Muscle Truck: 1994 Ford F-150 Lightning
With the Lightning, Ford’s newly formed Special Vehicle Team (SVT) went far beyond the typical marketing-minded sport truck. Sporty trucks of the day featured mostly cosmetic updates, tape stripes, sportier-looking wheels and tires, and little else. SVT re-wrote the book on V8 sport trucks with the high-powered, nimble handling RWD-only Lightning. This 1994 Ford F-150 Lightning in Saint Louis, Missouri shows about 92,000 miles on the odometer, and nothing visible in the eBay listing disputes it. Called “99% stock” by the owner, only the radio and aftermarket visor stand out as modifications. The original wheels, the first 17 inch wheels fitted to an F-150 at the factory, look great, though due to being the same on both sides, the twisted spokes make the truck appear to be accelerating violently in reverse when viewed from the left. Offered in “drive home” condition, according to the seller, this black beauty can be yours for $21,000 via Buy It Now, or tempt the fates with a click on Make Offer.
Only one engine powered the Lightning, this port fuel-injected 351 cid (5.8L) “Windsor” V8 making 240 HP and 340 lb-ft of torque. With the obligate four-speed overdrive automatic transmission and 4.10 rear axle gears, the full-sized pickup attained 60 MPH in 7.6 seconds, about 1.5 seconds slower than that year’s Mustang GT. The GT40-style intake and other tweaks made 30 more HP than the normal 351W.
Another first in a pickup are the true bucket seats. These show less wear than the center console, but they certainly look original. Imperfections kindly noted by the seller include small rust bubbles on one wheel well, paint worn from a bed cover, and a Check Engine Light due to an “idle air valve” code that “doesn’t affect drivability.” The factory tubular rear bumper has a healthy dent from some unfortunate mishap. Every Lightning came with air conditioning according to the SVT brochure at Lov2xlr8.
Anyone with a budget could add 30 HP or more to their 351 in the mid-’90s, but SVT lowered and tweaked the Lightning and added 17 inch wheels with fat 275/60 tires during a year when the Corvette wore 285s. After tossing in other changes to springs and suspension components, Ford hired “The Flying Scot,” three-time World Driver’s Champion Jackie Stewart, to flog the Lightning along with the new-for-’93 SVT Cobra Mustang. Stewart lapped the Dearborn test track within one second of the Cobra’s time, a cosmic impossibility for a stock ’94 F-150. Hear Jackie’s own description of the Lightning’s track manners in this vintage video. Would you let this Lightning strike your driveway?
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Comments
Great to see and hear Jackie. He could drive anything, around any track. Thanks for including the video.
MY 20 12 4wd silverado with a 4.8 and cam is a good match for the Lightning AND looks even better HOOOOOYAAAA! :-)
Yeah,,,,,! Right!!
The only truck of it’s time that can compare to the SVT Lightning is the 454 SS Silverado of then. The Lightning still out performed that old tech big block junk. Newer trucks don’t have the same experience as them. Today’s junk supports driver’s error over good drivers then.
aww dude your truck is a 2012 his truck is a 1994 .big period difference in between . compare it to the early 90’s short bed special edition 454 silverado. at the end of the day all trucks are awsome!! i drive a 1989 volvo wagon.
Pretty clean truck,almost as fast as my 72 F250 i used to own,it would attain 0-60mph in about 6.7 seconds.But it was powered by a 335hp/435ft lbs torque 390 4v and having a 4.10 dana 60,C6 dual range trans.It only got about 7mpg.At 21k for this one seems like a good deal,very clean
Suburban Cowboy ride. It’s practical if you go through it to make sure everything reliable for long journeys. Rear suspension and brakes sound. Probably do some upgrades on rear suspension. Then it’s your travel trailer puller that you also use as your errands vehicle once you’re at the next RV park. It has a niche. That’s the only one I can think of. Drag stripping around town only turns on the fellers we learned way back when. Chick repellent behavior. But it does have RV applications. Or other heavy trailer pulling in a budget applications. Before I decided to stay in my third house, I was looking for a truck like this to pull a travel trailer and see America.
Will the real F-150 Lightning please stand out! Nice, better and much cheaper.
Thanks for the reminder, FrankD! I should have mentioned that Ford has revived the “Lightning” moniker for its electric F-150. Link for reference. https://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/f150-lightning/
I have a ’93, with a mass air conversion and Bassani exhaust. Lots of fun to drive. Needs paint, but I still love it.
I had a 94 L. Was the best I ever had! Sold it for a super low mileage 01 L. Loved the 01 but 94 was just a great truck! Dusted a few 454 ” Super Slow” Chevy trucks. I miss it!