If it helps any, I just bought my 2004 Sonic Blue Lightning here in South Carolina for around $29,500, including the factory tonneau cover. It had been on their lot for exactly 8 days when I bought it - this was 3 weeks ago today. You can get new ones for as much as the 2003 is going for, just keep looking - be patient, but not too patient; once they run out, you can't just wait until next year to get one!

 

I bought F-150 take off 235-16's off of e-bay for winter. Put 9000 miles on them with no problem. Made spring arriving, big tire time

 

I don't think that is a good deal conisdering the hail damage.


I just bought a left over 03 Lightning one month ago. It had 133 miles on it - I paid 26,200 + TT. They also had another Lightning on the lot which was the same price and it was red. I would look around a little more.

 

I think you should be able to get it for close to 26k. I wouldn't worry about the hail damage too much, in my experience dealer shop paint jobs are usually (but not always) better than factory paint.

Like I said earlier, I got mine last week, with about 50 miles on it. It is also a leftover 2003, it was advertised at A-plan pricing ($28.6k) for anyone off the street plus Ford had just authorized $2000 cash back on all remaining unsold 2003's. Plus the dealer was running a one day special of free gas for a year, they gave us a check for the EPA estimated yearly fuel cost for a year, $1700. So we paid just under $25k before taxes, plate transfer etc.

I feel lucky as hell to have gotten such a deal, and I doubt too many people would be able to duplicate it completely, but I thought I should let you know about the rebates we got, since Ford authorized them, presumably for all dealers.