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1978 Dodge Lil’ Red Express 64,725 Miles 360cid 4V V8 & 727 Automatic Factory Chrome Stacks 1 of only 2,188 Lil’ Red Expresses Produced for 1978! Vin # D13BS8J514411 D = 2 Wheel Drive / Conventional Cab 1 = 100 Series ½ Ton 3 = Conventional Cab With Utiline, Mid Line Wagon (Custom Sportsman) B = 6,000# to 10,000# S = 360HP 4V V8 8 = 1978 J = Tecumseh Road Truck (Canada) 5 = At Warren Truck #2, and Tecumseh Plant 14411 = Sequential Serial Number Evolve Motors & Chicago Car Club are pleased to present this 1978 Dodge Lil’ Red Express! Background: When the Lil' Red Express came onto the market for the 1978 model year, it was one of the most unique trucks Dodge had ever produced. The Lil’ Red Express was a real performer; as per Car and Driver’s 1978 road test, the Lil’ Red Express was the fastest American-made vehicle from 0-100mph. That’s vehicle, not just truck. Because of a loophole in emissions regulations, the ‘78 Lil' Red Express Trucks were not required to have catalytic converters. As a result, the High Performance 360 cid 4-barrel small block (EH1), a modified version of the 360 police engine (E58), was not saddled by emissions equipment. The Lil’ Red Express package also included Hemi style mufflers with a crossover pipe, breathing through 2 chrome stacks located behind the cab. There was a special 727 transmission and 3.55:1 rear gearing helping to put the power down. The ‘78 model was so well received that Dodge upped production for the ‘79 model year to 5,118 units. While the large majority of the truck remained unchanged for 1979, there were a handful of changes. The ‘79 trucks were fitted with a catalytic converter and an 85mph speedometer. The most noticeable changes on the 1979 trucks were a new flat hood and dual square headlights, replacing the round headlights on the 1978 trucks. All Lil’ Red Expresses rode on LR60x15 raised white letter tires on 8-inch chrome wheels at all 4 corners. Exterior: This is a seriously sharp looking truck; we really like the side mirror delete and exposed wood on the outside of the bed. The red paint and gold Lil’ Red Express decals contrast beautifully with the stained wood lining the rear of the truck. Paint on this particular truck presents nicely, it’s not show quality, but it does have a nice shine to it. There is some minor chipping on the lower portion of the dog legs, in addition to some bubbling under the paint at the bottom of the passenger door. On both the driver and passenger doors there are some dust specs under the paint. Chrome is excellent throughout, and all wood, inside and outside the bed, presents very well. Gold decals are free of any damage or weathering, and look great. Original chrome wheels are in nice shape, with no damage and minimal oxidation. Interior: The interior looks very nice. These trucks have a very simple, utilitarian interior. Just how we like it. Black leather bench seat is in excellent shape, with no tears, scuffs, or fading. Tenna AM/FM radio is functional, as are all lights and signals inside and out. Wipers and wiper sprayers work, as does the horn. Air conditioning is not currently functional; the compressor does kick on and air blows out with force, but the air is not cold. Defrost works as well. Black carpet shows its age a little bit, but is free of any major tears or stains. The truck will come with a set of rubber floormats as well. Gauges are all functional, with the exception of the tach. Dash is in excellent shape, with no cracks or damage of any kind. Mechanical/Underbody: This truck has been well taken care of and will come with dozens of maintenance receipts dating back to 1990. Most services were minor things like fluid changes and batteries, but receipts also show that the motor mounts were replaced, the flywheel refaced, the starter rebuilt in 2006, and a performance carburetor rebuild in 2011. The truck retains its original 360 4V V8 and 727 automatic transmission. The truck has covered just shy of 65,000 miles over the course of its 40 year life. The odometer is a 5-digit, but based on service receipts and information from the previous owner, the odometer reading of 64,725 is believed to be accurate. On the road, the truck feels great. The 360cid V8 is rated at 225hp, but that feels like quite a conservative estimate. Acceleration is impressive, especially for a pickup from the late 70s! Exhaust note from the chrome stacks is fantastic. The truck always starts right up, pulls hard, tracks straight, and the brakes reel it in nicely. It tackles speedbumps without any fuss, no concerning noises from the suspension. Underneath, the truck looks great. There is no through rust whatsoever. Rust is limited to very minor surface rust. Frame rails are excellent. Take a good look through the photos, as the car is documented in detail. For more information, or if you would like to discuss purchasing, please reach out to Jake or Mike at .
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