The Dodge Li’l Red Pickup Truck

The L’il Red Truck was introduced by Dodge in March 1978, following the release of such self-proclaimed “adult toys” as the Dodge Warlock. Engineered for speed, the Little Red Truck was built on the short-wheelbase (115 inch) Utiline-style half-ton D150 with a 6,050 pound gross vehicle weight, but the real attraction was the high performance 360 V8 breathing through a four-barrel carburetor, pushing power to the ground through a 3.55:1, 9.25 inch rear axle, bereft of most pollution control equipment. According to Dodge, the E58-specification (police) engine was equipped with SuperFlow heads, a police cam (252° duration with 33° of overlap), dual-snorkel air intake, heavy duty valve springs, cold air induction, and big dual exhausts departing big-rig-style just aft of the cab; not surprisingly, the truck was not available in California. The modified A-727 transmission had a 2500 rpm stall converter.

According to one site, the L’il Red Truck was the child of Tom Hoover, who discovered that government regulations allowed for an already-certified engine to be modified somewhat without any need for recertification. For the prototype, they used a standard 360 truck engine, but added W-2 heads, the cam from a 1968 340 V8, a modified Edelbrock intake manifold, dual exhausts, and a cold air intake (through the parking lights). For the actual production model, the W-2 heads were killed by the production people, partly because they had never been fully endurance tested, and the cold air intake was moved to the radiator yoke.

According to the L’il Red Express Club (which also provides part numbers), the following additional items were added to the stock 360 in 1978:

• Camshaft from the 1968 340 4-bbl.
• Red stripe valvesprings with damper from the 1968 340 4-bbl.
• Standard valve retainers (replacing rotators)
• Large Thermo-Quad from Police 360
• Intake manifold from the 1978 Police 360
• Windage tray from Police 360
• Roller timing chain and sprockets from Police 360
• Dual-snorkel air cleaner with fresh air ducts
• Chrome valve covers and air cleaner lid
• Street-Hemi style mufflers

Cosmetic modifications included chrome plated air cleaner, valve covers, exhaust, side steps, and rear bumper. The only color was bright red with a gold stripe package and gold decals on the doors and tailgate. Body side and tailgate body trim were made of real oak, with chrome-headed bolts; the high end cabin was done in red or black, and owners could get either bucket (at extra cost) or bench seats; included in the package was an oil pressure gauge, automatic transmission, and rear stabilizer bar.

In 1979, the 360 was detuned a little: they used a standard 360 cam to make assembly easier (important given the higher production numbers), and added catalytic converters. When the 1979 gas crisis hit, 1980 production was cancelled as the formerly hot-selling model sat on dealer lots and resale prices plummeted.

The Dodge L’il Red Truck was limited production (2,188 units in 1978, 5118 in 1979), but in an era when the future was coming quickly - a quarter of the nation’s production was trucks and vans - it called attention to the new Dodge D-150 and to Dodge’s pickups in general, in a way the other “adult toys” had not done.

The L’il Red Truck was by no means cheap; it added $1,131 to the cost of a basic D-150, which normally sold for $5,168, but it also required a number of other options, including automatic transmission, Adventurer package (for the interior trim), FM stereo, convenience package, oil pressure gauge, and quad-rectangular headlamps. The total was over $2,000 more than a base D-150: $7,422. Bucket seats added nearly $200; air conditioning was another $624. Included in that price was power steering, a special steering wheel, five-slot chrome disc 15” x 8” wheels, and raised white letter LR60 tires. As you can see from the following chart, dealers made quite a profit off the L’il Red Trucks - if they sold them at retail. Chrysler might not have done so well; the innovative trucks were gone by 1980.