• Welcome to For Trucks Only !

    We are a community of American Brand Pickup Truck and SUV owners. Join now! Its Free!

'78 Midnite Express Truck

A

Aussie Challenger

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2012
Messages
125
Reaction score
8
Location
Yarra Valley Victoria Australia
G'Day, I am trying to get info on the '78 Midnite Express Truck as I believe it was a very limited edition in the '78 year range.

I believe it was to be a Black version of the Little Red Express Truck except it had a 440 instead of the 360, I did read somewhere it had a 400ci but most reports say 440. It was also supposed to be an auto as well with the same running gear as the LRE and same wood work, but the graphics were Silver. Phoenix Graphics have a kit which is Gold so maybe that is correct then.

It wasn't a Warlock which had many different engines and colors.

Was it more a "Show Truck" than go as a 440 would have made it fairly quick if everything else was the same as the 360 LRE.

I could be looking for a stable mate for my '79 LRE.

Any and all info would be appreciated, thank - you

David

Aussie Challenger
 
Trying to find some web links for it. You are correct in the year being 1978

This is all I could find. Google turned up a video of an owners midnight express stating that its "the rarest truck ever made"

Via Wikipedia:
Another rare model is the Midnite Express which was available for the 1978 model year only. This truck was equipped much like the Li'l Red Express with exhaust stacks, wheels, and gold pinstriping. The Midnite Express was painted black instead of red and featured a "Midnite Express Truck" decal on the door. Most Midnite Express trucks were powered by the 440 engine, instead of the 360 like the Li'l Red Express. All of these trucks were considered "lifestyle" pickups and were marketed to an audience that wanted specialty, personal use trucks.
 
Last edited:
Most were dealer installed packages I saw one new in a Aberdeen MD Dodge Dealer that was white under the hood
440 wasn't standard FACTORY ones were black LRE's
A marketing move to draw attention to Mopars like Kit Car Aspens & such
 
DodgeAddict said:
Most were dealer installed packages I saw one new in a Aberdeen MD Dodge Dealer that was white under the hood
440 wasn't standard FACTORY ones were black LRE's
A marketing move to draw attention to Mopars like Kit Car Aspens & such
Click to expand...

I wondered how they were doing it. I couldn't find any useful info per say.
 
Thanks for your replies, it seems that the Midnite Express was really a dark horse then. As I mentioned above I thought that the info I have checked out up to now made it a Black, 440 powered LRE possibly done at the dealer level and not the factory so could have also had other options as well depending upon what the "base" truck had from the factory. Could it have had a unique Vin No.?
If you think or hear anything please post as I am now hooked on trying to find out more from MOPAR's Muscle Era cars and trucks.
 
Just my two cents . The Midnight Express truck's were a dealer installed package and most of them were built in Chicago ( Mr. Norms ) . With the blessing from Ma Dodge they used high optioned Warlock's to start out with and ordered all the parts threw there parts department and if they weren't already metallic black they repainted them . As far as I know there isn't any type of production numbers for them because of them being a dealer installed package . I have an old Mopar magazine around here some were that has a good article on one . If you want I'll try and find it .
 
bear said:
Just my two cents . The Midnight Express truck's were a dealer installed package and most of them were built in Chicago ( Mr. Norms ) . With the blessing from Ma Dodge they used high optioned Warlock's to start out with and ordered all the parts threw there parts department and if they weren't already metallic black they repainted them . As far as I know there isn't any type of production numbers for them because of them being a dealer installed package . I have an old Mopar magazine around here some were that has a good article on one . If you want I'll try and find it .
Click to expand...
That would be great if any info could be either scanned or passed on, here in Australa we have even less info than you do and rely on forums such as this or trolling through hours of threads.
 
I'll do the best I can . I have had to learn anything I can about the Midnight Express because after we got the LiL Red ( third owner , second driver ) we had back in the 80's my wife found out about the Midnight express and she had to have one . lol I offered to build her a clone but Nooooo she wants a real one . lol So all this time I've been doing research on them and to this day I've only found one real one and the owner flat out refused to sell it . What make's it even harder is that there's no production numbers on them and it's hard to prove if you do find one that if it's a real one or not .
 
bear said:
I'll do the best I can . I have had to learn anything I can about the Midnight Express because after we got the LiL Red ( third owner , second driver ) we had back in the 80's my wife found out about the Midnight express and she had to have one . lol I offered to build her a clone but Nooooo she wants a real one . lol So all this time I've been doing research on them and to this day I've only found one real one and the owner flat out refused to sell it . What make's it even harder is that there's no production numbers on them and it's hard to prove if you do find one that if it's a real one or not .
Click to expand...
Yes as I mentioned I already have a '79 LRE, when I come back over to US next time I would have liked to pick up a stable mate but that looks like a Mission Impossible from what I have been able to find out. May have to settle for a '78 LRE, not too keen on the Warlock as they were really a multi optioned truck, not against them but was hoping for something more unique. If you find anymore info please post, thank-you.

David
Aussie Challenger
 
I forgot to ask you . Did you check out "Chargers777" thread on his truck ? If you didn't then you might want to . It's NICE !
 
Sorry it took this long to post this article "Aussie Challenger" . To be honest with you , I found this magazine for you a while ago and put it next to the computer so I could try and download it for you and I just plain forgot about it until now . I'm not sure how this is going to come out but if you can't read it then just shoot me an e -mail at myoldparts@Hotmail.com and I'll e-mail it to you . The magazine is from 1996 .

midnight 1.jpg
 
Last page . Like I said if you can't read it then feel free to shoot me an e-mail .

midnight 4.jpg
 
The truck in that magazine article belongs to my father. He bought it from the guy in Cali. and had it shipped here to CT. Since then we've done a bunch of work to it to keep it looking good and we even met up with Mr. Norm at Carlisle and had him autograph the door. We still have the truck along with a LRE and we take them out as a pair often during the summer.
 
Yeah , I second that ! If you could post up some current pictures of both of them that would be great . By the way , Welcome to the site to both you and your farther .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top