Classic Dodge Ram Trucks: L'il Red Express vs. Warlock

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scottm
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Classic Dodge Ram Trucks: L'il Red Express vs. Warlock

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Classic Dodge Ram Trucks: L'il Red Express vs. Warlock
https://www.motortrend.com/features/dod ... vs-warlock
The 1970s saw the bottom drop out of the muscle car craze, and high-performance became a dirty word. Despite this, real work still had to be done in America, and trucks were there to do it. Among them were the country's fleet of Dodge Ram trucks, which had experienced such phenomenal growth that Dodge truck ads of the era bragged that sales of the brand had increased by 237 percent between 1966 and 1976—with a little sales chart showing the other brands to prove it. Amid America's rapidly evolving backdrop of economic and energy concerns were the continued needs for personal mobility and freedom of expression. And if perchance a little more performance could go along with that in truck form, then so be it. To that end, the Dodge Warlock and the L'il Red Express Truck were born as part of Dodge's ambitious Dodge Adult Toys campaign.

Dodge Adult Toys

When the Dodge Adult Toys promotional campaign hit the public in 1976, the Dodge Rebellion and Scat Pack muscle car campaigns had long retired. Apart from the Pontiac Trans Am and the Corvette and Camaro at Chevy, true passenger-car-based performance was off the table at all domestic manufacturers due to tightening smog and fuel efficiency rules. At Dodge, the pivot to trucks allowed larger engines and larger vehicles to continue unabated while smaller more fuel-efficient platforms could be developed. This borrowed time was put to good use developing the Dodge Adult Toys, which included the Macho Power Wagon (Top Hand and Palomino models), Street Van, Warlock, Ramcharger, and L'il Red Express.

The Dodge Warlock: 1976-1979

The Warlock first appeared late in 1976 and was built through the 1979 model year, although it was inexplicably renamed "Warlock II" in its final year of production (1979). The Warlock and Warlock II could be distinguished by its gold pinstriping, solid oak sideboards with small chrome running boards, gold "warlock" decal on the tailgate, gold pinstriping throughout, and eight-spoke gold wheels (which changed to chrome wheels in 1979 with the name change to "Warlock II"). The Warlock was available with any of Chrysler's engines from the 225ci Slant Six to the 400ci big-block wedge (some sources even document a handful of 440ci equipped big-block trucks). At least one source acknowledges a 360ci-equipped Dodge Warlock built as a 4x4 Power Wagon in 1980, but such a model could have easily been a decal/wheel package added by an individual dealership.

The Dodge L’il Red Express Truck: 1978-1979

Where the Warlock was an appearance package offered with a variety of engine choices, a selection of colors, and availability in either rear-wheel drive (D100) or 4x4 (W100) form, the L'il Red Express truck was strictly a performance vehicle offered in one configuration (rear-wheel drive, high-end appointments, red paint, unique trim, etc. ). Due to its high-performance 225-hp small-block V-8, the LRT was not available in California, Florida, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington (the dual open-stack exhaust pipes were too loud to pass drive-by noise standards). In these states, dealerships took matters into their own hands, creating a dealer-installed option package called the Midnight Express (1978 only). Sources differ, but the Midnight Express is usually a 400ci-equipped Warlock truck painted black, to which the L'il Red Express appearance package items were added.

Warlock vs. L’il Red Express: Engines

Both the Warlock and the L'il Red Express were part of the Dodge Adult Toys program—a group of factory-customized trucks built on the regular production line—but they had distinctly different goals from a performance perspective. While the Warlock was more like a custom truck buffet where customers could build virtually anything on the option sheet, including a 4x4, the LRT represented how the hot-rodder would go about things. Engine choices for the Warlock were far more varied, with the 225ci Slant Six (110 hp), 318ci 2-bbl (135 hp), 318ci 4-bbl (145 hp), 360ci 4-bbl (160 hp), and 400ci 4-bbl (185 hp) being available (the 318ci small-block was the most common). A very few were built in 1976 with the 440ci big-block wedge, but these appear to be one-off Dodge executive special-order builds. The L'il Red Express was only available with the police-interceptor-spec 360ci small-block V-8, which was rated at 225 hp (3,800 rpm) and 295 lb-ft of torque (3,200 rpm). All Warlock and L'il Red Express truck engines were backed by a three-speed LoadFlite automatic transmission (the truck version of the TorqueFlite, which received a heavy-duty 440ci valve body in the case of the LRT).

Tom Hoover, the E-58, and the Hemi Connection

Power for the 1978 Dodge L'il Red Express came by way of the EH1 option-code 360ci small-block V-8. How the E-58-code police-interceptor-spec LA-series small-block got modified to EH1 form for the L'il Red Express truck is an interesting story. Chrysler powertrain engineer Tom Hoover—the same guy who gave fans the 413 Max Wedge, the 426 Max Wedge and the 426ci Hemi—realized that a loophole existed that dropped the federal requirement for a catalytic converter and unleaded fuel on light trucks with a gross vehicle rating over 6,000 lbs. (The LRT was rated at 6,100 lbs.) This allowed a freer-flowing exhaust and high-octane leaded fuel. Another loophole enabled some modest changes to the engine without going through recertification. This allowed Hoover and his team to upfit the E-58 police-interceptor V-8 with a high-po cam (252 degrees duration), 850 cfm ThermoQuad 4-bbl carb, a spreadbore high-rise intake manifold, and a pair of high-flow 440ci-spec mufflers, resulting in the LRT's EH1-code V-8. The loophole was closed by the feds the following year (1979) which saw a catalytic converter and hardened valve seats for unleaded fuel added. The EH1 designation remained unchanged.

Warlock vs. L’il Red Express: Interiors

The interiors of the Warlock and L'il Red Express trucks were considered nice for their time, with the only fly in the ointment being standard equipment that often came in the guise of mandatory optional equipment. These required options were ST1 power steering, LM2 AM/FM MX stereo radio, YF1 Convenience Package, LB2 oil pressure gauge, and the LF4 Tuff steering wheel (1976-1978 only). Dealerships could also order the Warlock and L'il Red Express models with air conditioning, tinted glass, sliding back glass, cruise control, oversize mirrors, tachometer or clock, and gauge package (battery charge and vacuum). Upholstery consisted of either red bucket seats with a center storage compartment, or a bench seat in black or red. While we take such light-truck comforts for granted today, this was the first time a domestic truck maker would sustain efforts to bring truck accommodations into the realm of passenger-car luxury. This is a big reason both the Warlock and the L'il Red Express trucks are so sought-after today.

Dodge Warlock vs. L’il Red Express Fast Facts

* The 1978 and 1979 models of L'il Red Express can be distinguished from each other by having single headlights (1978) or stacked double headlights (1979). A total of 7,306 L'il Red Express trucks were built between 1978 and 1979.
* The L'il Red Express Truck is officially called the L'il Red Truck. The LRT got the longer name due to its door decal but "Express" is not part of its official name.
* The L'il Red Express and Warlock trucks were built on the lightweight Dodge D-100, the Utiline "stepside." No production figures for Warlock trucks exist because they were available in four configurations (D-100, W-100, D-150, and W-150).
* The LRT got its performance bona fides from an E58-code 360ci small-block V-8 taken from the pursuit-package police cars. These were upfitted and renamed EH1 for use in the LRT.
* The LRT was only available in red (bright canyon red in 1978 and medium canyon red for 1979). The Warlock was available in orange, black, red, and green, with black being the most common color. Other colors could be ordered for the Warlock on a special-order basis, but not for the L'il Red Express. The Warlock II came out in 1979.
* The Dodge Warlock came out in late 1976 while the L'il Red Express Truck came out in 1978. Warlocks were essentially pre-customized trucks with a choice of standard powertrains (including 4x4 availability). The LRT was strictly a performance vehicle with a 225-hp 360ci V-8 included as standard.
* The Midnight Express looks nearly identical to the L'il Red Express except for its black paint and a lack of vertical exhaust stacks. The Midnight Express was not a factory-built vehicle but a dealer conversion package. Because of this, no accurate production records exist of Midnight Express models.
With E-Bodies out of reach, I would love to put a 426 HEMI into one of these!

#Dodge #Warlock #LilRedExpress #DodgeWarlock #DodgeLilRedExpress #Trucks
George
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Re: Classic Dodge Ram Trucks: L'il Red Express vs. Warlock

Post by George »

Interesting
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