Digestible Collectible: 2000 Ford SVT Lightning


Eleven years ago, I married a remarkably tolerant woman. She’s not particularly into cars, but she humors me when I prattle on about the merits of whatever awesome car caught my eye that day. Or when I decide I need to take an epic, one day, out-and-back trip to Maryland to buy a race car that’s never turned a wheel under it’s own power in the three years I’ve owned it. But she has her own automotive tastes, and for sake of marital harmony, I do my best to listen.
As a country girl, trucks weigh heavily in her list.
One peculiar truck that caught her eye about fifteen years ago was the Ford SVT Lightning. I think the bit-player role it took in the first “The Fast and the Furious” film (as Harry’s shop truck) may have done it for her. That, or she’s conflating her lust for Vin Diesel’s bulging biceps with the sweet melody of whistling supercharger and burbling V-8.
These seem to hold their value quite well, like other limited hi-po Fords. A clean, standard F-150 would probably bring around $5,000 or so. This 2000 Ford SVT Lightning is right in the middle of the market at $13,995.
I love the blacked-out factory rims against the silver finish — it’s likely reversible, but distinguishes the truck just a little bit. The Lightning looks well cared for, as it was likely rarely used for any sort of hauling duty.
Alas, a two seat pickup truck is a less than ideal family vehicle, and my wife’s dreams were dashed when child one came along. I did have trouble losing the baby weight, but I do have a full head of hair well into my thirties, so score one for the pasty Ohio boy.
Nowadays, you have to shop hard to buy a new truck without 350+ horses under the hood, so the performance of the limited-edition truck isn’t so alluring anymore.
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- Urlik My online research seems to indicate it’s an issue with the retaining clips failing and allowing the valve spring retainers to come out. This results in the valve dropping into the cylinder.
- EBFlex Typical Ford. For those keeping track, Ford is up to 44 recalls for the year. Number one recalled manufacturer (yet again) by a wide margin.
- Lorie Did they completely forget the damn 2.0 ecoboosts that have the class action lawsuit? Guess those of us that had to pay out of pocket for an engine replacement for a fail at 76k miles are out of luck? I will never buy a Ford again.
- Mncarguy I remember when the Golf came out and all the car magazines raved about it. I bought an early one in the mid level trim, brown with a beige vinyl interior and a stick. I must have blocked out a lot about that car, because the only thing I remember is one day with my wife and infant in the car, the brakes went out! I could use the parking brake and made it home. There must have been other issues (beside an awful dealer who felt like they were doing you a favor even letting you come in for service) because I swore I'd never buy a VW again. I did get a new Beetle and later a Passat. That's another story!
- Oberkanone The Chrysler - Plymouth - Dodge Neon's racing successes - SCCA and elsewhere (allpar.com)Inexpensive racing.
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Chris, FWIW, I test drove one of these new, when I was considering ordering the H/D version, just to get a feel for the powertrain. That part of the truck was astounding. Numbers do not do the torque feel justice. But the road noise was crazy. Just crazy.
my personal theory is that the cars with the worst switch wear are driven by dirty smokers who never clean their cars. nicotinic acid left on hands and fingers of people that never wipe the switchgear off, because i guess car washes wont do that- they just spray your tires with armor-all and swab windows down?