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This 1979 Dodge Lil Red Express is a beefy performance pickup truck with tasteful upgrades and a gorgeous attention-grabbing look! When it came to automotive performance, the decade of the 1970s was seemingly a step backwards. With the onset of the new performance dampening government regulations intended to curb smog and other environmental pollution, the muscle car era of the 1960s was over as Americas automakers were forced to build more practical grocery getters that polluted less and were more fuel efficient. However, like most government regulations, there was a loophole; but, more on that a little later. In the late 70s, Dodges parent company Chrysler was in serious financial trouble. In an attempt to reinvigorate Chrysler, the Big Three Detroit automaker brought in famed automotive executive Lee Iacocca, whose largest career achievement at that point was bringing the Mustang to Ford and transforming a once sleepy brand into marque that attracted a more youthful customer base. In an effort to catch lightning in a bottle for a second time in his career, the team at Dodge borrowed a formula used by Iacocca at Ford; that is, enticing younger buyers to the brand with cool-looking, performance oriented vehicles. In order to produce a true performance vehicle in spite of the new government regulations, Dodge took advantage of the aforementioned loophole in the regulations. Since the new regulations only applied to passenger cars, Dodge came up with a performance oriented truck line known as The Adult Toys From Dodge, comprised of the Warlock, Ramcharger, Street Van, and, of course, the Lil Red Express. The Lil Red Express Pickup Trucks were, and continue to be, some of the most iconic American made pickup trucks of all time. Sporting a bright Canyon Red paint scheme, elevated wood paneling, special decals, and perhaps its most memorable feature, dual chrome vertically-mounted exhaust pipes with heat shields. Not only were the Lil Red Express trucks extremely eye catching rigs, they were also some of the fastest production vehicles on the road at the time with some folks remembering them beating Corvettes in the quarter mile. Looking back, the Warlock and Lil Red Express were among the first performance-oriented pickup trucks, released decades before Fords Lightning and Raptor trucks or even GMs Typhoon and Syclone models. This particular example comes to us from the hands of collector who owned the truck for the past 20 years. Under the hood on this 79 Lil Red is a 360 Cubic Inch V8 engine fed by an upgraded Holley single 4 barrel carburetor mounted atop an Edelbrock aluminum intake. The 360 V8 is backed by a Torqueflite 727 Automatic transmission that ensures that just about anybody can take this Dodge Pickup for a spin around the block. Exhaust exits the powerful Mopar V8 through a set of headers up through a pair chrome vertical exhaust stacks that have an iconic look and produce a fantastic sound. This 1979 Lil Red Express Pickup Truck comes absolutely loaded with options! With power front disc brakes and power drums in the rear, bringing this 79 Dodge to a complete stop is easy. Power steering is another wonderful addition on any classic truck since it improves the overall driving experience and makes getting in and out of a tight parking space almost effortless. Further aiding parking efforts are a pair of chrome outside mirrors so that you can see whats on your sides at all times. Youll be able to stay cool while cruising even on the hottest summer days since this 1979 Lil Red Pickup comes equipped with Air Conditioning. Previous ownership also added several period upgrades including cab-mounted driving lights and a sunroof. The steel stepside pickup box and tailgate appear to be in great shape as is the wooden bed and the decorative wooden side stakes. Riding on a set of raised letter BFGoodrich Radial T/A tires mounted on chrome wheels, this 1979 Dodge truck has a fantastic look