That Old Black Magic: 1978 Dodge Warlock
If Halloween didn’t deliver enough thrills and chills this year, how about this spooky ride: a 1978 Dodge Warlock. Listed for sale here on Facebook Marketplace, this running and driving (but not stopping) pickup can be yours for $5,000. Many thanks to Chuck Foster for the tip!
From the Dude at the beginning of the decade, to the Lil’ Red Express, to the Macho Power Wagon at the dawn of the Eighties, Dodge seemed to offer a flavor of pickup for every palate in the 70s. This included the Warlock, introduced with limited production in 1976 with regular production beginning in 1977. The Warlock package would only last until 1979, if you include the Warlock II, which was only available in that year. Included in the package was a variety of features meant to allow buyers to purchase a truck with custom flair direct from the dealer. These included gold pinstripe accents both inside and out, gold wheels, bucket seats, oak sideboards, and chrome everywhere– including diamond plate mini running boards.
Aside from cosmetics, the trucks were essentially either a Custom D-100 or, in the case of the 4×4 models, W-100 stepside. A host of engine options were available, including this example’s 360-cubic-inch V8, which was capable of anywhere from 180 to well over 250 horsepower depending on application, though by the mid-70s new emissions standards meant that you’d be looking at the lower end of this range. Yet some sources indicate that catalytic converters weren’t required on trucks until later in the decade; it remains to be seen if this truck is so equipped.
For what is mostly an appearance package, this truck would need a lot of attention to present as it did when new. All the stickers have faded along with the paint, and there’s evidence of the usual rust that one would expect on a truck of this vintage. On the other hand, the truck does run and drive: it might be a fun project just to replace the bed, fix the brakes, and get it back on the road pretty much as is. Even with its current patina, it’s bound to stand out in any crowd of classic pickups.
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Comments
Never liked how these were named.
Ditto! Always loved the look of these trucks but hate the name.
The Gremlin, Warlock, and Demon were all specialty vehicles. My Warlock was a nice truck did very well as solid transportation. The original 318 was gone and its replacement a 383 was a dog. When I came back from Afghanistan sold 5 vehicles, I made twice the money for the Warlock but shouldnt have sold it. I made it a full optioned vehicle and it turned heads everywhere I drove it. The name makes the truck otherwise its just another farm truck.
I always thought the Warocks were black trucks only. Never seen one other than black.
In 76 Warlocks were painted black, dark green metallic, or bright red. Mopar Collectors Guide featured a metallic brown 77 or 78 earlier this year and by 79 I think they were up to 6 different colors but black seemed to be the most common.
One of the BIGGEST POS that Mopar ever made. Every time it rained you had to change the resister on the firewall. Had a friend who had one. He had at least 3 on them in the glove box at all times.
Yep my dad had one always had a glovebox full of em I learned early on how to change em quick in the rain in a store parking lot 😂😂😂
Someone once told me the cure was to get a brand new resistor and cover the resistor coil with a bead of sealant before installing it on the firewall. That kept the moisture out and the resistor actually working.
I don’t think you can blame that on this model. Seems to be a pretty wide problem for many Mopars of the day.
Bull.
Total BS. I’ve own an old Mopar since ’83, and carry a spare ballast in the glove box. In 40 years I’ve replaced ONE.
I’ve been driving 70s Dodge trucks since the early 80s while my dad and grandfather were driving them since 1975 (believe or not we drove them in the rain without incident). With the occasional ballast resistor failures years apart and not on every truck and coincidentally never while raining they’ve been as reliable as anything else of that era. As for biggest POS you must’ve slept through the lean burn and K car era.
If you can imagine this, at the time not only did these approach birthday status on dealer lots, the CabPlus wouldn’t sell, either. How times change, eh?
The subject of catalytic convertors seems to come up with nearly every late ’70s pickup listing. Catalysts weren’t required on trucks over 6100# GVWR until the 1979 model year. This being a ’78, if this truck’s GVWR is high enough, then no convertor is correct.