1979 Dodge Lil Red Express

Description

Believe it or not, this 1979 Dodge Lil' Red Express pickup was one of the fastest vehicles you could buy in 1979. With a strong-running 360, a distinctive look, and not a lot of weight to haul around, was this the first muscle truck? Either way, if you want attention, this is an affordable way to get a whole truckload of it.

All the Lil' Red Express trucks were (obviously) Canyon Red, and the combination of the familiar Ram front end with a stepside bed gives it a vintage look that works rather well. This one has been repainted, and the color match is exact, so it has a fresh-from-the-70s look that is pretty cool today. The gold decals on the doors are in excellent shape and work well with the wood paneling on the bed and the stake sides that give it an old-fashioned look. This was the '70s, so build quality was decent, and the restoration keeps it pretty much as it would have been when it was new: not perfect but decent. A big chrome grille, heavy-duty chrome bumpers, and yes, a pair of functional exhaust stacks, all dress the truck up and give it its distinctive look. The bed is also beautifully finished with oak planks and color-matched rub strips, with the result being too nice to put to work but just right for cruising to local shows.

The interior in this one is plain black vinyl, but you could have Levi's denim in your Lil' Red Express if you really wanted it. Today, this is probably the smarter choice and it looks quite fresh with a new seat cover, nice black carpets, and handsome door panels that are in great shape. The dash is full of round gauges, including a set of aftermarket dials on the outboard edges for monitoring fuel level and voltage, and a tach up top. The original radio is gone, replaced at some point when the truck was still young with an Audiovox AM/FM/cassette head unit. The dash pad is in great shape, showing no signs of having baked in the sun, and this truck offers both a sliding rear window and a pop-up sunroof so it's always comfortable inside. I can think of worse places to spend a Saturday afternoon, can't you?

The engine is a 360 cubic inch V8, which makes plenty of power to make the Express feel downright spunky on the road. It's been rebuilt to stock specs and upgraded with things like an Edelbrock carburetor and an MSD ignition system, so it's a little stronger than the factory edition. A lot of the other ancillaries were upgraded at the same time, including the radiator, a transmission cooler, and a fresh dual exhaust system feeding those tall stacks. The TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic was also rebuilt and feeds the original rear end. If you look closely, you'll see an all-new brake system, including the lines and hoses, and a fresh stainless steel gas tank hanging on the frame. It's got the right stance for a truck and sits on new chrome wheels with new BFGoodrich T/A radials all around.

These have always been cool trucks, and with the long list of recent work on this one, it sure seems like a smart buy. Guaranteed to draw a crowd wherever it goes, this is a fast, fun little hauler that definitely earns its keep. Call today!