My New Project-'78 D150 440

In my initial info I said I was looking for a shortbox D100/D150 for a project to use up a bunch of parts I'd collected over the years. I put a wanted post on Kijiji-after a couple false leads and a little driving I came home with this today:



It's a '78 D150 with a factory 440. The production # that's been bandied about and also used in a letter from Chrysler to another owner is 74. For reference if I have my #'s right there were around 2200 Little Red Express Trucks made in the same year. Here is where it gets even more interesting:



Have a look at the production date in the top left and the MDH (month/day/hour) # in the bottom right. August 10, 1978 has to be getting down to the end of days before the line changeover to the '79s. It's impossible to say that this is the last D150 with a 440 to ever roll off the assembly line, but I think it has a shot at it. Neat piece IMO regardless. I have my work cut out for me now!

Nice truck, congratulations on your find. So what are your intentions for it ?

For now I need to make it run and move. It's going to take a pile of work to get it ready for an out-of-province safety so it can be used. I am not going to do anything to it that cannot be undone-"rare" in this case doesn't mean valuable but it is still a cool piece. It'll get a few creature comforts to make it nicer to drive (tilt/cruise for sure and a better stereo as a minimum). Down the road I could see yanking the motor and transmission (I haven't gotten to finding the serial #s on them-the motor pad is hidden under the AC compressor but what I can see shows 8T440 which goes with the 78 truck emissions sticker on the valve cover, and the transmission has the proper part # on the driver's side rail for a 78 truck big block long tailshaft transmission-but assuming they are #'s matching for now) and storing them away and slapping in a stroker/518 combo. The doors have been cut for speakers already so I may change them out for unmolested rust-free ones I have in my stash-if I do I will save them as well. I generally do not sell stuff-I wear it out-but I need to make sure that if I do decide to move this out at some point in time that it has the ability to be put back to stone-stock if that's the way the next owner wants it to be. It might sound corny but I think the truck deserves that....

Holy Mopar batman!!

Sounds like the truck found a good home.

This weekend was spent on seeing if I could get the old girl to run again after its long hibernation. There were a few trials along the way but it does run, albeit with ignition and fuel system work required. The master cylinder piston stayed stuck out after the first brake application so I'll be going to NAPA tomorrow to order that, a few tuneup parts and a badly needed set of valve cover gaskets. Then we'll see how it works. Makes me feel better about it anyway that it is capable of running and moving under its own power.

Jason

Sounds like your work in progress is progressing in the right direction.

From the picture that you posted, this is a nice looking truck that appears to have a lot of potential. Hearing it run must have been music to your ears.

More work today-after changing the master cylinder and pulling/buffing/lubricating/reinstalling the brake pedal pivot shaft we have a roller. At least for a quick blast around the yard....the LF caliper is sticking and the brake system needs fully bled. New plugs and changing the leaking vacuum advance canister made the old girl run a little better, and I gave it its first oil change in who knows how many years. Unfortunately NAPA got me the wrong carb kit so progress has stalled again. But it does run good albeit still a little rough, no smoke and 50-60 psi gauge oil pressure at idle. Compression test is 115-120 across the board which I don't think is too bad considering we're close to 3000' in altitude here.

I see I will need to invest in a few seals here and there, and the driver's side floor pan needs replacing. Nothing I can't handle. Next days off, or possibly this week at nights depending on my schedule I'll get a Thermoquad rebuilt for it and reinstalled, and maybe pull the rear wheels and have a look at the condition of the rear brakes. I have some electrical gremlins to chase which isn't unusual for these trucks unfortunately. But again it's nothing I can't handle. It might take a back burner for a while as I have to get my tugging truck, 5th wheel and boat ready to roll for May long weekend.

Jason

Congratulations silvercloud........... nice find!  
I love these 1977-1978 Dodge because these are the only years for the parking lamps in the front grille.
You'r right: 74 US ordered 440 cu. in. D150 in 1978 (plus the 2 Lil Red Xpress sold in Canada).

If you don't mind, I have a few question:

What is the original color of your truck?
Is that a rear sliding glass ?
Do you have an AM-FM CB radio?
What original instrumentation: RPM, vacuum guage, etc.

The original underhood stickers are long gone. I am 99% sure it was originally black as everything wears that color and appears to be factory. It does have a rear slider in it but it's aftermarket for sure-if I had to bet I would guess that it was originally a fixed rear window but without a sticker or build sheet it's just a guess. No CB, just AM/FM stereo radio. It doesn't have anything extra for gauges from the factory.

My favorite year is '76 with the clear signal lights, but that's probably because that was my first truck. I actually prefer the '76 and the '79-80 with the stacked quads to the '77-78 grille, but that's again probably because I've never had one of these.

Hope this helps.
Jason

As you already know, original rear sliding glass ''looks like'' aftermarket jobs.

Over the décades, my son and I own several Warlock, D150, Ramcharger, etc from 1977 to 1981 and from 318 to 440 factory original. In 2007, at 36 years old, my son lost battle to cancer and the stock went to my daughter in-law. All is left is a rear sliding glass and a couple AM-FM CB radio.

Surely you can find a sliding rear glass ( if you want to) near you, but I can give you an (OEM) AM-FM CB radio if you pay the postal fee. It will be my contribution to your project and I do this only because your truck is an original 440!!!

I will post a pic of the radio. (Have to find them in the attic first) LOL       Pierre

I think this is aftermarket glass because of the black anodized frame. I do have factory rear sliders in my inventory from '75, '76 and '80 for sure (yes, I have a lot of parts trucks!) so I will probably move one of them over to this truck when I paint the cab. I appreciate the offer of the CB radio-that is one option I have never stumbled across in any of my trucks. I have a factory 8 track in an '80-that's as close as I have come. I will wait to see your pictures.

Thanks
Jason

Hi Silvercloud,

if you don't mind asking: how's the "78 D150 440" project going?

Any more news?

Man, I'd love to have a truck like this one. But unfortunately I just don't have the room for one.

JGL wrote:Any more news?

Heard nothing from Silvercloud..............I just want to give him an AM-FM/CB radio for his 440 pick-up...........if he still have it.....

I had one of those 74 trucks in the 80's. Mine was an Adventurer with tilt, cruise, ac, dual tanks, amfm stereo. It was fast for a truck, had a lot of fun with that one. Had I known how rare it was, I may have hung on to it. Good find.