1995 Ford F-150 Lightning SVT

Description

Everybody scoffed at the idea of a high-performance pickup truck when this 1995 Ford F150 Lightning was built, but today muscular trucks are a regular sight on our streets. The one that started it all is now an appealing collectors' item and this low-mileage Lightning proves that some things just never go out of style.

The odometer shows 20,687 miles, and that's the right number, because this Lightning is absolutely spotless. You could get your Lightning in black, red, or white, with a vast majority choosing black simply because, well, if you're going to have the baddest pickup on the block, it should look the part. The black paint is factory-applied and nearly 20 years old, yet shines up beautifully and shows little use. Ford dipped everything on the truck in the same inky black vat, including the bumpers, grille, and mirrors, so there's nothing shiny about it, and all that dark trim is equally nice. Lightning badges and a subtle chin spoiler were the only real indicators that this was something special, which was just how the SVT guys liked it back in the day. For practicality's sake, this one does sport a drop-in bed liner as well as a hard-shell tonneau cover, effectively making for a 4-by-6 foot trunk. There's also a custom tubular rear bumper and a hitch, because this slick pickup can still be used as a truck, unlike many of its competitors.

The interior got a big upgrade over the standard F150 guts, starting with those comfortable cloth bucket seats. Grippy yet comfortable for all-day drives, they offer power lumbar support and just enough side bolstering to handle the corners. There's an extra-wide center armrest that offers plenty of storage and just about every option on the F150 was standard on the Lightning: A/C, power windows and locks, a full array of instruments, cruise control, and even a tilt steering column. The speedometer reads to 120 and this truck will probably use most of that, unheard-of for something with the profile of a barn and a 6-foot bed on the back. The original stereo was replaced with a Sony AM/FM/cassette head unit back in the day, and the truck includes two sets of Lightning floor mats, just in case.

The Lightning got a reworked version of Ford's 5.8-liter V8 (that's a 351W to us old-school guys) with heads and intake very similar to the GT-40 setup used on the Mustang Cobra. All the usual 5.0 bolt-ons work just as well here, but instead this one remains almost entirely stock and that intake manifold is still one of the most beautiful castings to ever come out of FoMoCo. It starts easily and runs surprisingly smoothly, with a bottomless well of torque that threatens to overwhelm the tires at low speeds. It's linked to a quick-shifting AOD 4-speed automatic transmission that combines with optional dual gas tanks to make for truly bladder-straining fuel mileage. The underside is incredibly clean and still stock, right down to the exhaust system and spare tire hanging under the bed. Those wheels are factory-issue, now covered in gunmetal powdercoat for a cool look, but the original wheels and 275/60/17 Firestones are included with the truck.

Would we have today's high-performance SUVs without the Lightning? Who knows? What we can say is that even 20 years later, the Lightning remains an A-list piece of performance hardware. Call today!