Cold-air hoses lead from radiator...
Cold-air hoses lead from radiator yoke to dual-snorkel air cleaner. On prototype, they were routed through turn-signal openings in grille.
Oak bed floor, side panels...
Oak bed floor, side panels and tailgate trim, with chrome fasteners, were standard with the Little Red Express package.
Hot-rodded-at-factory 360...
Hot-rodded-at-factory 360 could light up huge (for then) 60-series radials and create maximum smoke in minimum time. Rear wheels are 15x8s.
All Bob Osborn had to do was...
All Bob Osborn had to do was buff out the original paint, replace the bumpers and door handles, and his '78 Little Red Express became the eye-catcher seen here . . . again!
All it needed was a replacement set of chrome bumpers and door handles, new Legendary seat covers and carpets, and some buffing-out of the original paint. That's it.
Bob's truck had just 64,000 original miles on it when we photographed it, but it looked like it had just rolled off a Dodge dealer's lot.
Eventually, folks recognized the Little Red Express as one of Ma Mopar's highlights, and you see them in quantity at the big events like Chryslers at Carlisle and the Mopar Nationals. Places where you may see the guy (Tom Hoover) who saw the loophole big enough to drive this truck through!
Fast Facts
'78 Dodge D-150 "Little Red Express" pickup truck
Owned by Bob Osborn, Ft. Thomas, Kentucky
| '78 Little Red Express production: | 2,188 |
| '79 Little Red Express production: | 5,118 |
| Total (both years): | 7,306 |
Mopar Power
Engine: Modified 360-inch V-8 with the following good stuff added on: 850 cfm Carter Thermo-Quad four-barrel carburetor and E58 cop-car 360 intake; windage tray; roller timing chain and sprockets; OEM '68 340 automatic cam with red stripe valvesprings and OEM '68 340 damper, plus standard valve retainers that replaced the regular-production-for-'78 valve rotators; cold air intake at the radiator yoke ahead of a dual-snorkel air cleaner, chrome air cleaner lid and valve covers, 2 1/2-inch exhaust stacks with Street Hemi mufflers and heat shields. Transmission: Modified production 727 Torqueflite, with production 440 TF valvebody and 2,500 stall converter Rear end: Production 9 1/4-inch rear end with Sure-Grip differential and 3.55:1 rear gears.Sure Grip
Suspension: Production D-150 with rear stabilizer bar (included in YH6 option) Brakes: Power front disc/rear drums Wheels: Chrome slotted wheels, 15x7-inch (front)/15x8-inch (rear) wearing 60-series RWL radial-ply tiresHigh Impact
Cab/Bed: Production 1978 D-Series Standard Cab and short (6-foot long) Utiline bed on 115-inch-wheelbase D-150 chassis. Bed has original oak floor and tailgate/side trim with chrome bolts. Only parts replaced were bumpers and door handles--all other exterior pieces are original. Paint: Original Bright Canyon Red Sunfire Metallic, with original gold stripes and door graphics. Interior: Reproduction Legendary seat covers and carpets, otherwise original.