Bring a Trailer Bargain of the Week: 2002 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning
The electric F-150 is here, and Ford has given the Lightning name. For Blue Oval fans, that name should be familiar. That’s because the F-150 SVT Lightning was Ford’s first real performance pickup. And this week, there’s a second-gen model available on Bring a Trailer.
The second-gen Ford F-150 SVT Lightning is a fast supercharged sports truck
Although Ford now has the Raptor for high-speed (off-road) shenanigans, that wasn’t the case in the ‘90s. At the time, pickup trucks were about utility, rather than performance. That changed when GM introduced the Chevy 454SS and the GMC Syclone, Hagerty explains. The latter truck gained noticeable enthusiast acclaim when it accelerated faster than some contemporary Ferraris.
In response, Ford launched the first-gen F-150 SVT Lightning in 1993. It rides lower than the contemporary F-150 and features Monroe shocks, aluminum wheels, larger brakes, and stiffer sway bars. And under the hood is a 5.8-liter V8 rated at 240 hp and 340 lb-ft, sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed automatic. That’s enough to give the 1993-1995 F-150 SVT Lightning a 0-60 mph time of 7.2 seconds, MotorTrend reports.
The second-gen 1999-2004 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning, though, is even more potent. Instead of a naturally-aspirated V8, the second-gen truck has a 5.4-liter supercharged V8. In 1999-2000 models, it’s rated at 360 hp and 440 lb-ft, Hagerty reports. 2001-2004 SVT Lightnings, though, offer 380 hp and 450 lb-ft, once again with a four-speed automatic.
The 2001 upgrade let the Ford F-150 SVT Lightning go 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds, Car and Driver reports. And with a 147-mph top speed, the second-gen Lightning was the world’s fastest production truck, MT reports. At least until the Ram SRT-10 came along.
Nevertheless, the second-gen F-150 SVT Lightning offers more than just straight-line speed. It has four-wheel vented disc brakes, performance tires, thicker anti-roll bars, and starting in 2001, Bilstein shocks. And while it’s not quite a sports car, the truck “was a revelation in handling” back in the day, TruckTrend notes.
The 2002 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning on Bring a Trailer
Being a 2002 model, the Ford F-150 SVT Lightning currently listed on Bring a Trailer has the 380-hp version of the supercharged V8. However, this truck might have more power than that, because it’s not stock.
The seller notes that this 2002 F-150 SVT Lightning was previously modified by Tim Skelton of Team Rebar Racing. So, under the hood, it has an LFP single-blade throttle body, a C&L intake tube and plenum, a larger intercooler reservoir and Meziere pump, an AFCO heat exchanger, and Flex-a-Lite radiator fans. This truck also has a transmission cooler, a differential cooler, and a performance exhaust with a Magnaflow muffler.
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Skelton didn’t just modify the truck’s powertrain, though. This 2002 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning has a chassis brace, drilled rotors, and front Brembo brakes. It also has front and rear Hellwig sway bars, Moog ball joints, urethane end links and bushings, Foothill Offroad spring plates, So-Cal shock extenders, and Flex-Form fiberglass leaf springs. The truck has Lincoln Blackwood traction bars, too, as well as additional auxiliary gauges. And the Moda wheels with Toyo tires have an aftermarket tire-pressure monitoring system. Plus, this SVT Lightning comes with a Keystone ‘shaker’ hood, a DG Motorsports air dam, and a Grillcraft grille.
Inside, this 2002 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning has Corbeau TRS sport seats, a microsuede headliner, A/C, cruise control, LED interior lighting, and extra sound-deadening material. It also has a Ford Audiophile six-disc CD changer, an MTX Thunderform subwoofer with a 350W amplifier, and LED turn signals.
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On the downside, this 2002 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning isn’t perfect. It has some front bumper scrapes and sustained some front/side damage in a December 2004 accident. And while the odometer “shows 34K miles…total mileage is unknown,” Bring a Trailer says. However, it has a clean title.
These trucks are “coming into their own” as collector’s items, Hagerty says, but this one’s still a bargain
As of this writing, this 2002 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning is listed on Bring a Trailer at $12,000 with three days left in the auction. Considering its condition, that’s a below-average price.
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A fair-to-good-condition second-gen SVT Lightning typically goes for $15K-$20K, Hagerty reports. And the average Bring a Trailer price has started climbing to the $20,000-$25,000 range. That makes this truck a great opportunity to get into a Lightning before they’re priced out of affordability. Plus, you can get behind the wheel of the same truck Paul Walker drove in the first Fast & Furious.
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