in the market for a used lightning (advice)

[VEGASbabyVEGAS]

There is a real good chance my 07 F150 Lariat is going to be totaled here. I've narrowed my choice for replacement down to a few diff vehicles and the lightning is just about at the top...

my question is: Is there anything I should really be paying attention to while looking? besides the obvious... is there any lightning specific issues?

 

[WhiteBolt]

Lots of info in here....
Ford SVT F150 Lightning, Generation2 History
1999, 2000 and 2001 Ford F-150 Lightning FAQ

 

[blownsvtlightning]

Just try to find the cleanest, lowest mileage, most un-abused truck you can find. Most guys are entheusiests and take care of their trucks, but you have alot of guys that just bolt junk on there and abuse the truck.. That is what you want to avoid. Run carfax reports and do research.

 

[mcarbine]

Buy a stock one and do the mods yourself. I did that and now I know exactly what is on my truck and what has been done to it. I looked at a few modded Ls and figured they were probably beat to chit so I picked the stock one. Good luck with your search. Matt

 

[gen2lightning]

Just try to find the cleanest, lowest mileage, most un-abused truck you can find. Most guys are entheusiests and take care of their trucks, but you have alot of guys that just bolt junk on there and abuse the truck.. That is what you want to avoid. Run carfax reports and do research.

x2 because most beat the crap out of them

Buy a stock one and do the mods yourself. I did that and now I know exactly what is on my truck and what has been done to it. I looked at a few modded Ls and figured they were probably beat to chit so I picked the stock one. Good luck with your search. Matt

x3 i bought mine bone stock!

ohh and buy a white one!

 

[VEGASbabyVEGAS]

x2 because most beat the crap out of them



x3 i bought mine bone stock!

ohh and buy a white one!

Im actually looking at a stock white one...and looking at a very mildly modified 00 monday. we'll see. thank you guys

 

[LSUstang05]

I'd check The Market here on SVTP. It's where I looked and I got a great deal on the truck that I bought. The guy that I bought the truck from couldn't have been a nicer guy and the deal went through without a hitch (he even picked me up from the airport :lol: ). I'd suggest doing your research on the specific year you are looking at and look for one that is literally clean and looks tasteful. Check the inside of the rear wheel wells for caked on rubber, definitely. Best thing you can do is run a CarFax and then get an Oasis report run, also.

 

[SVT-BansheeMan]

Besides the basic, clean, low mileage etc advice. I kinda disagree with the stock comments. I wish ida paid a little more and got some mods already done to the truck. It's cheaper. But i couldnt be happier with my truck!

If for some reason i total my truck. I will only replaced it with one already built and modded.

 

[VEGASbabyVEGAS]

Besides the basic, clean, low mileage etc advice. I kinda disagree with the stock comments. I wish ida paid a little more and got some mods already done to the truck. It's cheaper. But i couldnt be happier with my truck!

If for some reason i total my truck. I will only replaced it with one already built and modded.

This is sorta what im planning on... if a stock one shows up and everything is right i'll jump on it...if a modded one shows (lightly, tastefully) i'll try that one... we'll see...thanks guys... I'll post the update monday

 

[WhiteBolt]

Just try to find the cleanest, lowest mileage, most un-abused truck you can find. Most guys are entheusiests and take care of their trucks, but you have alot of guys that just bolt junk on there and abuse the truck.. That is what you want to avoid. Run carfax reports and do research.

+1
That's the strategy I used when looking for my truck and luckily found a stock 04' nearby which fit my criteria perfectly.
I didn't want a modded truck because the way I see it, anyone who mods a truck intends to do more than their fair share of wide open blasts. Everyone here knows what happens to stock block trucks that do too many wide open blasts at higher than stock boost levels.
So I see a modded truck as one having a much shorter fuse than a completely stock truck that's never been touched.
That's not to say that there's no stock trucks out there that haven't been opened up a lot. But the factory tune and boost is engineered to help keep the motor from prematurely expiring.
PS... be watchful for stock trucks that were previously modded. (owner took off mods and put everything back to stock).

 

[LINOGT]

I'm thinking on selling mine :dw:

 

[busakiller]

find a stock one. pay attention to the rear tires. if the center is wore out they pound the piss out of it. of course on the test drive, listen for abnormal engine and drivetrain noises. if buying from a private seller, try and see how they keep their house and other vehicles. if its a neat seller, chances are the truck has been taken care of.

and its always worth paying some money to have a reputable shop look at it before the purchase. personally, i can tell if someone takes care of their vehicle by pulling a couple plugs, fuel filter, and maybe a 30 min inspection of the vehicle on a lift.

 

[LSUstang05]

Besides the basic, clean, low mileage etc advice. I kinda disagree with the stock comments. I wish ida paid a little more and got some mods already done to the truck. It's cheaper. But i couldnt be happier with my truck!

If for some reason i total my truck. I will only replaced it with one already built and modded.

I agree with that 100%. You just have to be more careful when buying a modded truck. I got mine with every mod you can possibly due until you build the motor for a great price and the guy I bought it from took immaculate care of the truck. The only thing wrong with it when I picked it up was the AC controls didn't work. It only blew out ice cold air and wouldn't adjust. A trip to the dealer and $20 bucks later and it was fixed, though

 

[1BAD93SVT]

I'd find one that's already lowered, catback, maybe the center console mod and some bling. ported blower, lower pulley, is up to you.

 

[OH-MAN]

Are you in Vegas?
If so This one is close and as a more desirable 03 model.
Good local history on this as well.
www.azloc.com :: View topic - 2003 Black Lightning for Sale!!!

Best of luck on your search.

 

[vmorel1]

Check the inside of the rear wheel wells for caked on rubber, definitely.

Hahaha who's truck has that??

I agree that you should definitely browse through the classifieds here. There are always some very nice trucks in there, definitely nicer than you will find locally most of the time. I've bought 2 from the classifieds and couldn't be happier with either experience. Plus you have a way to stay in contact with the person you bought from if you ever have any questions.

Get a Lightning, you will not be disappointed! :rockon:

 

[VEGASbabyVEGAS]

Are you in Vegas?
If so This one is close and as a more desirable 03 model.
Good local history on this as well.
www.azloc.com :: View topic - 2003 Black Lightning for Sale!!!

Best of luck on your search.

Im actually 2.5 hours from vegas. the 16k is a hair out of my price range... I looked at an 00 last night. mechanically the truck was top notch and the mods were light. The body was great...but the paint was bad. heavy oxidation on the roof and moderate oxidation the hood... It has 44k on it...and like I said mechanically it felt very solid. mods inclue: #4 pulley, magnaflow exhaust, cold air, bigger maf, diablo tuner (w/custom tune) new tires with 20" chrome lightning wheels, gaylords bed cover all fluids changed...
dyoned 380RWHP 495RWTQ...

he is asking 13,999k for it...but asked me to make an offer last night.
the paint and some of the misc emblems he's attached to the dash are my only concern... kbb has it listed as 13,265 for excellent (I dont think it is) and 12,540 in good condition...I fell as if its somewhere between the two...

we'll see

 

[MMShaggy]

If your looking at a 2000 like you said above.

Make sure the I/C recall was done.
Cruise control recall is done.
Check for timeserts, to see if any sparkplugs have been blown out.

Check all normal stuff as well, liek oil in fluid, etc....

 

[HIVOLTG]

I'd check The Market here on SVTP. It's where I looked and I got a great deal on the truck that I bought. The guy that I bought the truck from couldn't have been a nicer guy and the deal went through without a hitch (he even picked me up from the airport :lol: ). I'd suggest doing your research on the specific year you are looking at and look for one that is literally clean and looks tasteful. Check the inside of the rear wheel wells for caked on rubber, definitely. Best thing you can do is run a CarFax and then get an Oasis report run, also.

I had a similar experience... bought mine from a member on here, he knew everything done to the truck and passed on all the info to me. Picked me up from the airport also! You can save a lot of coin if you find a knowledgeable previous owner that has the mods on already that you want...