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.

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

Kris

[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

[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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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.


Jody

[Kris Horton]

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

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.....

[Kris Horton]

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

[camcojb]

Originally Posted by Kris Horton

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

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]

Originally Posted by camcojb

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]

Originally Posted by XcYZ

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!

Jody