Ford Truck Enthusiast Builds Crazy-cool Lightning Tribute

Unique 1997 Ford F-150 XL flareside has SVT Lightning style, but its big block engine and gearbox are out of heavy duty work trucks.

The second-generation Ford F-150 SVT Lightning is an awesome truck. Even 15 years after it went out of production, it looks like something we’d want in our dream garage. With up to 380 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque from its supercharged 5.4-liter V8, it still has enough get-up-and-go to make Camaro drivers nervous. But given its focus on street performance, short bed, and single cab, it’s not exactly the best F-150 for hauling and towing heavy loads. So what if you want a Lightning, but need a work truck?

You can do something like what Richard Carpenter from the YouTube channel Dicky’s Garage did. He faced the same dilemma. Instead of getting two trucks, Carpenter built one that satisfied his desires and necessities. He said, “I just really couldn’t bring myself to working a Lightning so what I did is I bought a work truck and I made it as much a Lightning as I could.”

He got a 1997 F-150 XL flareside and added a Lightning front bumper, a set of chrome Lightning wheels, and Lightning badges to make his truck look like Ford’s potent pickup. Thanks to eBay, he was able to get a side-exhaust setup. “Obviously, the truck is not a clone of a Lightning. It’s just something paying homage to those trucks. You know, they say the best form of flattery is imitation and this is definitely some imitation.”

Carpenter regularly hauls tools and parts and cars around with his truck so instead of bolting the supercharged V8 from a wrecked Lightning into his F-150, Carpenter looked to Ford’s heavy duty trucks for an engine and transmission. The parts he found make his build “numbers-matching” in a very different way. The motor and gearbox for his 1997 F-150 are from 1997 Ford trucks. “The transmission is a ZF five[-speed manual] from a F-450.” He goes on to add, “Better yet, I got a ’97 F-350 engine in it. This has a 460[-cid] big block.” That’s right – 7.5-liters of American grunt and get-it-done.

The 460 sounds just as big as it looks on paper. Carpenter has someone (we’re assuming it’s his wife) rev it up. For being stock, the big block sounds fantastic. As the revs climb, the side pipes lets out a thick, throaty roar. That turns into a snarl as the RPMs go down.

Carpenter built a truly unusual vehicle. It’s a grab-bag full of Ford goodies. Could he have gotten more power out of a tuned Lightning engine or Coyote swap? Definitely. Would either one of those have made his truck as unique as it is now? Not a chance.

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Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Derek also contributes to other outlets. He started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to get even more automotive content out to fellow enthusiasts.

He can be reached at autoeditors@internetbrands.com.

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