I like my truck. I like my truck a lot. It has taken my money, my sweat and even some skin off my knuckles to make my truck... my truck. The thing is every few years I get the new vehicle itch. My truck needs a couple things that will set me back a few dollars. Nothing major but important to the longevity. So I've got the new vehicle itch.

I don't need a Lightning but I would really like a Lightning. My truck is fine but a Lighnting is, well a Lighnting. I stopped in to the local SVT dealership because I had seen an ad for an '01 Lighnting with 19k. I would rather have a new one but every once and a while a good (unmolested and beaten) used vehicle comes around. They wanted 27k for this used Lightning. Seems high to me considering that some Lightning guys are saying that they are getting they're Lighnitngs new for this. It was a long shot but I thought I would at least see what they would give me for my truck and maybe (hopefully) be persuaded to buy a Lighnting. I didn't drive the Lightning because I knew it would intoxicate me and I may have made a regretable decision. I did sit in it though. No cd player? and that stench! What they he!! was that stench!? I think someone may have died in that Lightning. No matter how good a deal they could offer I didn't think this was the truck for me. So I'm freezing my *** off thinking how about a new one.

Sorry this is taking for ever. I haven't posted much lately.

It's cold out and I'm really not at all impressed with this used Lightning. I went back inside and the salesman had some numbers for me. I think this was the point of my post. I think. He tells me they will give me $6500 for my truck. Bone stock I can see that maybe my truck with another 30k on it might be worth $6500. My truck isn't stock (it's thoughtfully modded) and has less than 50k. I was hoping that they would offer around 10k. He said it's because it's a 5-speed.


the point is here
So after all this (if you have infact been able to make it this far) what should our trucks be worth? Am I expecting too much? They said that they might be able to give me $7500 if I got a new Lighnting. Should I take $7500 for a truck that I've put 5k into? What do you guys and gals figure your vehicles are worth?

 

My truck is a 97 lariat with 25,000 trouble free miles. If I were to trade it in I would be offered chumpchange. I might trade up for a Harley but a Lightning cant seat six. When it's all said and done I would probably keep a good running truck rather than take chances on trading up into a lemon I guess.

If you really want the L maybe you can return your truck to stock and sell off the mods ..................... what's that, you'll sell your blower real cheap? J/k, do what makes you happy but expect to settle for a low trade in price for a decent deal on an L, or a good trade in price and an outrageously expensive deal on an L.

They'll get you one way or another afterall, they are car dealers.

Good luck whatever you decide to do.

 

To be honest when it comes to “trade-in” dealers don’t care about mods. Actually mods can hurt you and make it worth less money. Reason being is there are not too many people that want a modded vehicle, or look at modded vehicles as possibly abused.

Now, don’t get me wrong I am not saying your truck is abused and not worth anything, but from many things I have read, and the few dealers I have spoke with that’s the general “thinking” about mods.

I would do as LE PEW suggested, take off as much as you can and sell your mods outright to someone, or try to sale your truck privately. If you come across the right person who likes the mods your chances are much greater at getting the price you’re looking for…

 

http://www.kbb.com
Find the trade-in value for your vehicle, go back and beat the dealer down. I found that my truck books for $7,630, and I gave 38,000 dollars for it less than 5 years ago. Talk about crappy resale! I'd like to have a 2004, but I can't give them my truck and 26,000 bucks for one.

 

wittom,

Know this (and I know you do)
If you make this deal, you will get reamed, no ifs, ands or butts about it.

You know dealers are the scum of the earth, and their only mission in life is to make maximum money at your / our expense. period.

If you have lots of cash, then who cares, buy what makes you happy, but if you're like most of us on here, there is no value to trading up, you will suffer a heavy financial beating, and if your truck is problem free, is it really worth it at this point in time?

My truck will be 2 years old in March, and it cost me almost 40 grand (Canadian)
If I traded it now, they would probably offer me high 20's (if that)

Unless I win the lotto or collect on my wife's not so generous insurance policy, I am keeping this sucker because there's just no value in trading.

Not right now anyway.

Whatever you decide, I wish you well and happy holidays.

Habibi

 

and that folks is why I leased my 98 F150 for 5 years.
The payments would have been $550, and I would have owned it after 5 years. Instead the payments were $340 and I turned it in after 5 years. All mods in this case were 'throwaway money' but they didn't detract from the value, so lets do some quick math.
60 months X the $210 difference = $12,600
The residual value or what I could keep it for was $10,800, but that only matters if I chose to keep it, which of course I didn't.
Now do you think I could have sold my Truck if I owned it at the end of 5 years for the $12,600? Nope.
Do you think I could have traded it in at the end of 5 years for the $12,600? Nope.
Not having to trade in your vehical also helps you negotiate. That way, you only negotiate the price of the new vehical. Trading in, forces you to have to negotiate two things, and they're going to get you one way, or the other, or even both ways.

If you really want the L, sell off some bolt on's, then sell the Truck, then buy the L. Even if you have to rent a car to drive, after selling, and before buying, the $150 weekly rate you spend will save you at least a couple grand in trade in money.

 

wittom, I think you are crazy.
I have seen your truck.
You have a fantastic truck.
It is rare, a V8 and you get to row your own!
It's supercharged, again rare. Any yoyo can walk into a dealership and stroke a check for a Lightning but, you have performance you went out and got on your own.
You can probably count the 4.6L V8 5Spd supercharged F150s on one hand.

What's wrong with you?
You didn't tear it up did you?
I haven't read about a lot of truck related problems from you.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
Do you have any idea how many of us are driving trucks without superchargers?
Do you know how many of us had to buy supercabs or god forbide supercrew cabs because we were in the family way and had no choice.
And as of 2004 Ford doesn't even build a true regular cab anymore unless you go up to a Super Duty.
You've got a collector automobile in the making.

You should have a better relationship with your truck by now.
I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't start in the morning.

(I could understand this post if the Ford was 15 or even 10 years old but, a '98?)

p.s.
I didn't know you had such a nice pic of my truck in your gallery.
I put it in my sig, Thanks!
(You see, I love my truck... )

 

Well, I'll chime in my $.02, not that my free advice is worth any more than you paid for it, but that I'm bored, and having no one else to bother.

I'm kinda with the others on this. Keep that bad boy! Like Raoul said anyone can buy a lightning, but you built what you've got (even though there's no pictures that I could find of this fabled SuperCharger!). But if you really want the lightning, I can understand the itch. I get it quite often myself. I've got one right now in fact, just have no funds to scratch it with... (actually, it's one helluva mod itch, and I don't have the funds, nor can I find the toy I need!!!) so, if you really need the Lightning strip off all those goodies, put that SC on my truck, and we'll all be happy!



Good luck, and Happy Holidays, whatever ya decide!

 

I saw him go down the track at I think 15.1 in the middle of July when it was misrable hot out. He would have been in the mid 14s in October down here.

 

Damn straight!
I would trade my left nut for a supercharger, but I can't because I need it.
Well, er, wife needs it when I get out of line, to crush it, and put me in my place.

Enough of my problems.

I want to go to Mike Troyer's place sooo bad and say
"give me the special Troyer package"

You are a role model and a inspiration for us non supercharged guys,

Great post Raoul, maybe he will come to his senses.

 

Thanks all for the replies.

I do really like my truck. It's just the new vehicle itch can be pretty strong. They make it so easy to get into a new vehicle these days. I haven't been without a payment for almost ten years now. The Lightning was the conclusion that I came to. I've thought about a Crown Vic, an Explorer, an Expy, an '04 F150 FX4, I've even thought about getting a (don't kill me for this) Dodge SRT4. I like having a truck. A Lightning is the closest thing to what I want, the only problem being the price.

The dealer said that they can't do much with the price of the Lightnings. The used one was 27k and a new one is 33k. The only play is with the trade in. That morning before going to the dealership I told my girl, if they offer me 8k I'd say no thanks. If they offered me 10k I would think about it. If they offered me 12k I would be home with a new truck. So I was way off.

I will get a Lightning some day. Not today though. I have too many other things I need to spend money on to spend over 500 a month on a vehicle that I would drive maybe two days a week. My truck needs a clutch and I'm thinking I will have to shell out 1500 for that. I guess I thought for a second that it would be easier to get into something (easier because I wouldn't have to spend anything off the bat) newer.

You folks are right. I do appreciate what I have, believe it or not. I'm sure that when the clutch is replaced with an upgraded one and the Hurst short throw shifter arrives I will stop thinking that I want something better. That new vehicle itch can be pretty strong!

Thanks for setting me straight!

 

I just traded my 2001 F150 Supercrew with 36,000 miles, Lariat, leather, bed liner and Pioneer radio for a 2004 Cadillac Escalade EXT. The Caddy dealer gave me $18,500 for my truck. I also just traded my 2002 Mustang V6 with 12,600 miles for a 2004 Chrylser Pacifica and they gave me $10,000 for the stang.

Trade in value is such a joke.

Although, I thought that they gave me a good price for the stang, considering they're selling 2002s on used car lots for $12,000.

Jenn in OH

 

First of all, and I am sure you already know this, or should, $27,000 for an '01 Lightning with 19,000 miles is way out of line.
Go ahead L owners, slam me for that one, but I had one of the nicest '01's around with only 11,000 miles on it and let it go for $24,500 in July when I bought the Cobra.
As for trade in, almost any dealer will low ball you no matter what they tell you. The more profit they make on the sale, the bigger their commission.
If your heart is set on owning a Lightning, shop around you can find a much better.

By the way, I have an '01 Supercrew that I have chipped, filtered,
installed dual exhaust, and cut down the front seats and installed a console with TV/VCR for the children. Truck has 76,000 trouble free miles on it, and I plan on driving it until the wheels fall off of it.

As for owning another Lightning, you can bet that as soon as the 3rd Generation comes out in 2 years, I will have one before most ohters.

Marc

 

wittcom:

As much as I would like to be selfish (trying to get some things in order for another try in mid January) I have to tell you that if you’re really looking for a Lightning Portsmouth Ford in Portsmouth New Hampshire has about 7 – 8 Lightning’s.

4 of them are 03’s (the others are 04's) They have a sonic blue (which I hope is still there) dark shadow gray, white and I think black which they have marked down to $28,995 and the white one is marked down to $27,995.

Those are brand new 03 Lightning’s. You would most likely get less for your trade-in there but if it is close enough it is worth a try. Hell the white one at $27,995 is going to be a hell of a lot better then a used 01…

Something to think about. Email me and I can get you more information if you would like…

 

Be a buddy and pick up the white one for me Burt, I'll pay you back a lil here, and a lil there.
I know you are loaded, so be a pal.

I would do it for you!