New daily driver.

[Kris Horton]

A couple weeks ago I decided that I needed something that was a little more practical than my Camaro and my Mustang, yet still fast enough to keep my speeding habit satisfied. A friend of mine turned me on to the SVT Lightning. It's a nice truck that's fast and handles pretty well from the factory without feeling too much like a truck. It's already come in handy (for my friends.) I've helped one friend haul a transmission and another a bedframe and a dresser. :)

I found a black '03 Lightning in Orange County that was very well-maintained, lightly modified, and going for a good price, so I bought it and gave my dad the Camaro. I know it's not a classic, but ultimately I'd like to see it become a modern g-machine. I've already installed Hotchkis springs on it with sway bars, QA1's, and other suspension mods coming very soon.

Here are the performance mods thus far:

4# S/C Pulley (Seeing about 12-13psi at the moment)
K&N Cold Air kit
NGK TR6 spark plugs
Factory Tech Valve Body
Magnaflow muffler
SCT 4-bank chip with dyno tune

Current dyno numbers are 381rwhp and 471tq. I've got a Bassani midpipe and catback setup going on this week, so I should be breaking 400rwhp pretty soon. :D

Here are some pictures I snapped of it this weekend as well. Hope you guys dig it!

Kris

http://img506.imageshack.us/img506/8840/lightningbhs1smallzb9.jpg

http://img506.imageshack.us/img506/5622/lightningbhs2smallzs3.jpg

http://img506.imageshack.us/img506/5263/lightningbhs3smallqf5.jpg

[camcojb]

cool truck, I loved my 03 Lightning. Of course, the mod bug can bite hard, so watch it. I initially wanted to be in the 400 rwhp-500 rwtq range, but that got boring pretty fast. Ended up at 621/708 SAE rwhp/rwtq and it ran 11.20's on the street tune. Should have gone 10's on the race tune, but never ran it that way.


Have fun, ton of potential there. Plus, even at the 621/708 range mine was a 20000 miles per year driver, rain or not. Plus I towed cars/trailers a fair amount with no issues.

Jody

http://www.camcojb.com/lightning/frontdrivers.jpg.JPG

http://www.camcojb.com/lightning/dante%20002.jpg

[Kris Horton]

Jody,

Those numbers weren't on the stock block were they? Did you go with a Kenne Bell? My hp and tq goals on the stock motor (maybe with a KB on it) are 475/575. If I go any higher, I want to have a built shortblock waiting for it in the garage for when the stock one lets go. :rofl:

Beautiful truck by the way. Sonic Blue is an awesome color. Cosmetically I'm planning on either a set or 20" or 22" Forgelines or DPE's, billet grills, painted tonneau cover w/ducktail spoiler, and a roll pan. It's still a little ways off though, so plans may change.

Kris

[camcojb]

Jody,

Those numbers weren't on the stock block were they? Did you go with a Kenne Bell? My hp and tq goals on the stock motor (maybe with a KB on it) are 475/575. If I go any higher, I want to have a built shortblock waiting for it in the garage for when the stock one lets go. :rofl:

Beautiful truck by the way. Sonic Blue is an awesome color. Cosmetically I'm planning on either a set or 20" or 22" Forgelines or DPE's, billet grills, painted tonneau cover w/ducktail spoiler, and a roll pan. It's still a little ways off though, so plans may change.

Kris

No, had a built motor. I was at 457/549 SAE (475/571 STD) on the stock block and KB (16 psi). Then I bumped the boost up and exceeded the stock fuel system, lost the motor.

475 rwhp is the absolute limit in my opinion, and even then I'd suggest a bigger injector.

I had the painted cover (no lip) and a roll pan also. They look good on those trucks.

http://www.camcojb.com/lightning/truck%20003.jpg
Jody

[Kris Horton]

I'm sure I'd be happy with 450-460rwhp too... :D

I wouldn't push it over 450 without upgrading the fuel system to go with the power, but even then, is it still pretty risky or does it all just boil down to sufficient fuel delivery?

That rollpan is sextacular. Is that the Cervinis one?

[1970cuda]

i thinks that we ares paying too much for renderings..... :lol:

[Kris Horton]

Haha, nah. Now if I paid cash for it, that'd be a different story. :yes:

[camcojb]

I'm sure I'd be happy with 450-460rwhp too... :D

I wouldn't push it over 450 without upgrading the fuel system to go with the power, but even then, is it still pretty risky or does it all just boil down to sufficient fuel delivery?

That rollpan is sextacular. Is that the Cervinis one?

I think with fuel and a good tune you're safe at that level. That is a Sir Michaels pan; tough to get as they quit making the side pieces.

Jody

[XcYZ]

I bumped the boost up and exceeded the stock fuel system, lost the motor.

Wasn't there ice cream involved? Must have been Don's fault. (Good thing he doesn't get online, lol)

[camcojb]

Wasn't there ice cream involved? Must have been Don's fault. (Good thing he doesn't get online, lol)

actually it was an In and Out Burger! :D

Jody

[XcYZ]

Ahh, ok, for some reason I thought it was ice cream.

In and Out... plenty of stories from that place. :D

[Kris Horton]

Was the dyno tuner eating and tuning at the same time? :_paranoid

[camcojb]

Was the dyno tuner eating and tuning at the same time? :_paranoid

No, I did the tuning. Scott's talking about when I blew up the stock motor. Don and I were heading out to get a burger, and of course you have to floor it getting on the freeway...... :unibrow: It broke a couple rods on the 2-3 shift; leaned out for a split second right as it shifted, and I didn't pedal it soon enough. It wasn't a tune issue, but it had maxed the injectors.

Jody

[Kris Horton]

Don and I were heading out to get a burger, and of course you have to floor it getting on the freeway...... :unibrow:

Sounds about right to me... :D Better to have to slow down and merge than speed up and merge I always say!

[Blown353]

What was cool about Jody's engine ka-boom was that even with holes in the side of the block he drove it home!

That's about as cool as an engine failure can be anyways... :(

Man oh man did that make an oil mess under the truck. I still remember the mess all over the bottom of the truck and under your lift!

[Kris Horton]

I reckon he could have still beaten an import or two on the drive home to boot. :hail:

[race-rodz]

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/9038/0000190rp1.jpg


got this clean title 02 for 8k, this is the one dissassembled in the firebird pics, did a frame swap, added a 3/4 drop, bassani headers and exhaust, afco heat exchanger, pulleys, chip, and b coddington 20'' wheels...... should have it back on the road in a couple weeks.

[Kris Horton]

Chris,

That's pretty slick, but what's up with the front bumper? Looks like it's off of a regular F-150...

As long as the supercharged 5.4's under the hood though, it's all good. :)

[Jr]

Kris,
Nice ride.

*Off topic question*
What performance upgrades did you do to the 94 camaro?

[Kris Horton]

The Z28 was pretty heavily modded. It ran a best of 13.30 at LACR, which is respectable for a 13 year old LT1 with 104K miles on it.

Mods were:
K&N Cold-Air kit
Edelbrock 50-state headers
Flowmaster muffler
QTP Electric cut-out
NGK spark plugs
MSD Ignition (opti-spark upgrade)
Hi-flow (read: gutted) cat
160 degree thermostat
Tuned PCM
Shift Kit
ZR1 Corvette wheels
LS1 Camaro (98-02) brakes
Eibach Springs

It also had a really nice stereo, but I don't count it as a mod really lol. It had 2 12" JL Subs in a custom carpeted enclosure, Pioneer door and rear speakers, Rockford Fosgate amp, and an Alpine head unit.

I picked up the car for $6K from a good friend of mine who took great care of it. I love that car, but it wasn't really all that practical, so I gave it to my dad to use as a daily driver (5 miles or so a day) since I knew he'd take good care of it.

Kris

[Jr]

I picked up the car for $6K from a good friend of mine who took great care of it. I love that car, but it wasn't really all that practical, so I gave it to my dad to use as a daily driver (5 miles or so a day) since I knew he'd take good care of it.

Kris

Kris,
Wow, I bet he appreciated the act of kindness. :thumbsup:
If my father wasnt so damn picky, I would love to do something like that for him..

[Kris Horton]

Yeah, he enjoys the car, but on the downside, it's a little rough on his back since it's so low and shifts hard but he says it's not too bad.:)

[Smack_talker]

I want a Lightning for a daily driver. I need to stop buying Mustangs and look for a deal on one. :unibrow:

[Kris Horton]

They can be found for reasonable prices. I picked mine up for under $22K. Some out there are in the $18K area. '03 and '04 are most desireable because '02 and earlier had problems spitting spark plugs because the heads weren't threaded deep enough. The problem affected 1 in 4 Lightnings I believe, but it was a warranty fix, so it's probaly even more rare now.

Check out the www.nloc.net for sale section, that's where I found mine. :)

[Steve1968LS2]

Nice truck.. wish they made it in a crew or at least extended cab.. I NEED the back area.. :)

[camcojb]

Nice truck.. wish they made it in a crew or at least extended cab.. I NEED the back area.. :)

They do; the Harley Davidson edition in 03 I believe started being made with the Lightning engine/trans (20 less HP).

Jody

[Kris Horton]

Yeah, the HD F-150's were 4-doors with the S/C 5.4, but only ran 6psi of boost stock compared to the 8psi in the Lightnings, making them less powerful. Very nice trucks just the same though. A friend of mine just bought an all black one that looks amazing.

Kris

[Streetking]

Those are really cool, congrats. I had a '04 with every bolt on that JDM made and I really liked it. Sold it to a friend of mine about a year ago and I saw it last weekend, it only has 4k miles on it!

SW

http://www.fototime.com/3F9B717111F01C6/orig.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/2ECC6E6502DC823/orig.jpg

[Kris Horton]

Very nice SW! What kind of drop did you have on it. I have the Hotchkis springs, but it's not much of a drop. I love the way it looks, but a bit lower wouldn't be bad either. :)

What kind of numbers were you seeing with the bolt ons?

[camcojb]

I can't believe you picked black! :lol:


Jody

[Beegs]

I can't believe you picked black! :lol:


Jody


:rofl:

[Streetking]

Very nice SW! What kind of drop did you have on it. I have the Hotchkis springs, but it's not much of a drop. I love the way it looks, but a bit lower wouldn't be bad either. :)

What kind of numbers were you seeing with the bolt ons?

Kris, I had dropped lower control arms and 3" lower spring in the front, beltech rear flip kit w/ c-notch. I used Deustech(sp?) lowered shocks, 20" 99-00 style reproduction wheels. As far as performance stuff, JDM cold air, JDM larger throttle body, JDM headers and hi-flo cats, Bassani cat back, JDM 2lb lower pulley, JDM electric fan kit, JDM chip, Line mod valve, TR6 plugs and JDM larger mass air. It made 457rwh/507rwt if I remember, with the heavy 20" chrome wheels.

I loved that truck..

SW

[race-rodz]

Chris,

That's pretty slick, but what's up with the front bumper? Looks like it's off of a regular F-150...

As long as the supercharged 5.4's under the hood though, it's all good. :)


it was a wreck/hack fixxed auction truck, reg f 150 bumper...but real svt headlights. the frame was bent about 2" in front of the firewall, and behind the cab.... yet it actually drove down the road almost straight. 30k miles, for 8k was a great deal on a clen title. into it less than 15 will all the p[arts to fix.

[Smack_talker]

Nice truck.. wish they made it in a crew or at least extended cab.. I NEED the back area.. :)

Ford does, they made supercharged 4 door (Supercab) Harley trucks for a few years. A local guy here has one, its sweet. The new Harley trucks are NOT supercharged, so look for a 2003-2005, I believe.

[Kris Horton]

I think it was only '03 and '04. They changed body styles and the engines are 3V heads vs. 2V as of '05. I know the Roush F-150's are pretty beefy, but so is their pricetag. :(