Any Lightning owners here?

[97vertstang]

that truck is nice, the gas mileage is horrible though!!!

 

[97blackgt]

anyone who is worried about gas mileage shouldnt have one!!lol

 

[97vertstang]

oh believe me i dont drive gas efficient cars, i was just shocked at the gas mileage.

 

[Lightning Struck]

oh believe me i dont drive gas efficient cars, i was just shocked at the gas mileage.

ehhh, 4700 lb truck with a BLOWN 331 cube motor and drivers with heavy feet .......makes logic to me

 

[GREG@SN95]

idk

lightnings are cool...

but i prefer an old monster 3/4 ton truck with a 351 and posi front and rear...

no need for a snorkel cause it sits on top of 48s and can drive through lakes like its its job...

my bud has one like that... lol... he blew a head gasket... gonna swap the 351W heads for a set of Cleveland heads... yeehaw

 

[svtboy]

Ok...here is the skinny.

You wanna know about lightnings, avoid SVTPerformance for the most part. Go to www.nloc.net (national lightning owners club). THAT is the lightning sight to be on.

I had an 02 Lightning for 7 months. LOVED the truck. Did everything I wanted. With a welded in magnaflow and a K&N Cold Air (FIPK Kit) I ran Consistent 13.55's on stock Eagle F1s.

Now for the bad news....

Yes, they come with forged pistons. BUT they put what ford called, "cracked cap, powdered metal" rods in them. They made for GREAT bearing clearances with tight tolerances but b/c of the way they were made, they were BRITTLE. IF you start to push 450rwhp...you're on thin ice. Your tune better be SPOT ON and in the winter...when it gets cold, you better watch your foot or get ANOTHER tune to fatten it up. They can and will pop those motors pretty easily. If you get one, 03-04 are the best. They have the spark plug thread problem fixed on them (01-02 i believe had only 2 threads in the spark plug holes and they would literally spit them out under boost sometimes).

I'm not trying to sway you away from the truck at all. I miss the HELL out of mine but a factroy EPA Rating of 16mpg on the hwy wasn't cutting it for a DD for me...and like someone posted earlier...I bought a lexus instead.

I got mine, ditched the LAME-O Euro Tails for 00' reds, slapped some 20" centerline rapids on it, dropped the rear 3" to level it out, chrome grill, and rolled out! My girlfriend misses it more than I do. She wants me to get another one. Anyway, if you have ANY questions about them, I can probably answer them.

The gas mileage, my heavy right foot, and the itch to boost it to 18lbs is what made me sell.

+1 The only thing I would do different on my next lightning would be, not to jack around with pulleys , port, or small bolt ons. Just get a whipple or kennebell right from the start. Then save up for a built motor and crank the boost up.