Hey man I got to ask how could you do it? How could you live with yourself when you got rid of your L for the 4.2? Sorry, but I'm hooked on the Lightning and I'm going to try my hardest to start saving up to get one. Ever since the Gen.2 L's came out in 99 I've been dreaming of having one. Only problem is I'm in college and you know how the $$$ thing goes. I figure I'll graduate right about when the Gen. 3's come out, so I'll do my best to have some money when that time comes. I think I'll probaly end up trading in my 4.2 for the down payment. What was your reason for getting rid of yours? Besides the better gas milage, how could the 4.2 be better? I guess it does save a lot more money on gas, insurance, etc. But did you have another reason for getting rid of the L?

P.S. Your right about the chip post you left in the Lightning forum. $100 for installation!?!? How stupid is that? lol

 

Well, the answer to that question is a long one.

The 1999 Lightning I had was without a doubt the most incredible machine I've ever owned. After a few tasteful mods, it would flat out handle, out accelerate, and flat kick the crap out of any of the other L's out there (even the vaunted '02's).

HOWEVER-

1. My wife was going to have our first child. SO some of the toys had to go.

2. These machines are not all roses and glory, despite what current owners would have you believe. For one, they are not a cheap date in any way shape or form. You cannot go to AutoZone or Napa for brakes, or spark plugs. . .SVT specific. Tires? Oh boy. I drove like Miss Daisy on the last set and was lucky to get 15,000 miles out of them. Have you priced 295/45/ZR18 Goodyear Eagle F1 GS's lately? $1100 a set. Need a front end alignment? Nobody has the (SVT specific) alignment specs. Had to get them FAXED from Dearborn. And Lightnings are thirsty pigs. I filled up (with premium. . .of course- it's required) twice a week. 25 gallon tanks on those bad boys. The SVT special treatment service they promise you comes with owning these rare and high performance vehicles is sad. Half the dealers don't even know what the policy is. I had to show one service manager my owners manual before he believed me, and then still said that was new news to him.

Bottom line: They are awesome machines, but don't expect the service they promise you, and be prepared to spend long cash on them early and often. Oh- and one more little thing- I got really sick of having V6 F-150's in my face on the road courses. Believe it or not- a properly modded V6 F-150 can and will run with (and in some cases away from) a Lightning on a road course. Stay tuned and watch as Talley and I build a couple Lightning Fighters. That boy has a solid plan going and I know the secret to making these things handle like (or better than) a sports car or rather - a Lightning.


Later,

 

You make some VERY good points J. But sorry to say I'm hooked on them and I'm willing to make the sacrifice. I'm a big HP, tire burning, speed freak, who is hooked on muscle cars/trucks. I would love to be a part of yours and Talley's 4.2L monster tuning party but I want to start with the best you can get. See how I think is, why not start with something that is already amazing performance wise and go from there? I realize it's going to take me a lot of money to do it, but I think the experience will be well worth it. I still have a few years to go in college, so for now I guess I'll have fun playing around with my 4.2. The only thing is, the more I lose in races with it, the more I want a L. The worst thing is that there are a LOT of rice rockets in my area. And when I say a LOT, I mean a LOT (like I've heard about 3 go buy just when typing this post)and I just can't wait for that feeling of lining up next to them at a light and just laying rubber and smoke all over their weak *** cars. I already can beat most of them with my SLOW 4.2, but I want to kick their A$$!!! Sorry to the ricers out there, but I can't stand the ones who think that putting a weed-wacker sounding muffler and a big *** wing on there civic makes it a race car. I guess some people just don't get it.

 

Wait till he gets out of college and reality actually sets in.....

Personally for me trucks are meant to work. If they happen to be fast so be it, but I'll spend my money on something else that is fast.

Trucks are meant to get dirty, haul stuff, move stuff. I can't see spending what $36K on a truck that goes fast. I wanna haul crud to the dump in it. I wanna drive through the muck to get to a lake in it. I wanna tow stuff that is fast behind it maybe. I wanna be able to hose off the interior when I'm done.

I'd lay awake night thinking about getting a $37K truck dirty.

For the money...buy a Porsche or etc.

I agree with the whole sleeper route. Make a quiet timid stock looking V-6 get on steroids and kick butt for waaaaayyy less money.

I have a friend who just went through WrongDay's same exact scenrio. He retired from Ford, and got a high end supercharged Lightning at like cost. Proceeded to go through tires and gas like it was nobody's business. Never once put a thing in the back of it except maybe groceries once in a while.

He went out with me in my 4 wheel drive Nissan (my really beater truck) and we went through mud buried up to my axles and watched water slosh around inside the cab. He was instantly hooked.

He sold his Lightning

He wants that truck so bad now I can't get rid of him.....

Trucks are different things to different people.

But if you think that you will suddenly have enough money out of college to own an exotic, then get back to us in about 4 years and tell us how its going.

 

I like Wrongday, also traded down to a better built truck. I have owned two L's, a 99 and a 01. Both red, fast and fun. My teenage twins loved them both. Now I have a 02 flairside, 4.2, 5=speed and enjoy the simplicity of the truck. These are trucks in their purest form. The truck runs up to any speed limit (doesn't get there as fast as a L, but I have time) I can get parts any where, tires are cheap, I don't worry about Metroplex roads that are rougher than any farm to market county road, parking lots, high premium gas prices, and heck I even carry stuff in the bed. The L's were just alittle to much like the Corvettes and SL-500's I have owned, they are great for awhile, they have their place, but they are still expensive toys with high maintance issues. If I feel the need for speed, I will just say turn about is fair play and borrow my son's new 03 Cobra.

 

I agree Jonrjen, I want a pickup for the convienance, sure I will do some mods for performance, like the ones I have done and maybe even a chip before the end of the year. But I didnt buy the truck to race, if I wanted to race again I would be back to the mustangs. My truck is your basic "cowboy" truck complete with bed mounted tool box.

Of course for those that buy the 4.2 to race to prove that a v6 can be modified to run fast, more power to them. We all buy the trucks for differant reasons.

 

Not to mention, those of you who buy the truck and find ways to enhance the performance, please keep posting your progress. It is a good way for the rest of us to add alittle extra bonus punch to our vehicle. I will never be one to install NOS or exotic heads and cams to my little truck but I sure appreciate all the imput posted on this forum.

 

Heads, cam, and intake are on my list for sure. I'm actually building up a 2nd motor myself. parts will be JE pistons, Eagle rods, shotpened and hydrofluxed crank... and various other items.

I'm also swapping to a T5. Just gotta figure out a few problems that come with it. We have the same bellhousing bolt pattern as a 302/351.

 

Now see, you just have to admire Talley. Anyone can go the the Ford store and plunk down the bucks for a new L, but Talley has the know how to produce the power off the shelf using some tweaks of his own. And there is some thing to be said for making that kind of HP from a 4.2 engine. Ya gotta love the ingenuity.

Talley, did you receive the X-plan application yet?

 

Not really ingenuity at all...

Yes... I did! I have to Thank You Very Much! I'm thinking of a 3.8L Mustang 5-Spd. I can drop in the 4.2, procharge it... and very easily be in the 11's. You said it is good for one year correct?

 

Yes, go ahead and fax it in, once you get the PIN it is good for one year. Figures out to be about invoice plus any incentives offered at the time.

 

WOW! Sorry I brought up the whole Lightning issue. I guess I should keep to myself. I'm sensing a lot of hostility towards the L, I guess you guys are just jealous of the people who can afford them. But hey I can't afford one either! lol

Jonrjen, yes I think we all admire Talley, but do you think he is the only one that has the know how to produce a lot of power out of their engines?

Texcowboy, no one said you bought your truck to race.

TalltomG, What a Lightning isn't fast enough for you? Can you name something faster for the same price? As for "For the money buy a Porsche", the only Porsche you can get for even close to that price is the Boxster. And even that is 10k more than the L and still slower with 1/2 the weight. I'm also 6'5", so trying to cram myself into that little (coffin if you crash) car would be rediculus for that amount of money.

Sorry guys don't attack me on this one , but I still think the L is awesome and well worth the price. Plus I live in L.A., so I'm not going to use my truck for cattle pulling, mud slinging, and hauling lumber like some do. (not that there's anything wrong with that) No harm meant to anyone.

 

Don't admire me... I learned my magic from the internet

I learned alot from hangin around the V6 mustang guys. LOTS of them are pushing 300+rwhp on the 3.8 or 4.2 engines

 

I don't admire you Talley! J/K, It's great that you help people out on this site, we all appreciate it. ......Even though you don't have an automatic. lol!!!

 

Lets see your times?????????????????????????????????????

16.868 @ 83.2mph totally stock