01BlackL

Tell us some more about yourself please.

I would want well-sorted IRS, because I do mostly autocross. Has anyone seen a Viper having problems with axlehop ?

 

BlackLight

Sure bro, but what do you want to know?

General info as far as cars/trucks goes, I have always been a die hard Ford fan and expect I will always be. My first decent vehicle was a 90 LX 5.0 (drove a worn out 302 74 F-100 for a long time before). I retired that car about 2 years ago (with 185k hard miles on it, it was still running too), and I have had my 01 Lightning for about 1.5 years now. It's still stock so far, wanted to pay off some of it before breaking it

 

To say some more about the previous post:

I think that in 1999 the L represented huge value for the money.

It could (can) drag race with some serious fast cars, it can haul cargo (almost) like a full size pickup, and it can autocross pretty well too.

It's just that right now, if I had to spend 35-40k (US$) for a 500hp Lightning, there are more vehicles in my shortlist.

For example:
2004 Subaru WRX STi
2003 Mustang Cobra

And if I was going for the all-out fastest thing I could get, these cars might also be interesting:
2003 Corvette Z06
2004 Lotus Elise
2004 Corvette
2004 Ram SRT-10

 

Oh ok, sorry misunderstood.

I think your right about the L in general. It's quite fast at the drag strip and is easily made faster due to the factory forced induction, although the reality of things is the truck weighs ~4600lbs.

Towing with a L is really up to what you want to do, 5000lbs is not that small a load for normal full size truck to begin with, and its not like the break after you try to pull 5001lbs. I towed my Mustang with trailer (about 5400-5500lbs total) about 100 miles with no issues a couple of times for example, I know others who have regularly pulled ~6000lbs for much longer distances with no issues. The reality though, is if you want to tow heavier loads then say 3-4k quite often, you should probably invest in some more tow oriented shocks, leafs, tires, or maybe a different truck.

Autocrossing capability with a L is also quite decent, I have to say my 01L is about as stable as my 90LX Mustang which had shocks, springs, braces, and adjustable camber/caster plates on it (albiet parts were worn some). Now I don't know if I would trust my L as much on faster autocross work as I would the mustang, but for lower speed autocross definitely yes.

The thing is, I think the new Lightning is going to be more like $40-50k range then the $30-40k like it has been in the past. In order for me to want to purchase the new Lightning, its going to have to offer more then just 500hp and some new styling. It's going to, like you have said, do more then it does now and for me that would include IRS at the bare minimum. It's going to have to step on the toes of other vehicles more for me to be interested, there's still a HUGE performance gap between the "fastest production truck" and even the "middle of the pack fast cars."

Your choices of vehicles are good, I have to admit that even though I have been a die hard Ford man for all my life and really like my L, I came about || close to trading my L for a WRX. Why? Mainly financial reasons: I could have ended up dropping nearly $200 a month off my payment with the deal I could have gotten, the WRX gets much better gas mileage, and my insurance was going to be about %15 cheaper.

Of course there is another side of the reason too though such as AWD is very nice during the winter months, and it allows you to use the power you have virtually %100 of the time rather then %50 or so. The cars handle pretty darn well from the factory (felt better then my L), and are easily made to handle better. Being factory turbo cars, they are easily made much faster as well. They have good brakes, they can haul more passengers, they allow better stereo systems, and they seem to be pretty easy to work on.

Once again let me say again, I love my Lightning. It's quite versatile(sp), its quite fast, and it handles quite well. It's definitely a very good compromise of a lot of things, and its still sortuf unique. I think everyone should have one

But in the coming years I will have to make a choice as to whether to keep the L and mod it, or to move to a new platform (maybe the new Mustang?). I am sortuf one of the maximum efficiency people, I like vehicles that are fast in every area of speed tests, and also at least decent in other areas such as gas mileage, interior quality, etc ...

I'd much rather have an efficient design over a more glamorous (but less efficient) design (efficiency has its own beauty). Same goes for hyped vehicles, I don't care if you have 1000hp...its a matter of how much of that 1000hp can you actually get to the pavement that counts. That's what worries me about the new Lightning.