I currently have a 2008 F150 5 speed 4.2L

Ive looked into doing a turbo install and so on but it will take money. And will make about 450rwhp when im done. But still thats dropping probably 6-8k into the engine.

I have been thinking would any of you think its a good idea to ditch my truck and pick up a 2000-2003 ish Lightning? Ive seen several that are pushing 400-500 hp and going for 12-13k, Thats with about 60-80k miles on them.

 

Personally, I would much rather drive a Lightning than a turbo 4.2. I highly doubt the 4.2 when pushed to that level will have the reliability of the Lightning. Plus with the Lightning you get much better handling and probably resale 3 or 5 years down the road.

 

2nd Gen Lightning or a '02-'03 Harley truck will be the best way to go unless you sell your truck and buy a 5.4 equipped one

 

Not sure if this is doable, but what about just dropping the drivetran in from a Lightning into yours....or even a built 302....Cobra motor maybe......351?

 

Go with the Lightning. Domestic V6's are a waste.

 

Yep, go with lightning....

 

Lightning!

 

I'm biased toward the Lightning. I'm still driving mine daily after 3 years or so at 500 rwhp on the stock block. It's still the best looking truck Ford has ever built.

Domestic V8's a waste? Maybe you should look at GM's line-up of V6's over the years. The 4.3 is probably one of the toughest engines ever built... anywhere. The 3.8 of the GN days seemed to handle itself quite well, too. Let's not forget the new 3.6's either.


Twin Turbo 4.3 dyno run....

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...ideoID=2303905

 

Why waste money on a V6 when you can get more out of a V8 with the same amount of money put into it. Besides, chicks dig the V8 sound.

 

Why waste money on a heavy assed pickup, when a lighter vehicle would pay you back with more performance? The gee-wiz factor. That's why. The HP I'm making would be much more impressive turning the back wheels of an old Pantera or a fox-body. (Not that I'm putting down anywhere near the limit of what's in my setup.) Outrunning V8's with a V6 would be almost as fun as the look on the odd 'Vette driver's face, when my truck isn't disappearing from his side window like it's supposed to.

 

I'm not sure where you're going with this but what ever.

Get the Lightning.

 

I'm biased for the lightning. Not only is the motor powerfull but the tranny, rearend, driveshaft, suspension exhaust is already high performance. Why replace everything, get the lightning.

 

You'd be stupid not to get the Lightning. Why dump $8,000 into a truck that will only be as fast as a stock Lightning, when for the same amount of money you can have a Lightning that will run 11s.

 

Coming from someone that owned a 97 4.2l and currently owns a 05 4.2l along with my new 08 5.4l and has actually helped with one of the first turbo'd v6 f150's, that it is actually worth the money to turbo a v6. Lots of guys on the v6f150.com site have done it so the knowledge is there not to mention it takes a lot more creativeness to turbo something that doesn't have a kit already so the pride is there. I don't think anyone is looking at this from the money perspective even though they say so. He's got a relatively new 08 truck! You won't get what you paid for trading it in and if he had the money to have a second vehicle he probably wouldn't be asking this question. Maybe get $15K off a trade in if you're lucky then spend another $20K for an 04 Lightning, there's a loss off $5K right there and you still would need to add extra $$$$ to make it to 450hp. Sure the lightning is a great machine and I wouldn't mind owning one but say you have an audio system in your truck like I do in both mine, well the $4K I spent on that can't go in a lightning except for the speakers. So with an 04 Lightning having a $20K price tag that previous owner probably dogged the crap out of, which is a given (there goes reliability) and if there's anything in the current vehicle he has it won't go into the lightning. If you can get a good value on the trade in and a AMAZING deal on a L then by all means, but if the L you want is more than the trade in of your 08 then tack on all the mod money you need to get it up into the hp range you want your going to be upside down on payments somewhere or just have an expensive 5yr old truck. I personally don't think the L is worth the money these days, I would rather get a new model f150 do the stage 3 roush package and still be in the electronic future as opposed to an out dated L that has a boring interior and not a whole lot of room to enjoy GREAT audio not some weakass MTX box. Blaspehmy I know.

 

dude.....the lightning!!!