Only you can answer the question. Raoul has a good take on this...is it worth 10=K to "own" the L?

You don't need our permission.

You gotta ask yourself these questions, not us.

I think if I were to be asking questions I would ask this one:

What's the life expectancy of a supercharged engine? I seem to remember when I bought my first L (a 2000) hearing comments on this board that you could expect 100,000 before the SC went out or you needed to rebuild the engine...I don't know if that's true, but you might want to check with the tuners and others on this board...this place is a great source of info as I am sure you know.

If you are just wanting to hear all of us say "Great! Yeah! Do it!" that means you already have decided that you want it, you just need confirmation from others for some reason.

Whatever...what you want and what is right might be the same thing and they might be different...which is it?

I'll tell you this much, and this is true of ANY vehicle...after the excitement wears off (and it will wear off) the payments don't.

Keep in mind too that's it's not just the cost of buying the L, it's the price of keeping it running. Will your insurance go up? How about fuel? (I guarantee you that is going to be A LOT more expensive than with your current vehicle. And, the possibilities of future repairs (and mods...mods seems to be a disease that comes with these trucks...and it's not a disease coverd by health insurance and it can get costly).

All that said...

Good luck, whichever you decide to do.

 

With them knocking 2k off, that makes it doable. However, here's some questions:

If you have problems, where is your closest SVT dealer, and will the warranty cover their work?
Can they show you in the computer that the intercooler fix was done for that VIN?
Have you checked the VIN through CarFax? http://www.carfax.com
What kind of tires are those? Are the the stock Goodyear F1s?
Is that white stuff on the front bird poop?
Have you had your modit maximus vaccine?
Are you alergic to tire smoke?
Wouldn't you rather have a red one?

 

To answer some of the questions....

I'm not interested in modifying it (and trust me, I wont ever be interested). I raced motocross and was always happy with being stock (I'm more of a person who would rather spend the money on keeping the machine properly maintained or knocking off extra payments then spend on mods).

I've been in debt since I got my first bank loan when I was 17 and I'm 26 now and have had payments on stuff all the way through till now so I'm no stranger to being strapped with payments. Can't remember my life when I didn't have payments on something.

I've been obsessed with the Lightning every since last year when I first found out about them. Yes I also realise the excitement wears off but the payments don't. But I never regretted for one minute buying my last truck, even after a few months when the excitement factor wore off. I'd do it all over again if I was back to the day when I bought the STX.

If I bought a new L, the price would be around $30,000, not $16,000. The nearest SVT dealer here in Jersey, Jack Trebour Ford, wants +$5000 over MSRP for new Lighings (basically, they're shooting for $34,000MSRP +$5000 markup because of the area here with all the rich city folk).

Yes the reliability factor of the Lightning has me concerned a bit (the whole blown sparkplug fiasco). I don't plan on ever racing it though....

I live in Jersey so the cost of vehicle insurance already sucks. My insurance guy said add +$300 to my yearly cost of around $2,100.

I ran the VIN trough carfax and it said "The 22 records on this 2000 FORD F150 SVT LIGHTNING will confirm a clean history or uncover potential problems." Anyone with a Carfax account wanna run the VIN for me?

Tires....Stock I think. White looking stuff is from the camera flash. The truck feels really tight when driving it. The cornering and braking are the best I've ever felt in any vehicle I've ever drivin. The body appears to be in great shape (could use a real detail job though.)

They said I could take it to any ford dealer for warranty work.


Honestly.....this is how I feel what is making this such a HARD decision for me... Not payments or anything like that. My red ext cab I simply don't want to get rid of (once you're used to the extra room it's just a nice thing to have). I also have wanted a L BADLY since I first found out about them.

Ultimately, I want both trucks, lol, one for the everyday driver (the back seats although don't fit an adult comfortably come in great use for the trip to the grocery store or whatever else you might need to throw back there) and the other for the weekend play toy.

If it comes down to it, you people that as owned an L, can it be an okay everyday vehicle? Work is only 2 miles down the road, then I jump in a work truck and head off... My friend normally drives his Kia when I make large distant travels like say going down to the Jersey shore for a day. What I'm getting at is I really don't put a hell of alot of miles on a vehicle.

I apologize to you guys for bothering you with this, lol. Thanks for all your input though IT's HIGHLY APPRECIATED.

 

So, you are 26 and single I guess?
If I were you, I'd get the Lightning.

I am old and married and bitter.
I wouldn't do it.

 

keep the STX.

 

KEEP THE STX! Find a better L.

 

I agree.
Any dealer that tells you ,Any ford dealer can do warrenty work on the SVT, I wouldn't trust . There is a reason an SVT dealer must have a minimum of 1 SVT Trained mech. on staff to keep thier SVT dealer status. Also, Intercooler fix was it done?, blown sparkplug problems?. Over 5 recorded items per year on carfax,That makes me nervous. 61,000 mi., this one has definitly been used.
Stick w what you have for now and keep your eyes open, I don't regret waiting to get mine, although I thouhgt of all sorts of reasons why I should jump every time i saw one, LOL.
waiting is hard but, IMO there is a lot better deals out there
Good luck

 

Originally posted by D Davis

Any dealer that tells you ,Any ford dealer can do warrenty work on the SVT, I wouldn't trust.

Uh...what are you talking about? Any Ford dealer will tell you this because it's true. If you call SVT they too will tell you this. Any Ford Dealer CAN do warranty work on an SVT.


There is a reason an SVT dealer must have a minimum of 1 SVT Trained mech. on staff to keep thier SVT dealer status.

Correct, and the reason is MARKETING. Before I bought my first Lightning I spoke to the SVT folks and they told me that there is nothing special that any certified Ford tech can't handle. SVT is a marketing gimmick (which is not to say that their vehicles are not great...they are, or I owuldn't have owned two of them) If you go to the Ford site and read what the SVT philosophy is, they PROUDLY proclaim that SVT was started with their top MARKETING and ENGINEERING people. SVT Status is given to, and based on sales numbers, nothing more.


Over 5 recorded items per year on carfax,That makes me nervous.

This could be nothing more than transfer of title.

Get what you want. If it feels good to you and you are certain the vehicle is in good shape and you feel the price is fair, then knock yourself out, good luck, and have fun. If it doesn't feel right, don't get it...wait for something better.

 

I'd say pass on this one, start a Lightning fund, and keep on the lookout for a better deal. There will always be a better deal out there, you just gotta be patient and keep your eyes open. The way most L owners baby their trucks, 61k is a lot of miles, you're sure to find one with much lower mileage. Besides, you already have a love affair with your current truck, so it shouldn't hurt too badly.

 

You obviously haven't worked in the car business. A $2,900 profit for a used car isn't that bad. I don't know where some of you guys are from, but the dealers in CA use Kelly Blue Book as their guide. Heavy infasis on GUIDE. The price a dealer is going to pay will be based on what that type of vehicle is selling at auction for. Some vehicles will sell for more than wholesale book, but most sell below (sometime way below) Our used car buyer has bought many cars $5,000 below wholesale book at auction. You can't imagine (or maybe you can because you've been there) the look on peoples faces when they see what their trade-in is worth. They'll scream "Kelly Blue Book says it's worth $3,000 more than that". The response from the Used car Manager " fine, then sell it to Kelly". The Kelly Blue Book Retail amount is what the Credit Unions use for lending purposes. The KBB wholesale amount is what independant banks use to determine value of a vehicle they're considering lending money on. The rest is basically a matter of supply and demand. I have seen a used vehicle on my lot sell for an $8,000 gross profit. It all depends on how the buyer buys it, the salesman sells it, and the amount of down payment a customer has.

This may not be pretty, but it's the truth. Dealers don't make a lot of money on new cars. The used car sales is what really makes owning a dealership worthwile.

 

Walk away, if they call you back with a better deal, great....

If not, believe me there are better deals out there.

Did you ever find out if the intercooler recall has been done? That would be a big selling point for me.

I would bet, if you said the price was a bit out of your price range, they would come back and ask you... what price would take this truck home with you, then name your comfortable price.

It's a pretty nice looking L, way better than the STX.

 

jerra2t dealers commonly use black book not nada....FYI