FOUND ! Unrestored 78 Lil Red Express

[cbodybob]

My buddies discovered this unrestored, unmolested survivor 1978 Lil Red Express. Can they get it running after sitting since 2007. Click on the picture to open the video and find out.
Found ! 1978 Dodge Lil Red Express truck. But will it run…

 

[440Coronet500]

Watched it last night, nice find! 440'

 

[chargervert]

I have a 78 and a 79 that look just like that.

 

[Ron H]

Incredible condition for a vehicle sitting 15 years...no rodent infestation inside the engine bay or interior or visible rot especially if it was outdoors...even if inside a shed or garage hard to find a vehicle so clean sitting as long.

 

[Cranky]

Cool! Had a 79 short box with a transplanted 360 from a SuperCoupe. I heard the LRT and the SuperCoupe shared the same engine? Anyways, mine ran a 15.60 with headers added....and yeah, the LRT was faster than the 78 Corvette but not by much but still faster. Pretty sad that a pickup was faster than America's top sports car lol.

 

[JackR]

Local guy stopped by yesterday with his. Looks identical to the picture. We were talking about it and I had forgotten that it was faster than the 78 corvette.

 

[Ray70Chrg]

In 1978 we moved into a small town in CT. and the local Dodge dealer got a LRT on the lot. I wanted that thing so badly. A couple of times I dragged the wife and 2 kids over there to look at it. The fact that we just bought a house and the LRT had no back seat convinced me that we would just have keep our paid for '74 Duster. I had the advantage of a company car for work, a K station wagon pos, and so the Duster was the family car. That LRT sat on the lot for a full year before it disappeared. '78-'79 was very similar to todays high inflation situation and I felt lucky at the time to get a 10% interest mortgage on our home. By '81 mortgage rates were up to 19%. For those of us who lived thru that time can remember how bad the economy can get. The LRT will remain a missed opportunity for me, but my '70 Charger more than makes up for it.

 

[Ron H]

Yep - we bought our first house in 1981...18% interest and was a bitch to get a loan..

 

[Ron H]

Was a 3 bedroom ranch built in ’65 asking price of $78k and house stayed unsold for 6 months. We got agreement at $65k and they were raring to go. We had $10k cash down payment and good credit rating. Wife and I were working FT and no kids yet. We got treated like **** from a bank officer and another loan agency. Was ready to strangle that flaming asshole at the bank. Go figure with what happened with Fannie, Freddie, and others dolling out loans like no tomorrow..

 

[Ray70Chrg]

Was a 3 bedroom ranch built in ’65 asking price of $78k and house stayed unsold for 6 months. We got agreement at $65k and they were raring to go. We had $10k cash down payment and good credit rating. Wife and I were working FT and no kids yet. We got treated like **** from a bank officer and another loan agency. Was ready to strangle that flaming asshole at the bank. Go figure with what happened with Fannie, Freddie, and others dolling out loans like no tomorrow..

Yeah, It was a scary time back then. we had just sold our 1st home for 37k w/ 7.5% mtg and bought this for 63k w/10% mtg. Talk about feeling that you are in over your head! It really seems comical talking about 37K & 63K homes. They were both beautiful homes.

 

[cbodybob]

Watched it last night, nice find! 440'

Thank you

 

[cbodybob]

Incredible condition for a vehicle sitting 15 years...no rodent infestation inside the engine bay or interior or visible rot especially if it was outdoors...even if inside a shed or garage hard to find a vehicle so clean sitting as long.

Yea we’ve been on a winning streak here lately. The last 4 have surprised us.

 

[cbodybob]

In 1978 we moved into a small town in CT. and the local Dodge dealer got a LRT on the lot. I wanted that thing so badly. A couple of times I dragged the wife and 2 kids over there to look at it. The fact that we just bought a house and the LRT had no back seat convinced me that we would just have keep our paid for '74 Duster. I had the advantage of a company car for work, a K station wagon pos, and so the Duster was the family car. That LRT sat on the lot for a full year before it disappeared. '78-'79 was very similar to todays high inflation situation and I felt lucky at the time to get a 10% interest mortgage on our home. By '81 mortgage rates were up to 19%. For those of us who lived thru that time can remember how bad the economy can get. The LRT will remain a missed opportunity for me, but my '70 Charger more than makes up for it.

Yea I bought a Cordoba at 14%. Those were some difficult times

 

[moparedtn]

@cbodybob
I watch 'em all, Bob. Even comment sometimes.

 

[Budnicks]

Cool truck Lil' Red Express

I was a Warlock guy

not mine

Mecum truck

 

[JackR]

Today

 

[cbodybob]

@cbodybob
I watch 'em all, Bob. Even comment sometimes.

Haha. I comment too much

 

[Runcharger]

Fun trucks to drive. I especially enjoy burnouts with the tires frying and the exhaust right next to your ears.

 

[chargervert]

Cool! Had a 79 short box with a transplanted 360 from a SuperCoupe. I heard the LRT and the SuperCoupe shared the same engine? Anyways, mine ran a 15.60 with headers added....and yeah, the LRT was faster than the 78 Corvette but not by much but still faster. Pretty sad that a pickup was faster than America's top sports car lol.

The LRT engine in 78 had the 360 E58 Police spec engine,with the following modifications, 68 340 spec cam,double roller timing chain,and an 800 cfm Fireball thermoquad carb. no cats,and exhaust equalizer pipe. This was LRT only. The Super Coupe had the E58 police spec engine without the mods,and cats,as did the 79 LRT. The 78 LRT was a hot package.

 

[appelche]

Nice find!
Congratulations