I am looking into a performace pick up and can't decide what I want. I love the lightning but I live in Rhode Island and the winters here can get bad. I am figuring the lighting with RWD and all that power is not good in snow at all. Is this a true statement? Could I just put some weight in the pick up or does that not work either?

If the lightning is bad for the snow, what would be another good performance truck around the same price? I know the SRT-10 has the same 1/4 mile but that is also $15k more.

TIA

 

Well, I think if you want a true performance truck, you are going to have to sacrifice harsh winter type vehicles. All the "sport" trucks like the Lightning, SRT-10, Dakota R/T, etc, etc, are 2wd. I won't lie to you and say the Lightning is great in the snow, but many people have found things that help. Some guys put regular F-150 wheels on for the winter, and add some weight to the bed. That gets most people by. If you are really looking for 4WD, you might want to consider something like a Hemi Ram, or a Ford 4x4 and then add some goodies. Hope this helps.

 

yeah all high performance trucks are 2wd and suck in snow. i also know people who put winter tires on the L and drive it year round. BUT here's what i'd suggest.

i'm obviously biased because i own a Lightning but here's my advice.

the L sells for approx. $33k. SRT-10 is probably $48k.

make a friend and get an X plan pin number at Ford. this will save you a few thousand off the sticker price. buy the L and use the money you saved with the Xplan pin number to get a winter beater. this way you can insure your L as a recreation vehicle and your beater as your year round car.

that's what i did. i drove my L for a year as a daily driver and then bought a beater. it works out perfectly.

good luck in your quest. if you buy a Lightning, you won't be disappointed.

 

Can you explain the Xplan a little more for me? I was thinking of getting a winter car but after buying the L I wouldn't have any money left. This Xplan sounds good if I can save money off the price of the L.

yeah it helps but I still want a lightning I was looking at the Ram Hemi Regular Cab but I can't find any 1/4 mile times on it. Anyone know?

How does the Hemi Reg Cab go up against a Lightning? I know I know, the lightning is faster but how much is it faster by?

Yeah I know a true performance truck won't be as good in snow as a 4x4 but I thought I would ask and see what type of this I can do to make it almost as good.

 

An option that you may want to consider is a F250/Chevy 2500 with a Powerstroke or Duramax. These days there are quite a few goodies for these engines. A reprogrammed computer, propane injection and bigger exhaust can do wonders. It won't be a Lightning but it could be suprisingly fast in the 1/4 and great in the snow.

 

chevy ss . .. . . .

 

Ok you guys are posting way to quick for me

I just edited my last post but more posts came before I did and I don't want to rewrite the question so it is up there, it is about the Xplan. Thanks

I do like the SS but 40k is a lot.

I like the smaller trucks better but I will take a look at those.

 

I agree about getting a winter beater rather then trying to drive the Lightning in the snow. As has been stated any performance truck is not going to be “great” in the snow. It can be done.

I looked at it this way for me. I have wanted a Lightning for a long time. I wanted something special that not only performs and looks awesome but is rare. The Lightning is indeed rare.

Two weeks after I bought my Lightning and drove in the snow a few times, which wasn’t real bad, but not great either. Anyway I worried not so much about MY driving abilities but the others around me.

I then decided to buy a winter beater. Below is a picture of my winter beater. It’s an 1987 Dodge 600SE. Cost me $500, runs pretty damn good and gets about 20 – 22mpg.

No more worry in the snow and the plus is when I am running around to stores I take the beater so I don’t have to worry about morons that can NOT seem to open their doors without dinging others…

My beater is a Dodge and I don’t give a CHIT who ding’s it, how many birds chit on it, or how much dust collects on it outside…

 

i already have one summer car, the mustang, and when i got my L, i KNEW, i wasnt gonna sweet talk the wife for a third car, and the L has not let me down in three michigan winters. i install 265 70 16 winter tires on some ebay rims i got, and pull the ground effects, the ground effects is my option, and is not needed, but i dont like the idea of the salt and crap getting between the panels and causing problems, and as shown, it cleans up very nice in the spring..






jim

 

I drove mine for the last 2 winters with no problems whatsoever. Staying out of the boost and driving conservatively is key.

I got 4 winter tires, rims and 6 bags of sand over the wheels. I was expecting the complete opposite experience from what I read here before buying my truck in 1/03; boy am I glad I didn't listen to them. lol...

Lew

 

So what you two are saying is if I get some nice winter tires and same weight over the rear wheels and not drive like it is summer than it should be just as good as a FWD car in the winter?

I am comparing it to a FWD car because that is what I have now and I don't mind it to much in the winter.

 

won't be any worse then a FWD sedan. With new wheels/tires and 500lbs of weight in the rear.

 

as for what u can get through in terms of snow depth and such, sure compaer it to a FWD, BUT do not drive it like one, or you'll be waving at the car that was once behind u through your windshield, FWD cars are nice in the sloppy stuff,u can point the tires in the direction u want to go and they will pull the car that way but if u try it with a L you will be very dizzy.... also with the limited slip in the rear the back does want to jump out, but as long as you keep this in mind whan driving and take the turns with minimal foot pressure, its fun...this truck is better in the winter than my 4.6 2wd STX was..


jim

 

Yeah I usually go slow in the snow. My prelude is about as far off the ground as a soda can is tall. I usually plow the snow better than most plows

If I decide to get this truck I can try it for a winter and if I don't like it I can always get a winter car.

What is this Xplan?

 

It is a discount plan that ford gives to it's suppliers of parts, and to its employees, although most employees can get better deals through different plans, but they will not allow all discount plans to be used on SVT vehicles.

For example: I work at O'reilly auto parts, and I get the X-plan. I can walk into a ford dealership where the sticker would be $31k on an 04 supercrew. The price automatically goes down to about 27K plus I get whatever rebates they are offering. The X-plan price is not negotiable though.