much different connotation these days -- funny ..
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Check out that green van with the enormous male symbol on it.
Cool little truck my first wife's maid of honor had one . It was an awsome vehicle !
8000 dollars was a steal for that truck. Especially considering all of the work and research that went into it.
It certainly was cool Walter. Thanks for watching and the comment. We hope you've subscribed if you haven't already!
4wd pickups were the rage then, as now. 2wd totally worthless in the snow. Still, a cool good weather toy in its day.
@@johnmcmullen456 exactly.
In 1978, $8000 was a good chunk of change at the time. Your wages were considerably lower back then, but it's all relative.
@@johnmcmullen456 I've never had any trouble in the snow in my 2 wheel drive pickups. I think it might have to do with having the right snow tire, a good amount of weight in the bed, posi-traction, and common sense. People get into problems when they either have too much or too little confidence when driving in the snow and not being prepared. I always have salt, sand, a shovel, 30 feet of chain, and tire chains...just in case. I always give myself a lot of extra time as well to get to where I'm going. Up to now, it's worked pretty good. :)
I love your channel. It's my favorite of any on TH-cam. I've seen every single episode. My name is Vladimir. And I approve of this comment. 😁
My Favorite Vehicle! Thank you
BEAUTIFUL!!
I had 78 custom 100 318 2V . It still used leaded gas from the factory. Dodge somehow convinced the govt. that their trucks were rated at 6000gvw, so the exhaust was dumped out just past the cab. Good truck strong motor as it wasn't chocked with emissions garbage.
Thanks for your input!
Funny thing is all this emissions crap being pit on cars is actually making their emissions worse as they build up and build up until it pours out worse then a diesel rolling coal
@@joebone3151 yup, my dad used to take all our cars down the road once a month & floor it, blowing the soot out as he called it
@@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman Italian tuneup!
@@davekana8388 haha he sometimes called it a French one
i dont have a lil red express but i do have a 77 D100 short bed with a 225 and a 3 on the tree....in the process of restoring it now
Awesome Art! Join our facebook group. We want to see your project. facebook.com/groups/bocabrothers
I had a 76, same setup. Great truck!
I have a 82 d150 that I intercepted on the way to the junk yard. Still trying to find a good grille shell. A833 overdrive 4 speed. After owning for ten years I replaced the worn out slant 6 with a modified slant six that runs more like a 400 v8.
I am a proud owner of a 1979 LRE......
This hot looking girl i knew would take hers to the beach!
I was told my motor is from one.Do you know what your block numbers are?
J U N K D O D G E
More great MOPAR history!....thank you!
Very cool and informative; a family friend of ours owned one for a spell in the '90s and I got to ride in it. There were also two others sitting neglected on two different properties in my area! Reputedly the Li'l Red Truck was the fastest accelerating US production vehicle in '78, beating out the T/A and Corvette, though some have disputed that claim. Hope you get to the Warlock and the elusive Midnite Express someday as well. Saw a Midnite at a Mopar/AMC show some years ago. Whether genuine or a clone, it's to date the only one I can ever recall seeing in person.
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I loved the Warlock more than the Lil Red Express, but never heard of the Midnite Express until now. Looked it up and it is sweet! I see it came with an optional 440. Did either the LRE or Warlock come with bigger motor options?
@@briansauer6695 Warlocks could be had with the 318, 360, 400 or 440 though from what I have read the 440 versions were relatively few in number. Would be pretty cool to build a "Warlock 440" tribute, however!! The Midnites were made up at the dealership with the decals, etc. so I don't think that entailed any particular engine option. Therefore, yes, there may have been some 440 trucks with the package. The Li'l Red Truck was 360 only. The 360 Express came with the old 340 cam. For obscure performance-oriented trucks of the later 70s/early 80s check out the GMC Street Coupe 454. Kind of GM's answer to the Dodge Adult Toys lineup. It's as little-known to most people as the Midnite Express. Have a nice Memorial! 🛻😊
Had one, and a Warlock. Swapped a 440 EHP from a patrol car and it was perfect.
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That's not saying much, I drag raced a similar vintage Corvette with my '78 Ranchero back in the '80s and it kept up. The automotive dark ages for sure.
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same for the mustang of the mid 80s. my old 66 f100 w a 352 and manual 3 speed (clutch was even slipping) took out an 86 5.0 5 speed mustang by 1/2 a carlength
I built a model kit of this truck when I was a boy. It had pride of place on my dresser until it didn't survive a move to a new home. I wanted one of them so bad.
It seems like Mopar is credited with the first performance trucks in full-size and midsize/compact. The Shelby Dakota was introduced before the GMC Cyclone.
Keep up the good work man
I remember these Dodge trucks growing up in the 70's.
Chevrolet also did that with the Silverado Big 10 truck as well
Cool, my father Nick has a '14 dodge ram 1500 4 door great truck
I so wanted one of those trucks when I was a teenager
I have a true and verified 1979 Lil Red. Got in '86 from the first owner. Mine has the A/C, heavy duty springs, black buckets w/buddy seat and no dome light. Has the Lense but no where to put a bulb in or wires. It was illegal to own in California. The vin for the Lil Reds and Warlocks are in the #'s, the 3rd digit. All 2 wheel drive dodges were D14, 4 whl, W14. Lil Reds and Warlocks are D13 and W13. Immediate way to spot an imposter. Also Warlocks were only made in 1978 and had gold colored wheels.
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My dad used to have a 1977 Dodge D 150 with a 361 4 speed was an old conservation truck that had some get up and go too
My Dad had one of these for a while in 1979, he was always burning rubber
This was my first car ever. Imagine a teen girl in the late 90s trying to get that thing started lol
My father promptly wrapped his 78 around a pole soon after buying it new. Wish I had that truck now.
Hopefully here in a few years I can get my 78 Lil Red restored. She deserves it.
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My dad had a 79, I learned how to drive in it!
I loved those trucks. It's too bad they're not making anything like them anymore.
I got one now and it's in pretty bad shape but I'm planning to rebuild. It's the 1979 version though. But it's still a beast to me.
I thought I was going to see a drag race .
OMG that soaring $1.00 per gallon gas, how could we ever afford that?!? lol
I laughed at that too. Like damn they were living their best life back then.
@@repnatl Yeah minimum wage was a whopping $2.65 per hour. It was an expensive truck.
I knew a woman that had a Warlock , It was a good looking truck to my teenage eyes and so was she :)
Right on sweet ass muscle truck
I remember those trucks back in the day they were one fast bad truck
That they were! Thanks for watching Tim!
You're welcome
My dad had a friend of his who had a black Ford f 100 with the same box as on that dodge had stacks on it too had a 460 big block with a 4 speed he called it little bit that thing would smoke his Corvette he had too I love that dodge don't get me wrong it just sort of reminds of my dad's friend truck from bloget Mills NY
I never knew about this, this feels like alternate history.
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@@ThisOldCarChannel Merry Christmas to you too!
Loved the truck !
Thanks for watching!
The 360 was a good motor. Dependable and a little gutsy
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Had a 1978. Yes i ate corvettes and Trans ams every weekend . Mine went 15:30s.
These things used to be all over the place!
At least in my little 5yo world in 1978.
A neighbor bought a his and hers for the wife.
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Okay statement I had one of those little red express trucks and they are definitely quick little modifications and you could make it a Corvette killer
I had the 78. Beast. It’s the one to get
I know it is fashionable to poo-poo the environmental regulations implemented in the 70s but I am old enough to remember the bad old smoggy days that impacted cities and the health of the residents. There was a darn good reason the EPA was created. Automobiles used to be horrific polluters. It took some time for the automakers to adjust but look at the amazing progress they have made with controlling emissions. So let's remember the circumstances before we lament the lack of horsepower in the mid to late 70s.
We agree. We have come a long way with reducing pollution
...also, the oil and coal (briquette) furnaces and boilers of the day were belching oily smoke into the mix.
LMAO...Not every city in the US had a smog problem in the 70's...if they did, they were more than likely overpopulated to begin with...as for the EPA, lithium batteries and mercury incased light bulbs are a far greater risk to the environment...so while it's also fashionable to lick the EPA's balls, just remember they approved those two things as well...
Oh boo hoo and are you friends wih AOC ?
One problem was that the EPA didn't implement their regulations equally across the country. They would implement standards in one city, but not in another. Gary, Indiana and Chicago, Illinois were a great example. In fact, Chicago didn't have any standards until after the mid 80's that were worth a damn. But every other city had to cut emissions or sell blended fuel or other stupid little things to bring down ozone counts. They also went backwards in the 90's under Carol Browner who decided that the science was bad because it didn't support her positions.
cool truck
Too many non original parts were shown on trucks that may actually not be real LRE trucks. i.e. red rims, wood grain dash, non-red oak box wood (yes, from the factory all LREs came with the beautiful oak painted red) etc.
I remember the Lil red express sitting on my local dodge dealers lot I thought they were cool especially the side stack exhaust
My best friend worked at a Dodge dealership back then, calls me up on a Saturday morning, says I HAVE to come to the dealership to see something totally cool - I get there, and he's in a Lil Red Express Truck doing burnouts in the parking lot😅
Now it's 1998, he's had one for a few years.....completely restores it, AND puts a 440 Six-Pack in it....had to use a set of exhaust manifolds from a Chrysler Imperial to get it to fit, but it worked out. Then he trades it straight with to a guy at a car show for a 45' motorhome.😮
I always lean toward the warlock. I do have a question though cuz I was a kid at the time was the drive train the same in the warlock and the little red Express?
No, a 76’ warlock came 440 powered, vs the 78’ E-58 360( both had 727 trans)
@@chev500l8 Only 74 of them ever came from the factory with the 440 & only 1 came in red with the 440
Warlock could have anything from 318 to big block and rwd or 4x4.
In 1991 I bought a new Ford Mustang GT black with grey leather interior. I was the sh1t in my little town of Enterprise Alabama. A few weeks after owning the car a man at a stop light signed me to pull into a gas station. Once there he admired my car and made me feel as if I was driving a Ferrari. He was driving the red dodge truck in the video. I also admired his truck as we talked for a while. He asked me if I wanted to have a gentlemen's race for $50, which at the time was a chunk of change. We lined up down a country road and I was ready to take his money because I knew there was no way in hell he was going to win. Well, this man in the red dodge made me look absolutely stupid in front of my girlfriend in the car by absolutely destroying me. It took me a while to get over it and eventually sold the GT for something more practical.
Chrysler tried VERY hard to get W2 heads EPA certified for the lil red express application. It didn’t succeed, but imagine how good it would have performed had they been able to.
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I think they had E58 police car heads and a purple cam . Dont know the specs
I own a '79 Lil Red. Got from the original owner. It sold new for $8,934.36. And sorry to bed wood was not oak. Also it was illegal in California to own one.
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Fastest American muscle was the 'Lil' Red Truck' for two years straight so yeah, it beat the Vette. Straight line acceleration, the Corvette would eat the Mopars lunch on a road course though...
🇺🇲
My father had one of these trucks I race a corvette (even years) on the highway. Not only did I beat the corvette, it couldn't even come close to overtake me.
One of these is in a showroom of a Chrysler dodge jeep ram dealer near me
You didn't mention its brother the Dodge Warlock.
I had one in 1978. Got about 12 mpg. If you drove it hard it got about 8.
Way better than the 6mpg my 1990 454ss got.
The wood bed was actually painted red like the rest of the truck.
still waiting on buffer. i forget exact year (78 i think) lil red was the fastest american production car, so that means it would be faster than the stock vette of the same year.
Definitely would win.
Corvette was ridiculous heavy and under powered. ABOUT the power of a Ford Pinto
Saw somebody take the motor out to put in their duster. Dusters are very cool, but they pretty much gutted a rare truck.
OH MY GOD, a dollar for a gallon of gas!!!!! When will it end.
1978 T/A with the W72 package was the quickest in the 1/4 in 78-79.
😂
2:56 thays the diecast interior.
The Aussie still beat you with our limited edition xc ford falcon cobra coupe for 78,79 it had 227 horsepower but for 9000 Aussie dollars or 12000 American dollars
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@@ThisOldCarChannel I did!
MY DAD HAD 2 OF THEIS TRUCK S . ..THE WAR SOU KOOL 😄 MAN IN D. AND FAST . WEED 575 HP .
What I wouldn't give for $1 a gallon gas today.
If you could keep traction yes it would have beat the Corvette from that year.
That is true . Thanks for your comments and watching !
Epstein drove mopar nice
@@shawnwheeler8755
😂😈
Why am I laughing at your username and Avatar? Why ??!! 🤣😆
@@N-Lee no harm just the whole buzz around thee epstein guy
Apparently you never heard of the 1978 Porsche 911 3.3 Turbo.
13.7 1/4. That was the quickest vehicle in 1978.
They are talking about the fastest North American production vehicle. Did they make a Porsche in North America ?
Chrysler had excellent product back then. Sad what happened to Chrysler -
That picture @2:54. I have the same model on my shelf. Nice try, though.
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I was born in 1944 so I cringe every time someone pronounces Li'l Red Express with a t.
Hey I saw this thing not to long ago
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Author: Tommy Flanagan.
0-100 in 10sec 🤯
They should have made many more than they did
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My cuz had one
Leave it to the government to destroy a good thing.
a phevy guy narrating called it a stepside instead of utiline
👍
A major problem with Dodge trucks, rust, rust, and more rust.