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Chopped 1975 Dodge Truck Spent Years in Storage, Hides HEMI Surprise Under the Hood

The Chrysler Corporation is mostly known for the Dodge and Plymouth muscle cars from the golden era, but it also has a long history with high-performance trucks. The Ram 1500 TRX is the company's latest beefed-up hauler, but it also offered a V10-powered Ram SRT-10 in the mid-2000s. Enthusiasts will also remember special editions like the Rumble Bee and the Ram Daytona.
1975 Dodge D-100 with 426 HEMI swap 8 photos
Photo: Mecum Auctions
1975 Dodge D-100 with 426 HEMI swap1975 Dodge D-100 with 426 HEMI swap1975 Dodge D-100 with 426 HEMI swap1975 Dodge D-100 with 426 HEMI swap1975 Dodge D-100 with 426 HEMI swap1975 Dodge D-100 with 426 HEMI swap1975 Dodge D-100 with 426 HEMI swap
But it doesn't stop there. Back in the late 1970s, Dodge built the Li'l Red Express. By exploiting several loopholes in the stringent emission regulations of the era, the Li'l Red Express was as powerful as a Chevrolet Corvette and became the fastest American-built production vehicle from 0 to 100 mph (161 kph) in 1978.

More than a decade before that, Dodge rolled out a D-100 truck fitted with the Street Wedge V8. Good for an impressive 365 horsepower, it made the utilitarian D-100 almost as quick as a muscle car down the quarter-mile.

But even though it used both the Street Wedge and the massive 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) RB V8 in pickup trucks, Chrysler never built a hauler with the mighty 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI under the hood. Now that's what I call a missed opportunity!

Well, some enthusiasts weren't discouraged by Chrysler's lack of guts and dropped the HEMI mill into various Dodge D series pickups. One such truck is about to go under the hammer in September 2022 and it's about as cool as a Li'l Red Express.

Yeah, it's a 1975 version and it doesn't have stacked exhaust pipes and cool decals on the doors, but it looks quite fetching in that burgundy color with gold trim. And unlike most hot-rodded trucks from the era, it also sports a chopped cab, with the roof sitting five inches(127 mm) lower than usual.

But of course, the 426 HEMI under the hood is this truck's number one feature. Fitted with dual four-barrel carburetors from the golden muscle car era, it's probably more powerful than a 1970 Dodge HEMI Charger. And the automatic transmission and the Dana 60 rear end should send it flying down the quarter-mile.

On the flip side, this 1975 D-100 spent some time in storage, being part of Elmer's Auto & Toy Museum collection. So it will most likely need some TLC to run and drive again. Parked inside for an unspecified number of years, the truck is going under the hammer at a special Mecum event scheduled between September 14 and 17. We've already documented this massive collection back in July 2022.

Mecum estimates that this truck, which is offered at no reserve, will fetch anywhere between $15,000 and $25,000. That's far below the price of a 1978 Li'l Red Express in a similar condition.
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About the author: Ciprian Florea
Ciprian Florea profile photo

Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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