Much-Loved Muscle Truck: 1995 Ford Lightning

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This 1995 Ford Lightning is the limited-production hot-rod version of the venerable F150 pickup, and the seller is the original owner who has racked up a massive 352,000 miles on his truck! That’s huge mileage for such a limited production vehicle, but if the cosmetic condition is any indication, it has been loved since Day 1. The seller notes that he never intended to sell the high-performance pickup, and his investment in its mechanical health certainly speaks to that with a complete engine rebuild in its history file. The Lightning is now offered for sale here on eBay with bidding to $5,000 and the reserve unmet.

The seller has made some interesting styling decisions that either make this Lightning into a bit of a sleeper or potentially indicate it was never bought to use in anger. The bed cap and steel wheels with hubcaps are dramatic departures from the usual look for a Lightning comprised of a slick tonneau cover and the upgraded 17-inch wheels and tires. Regardless, the seller claims the wheels are the only deviation from stock condition (and obviously, the bed cap is removable) but doesn’t mention whether the original 17″ wheels are included. To me, those wheels really complete the look of a Lightning, and the fact that they’re missing is a disservice to the truck.

All of the other important details are there, however, including the Lightning-specific embroidered seats. The driver’s bolster does show a pretty significant tear exposing the inner seat frame, but that’s expected for this kind of mileage. Overall, the pictures give me a feeling that there are some rough edges here and there, particularly in the bed: the one fuzzy photograph through the cap glass doesn’t reveal the sparkling clean bed that I was expecting. Overall, it makes me wonder if this Lightning would be a more compelling purchase with a thorough detailing, and certainly better pictures because the list of mechanical improvements is extensive.

The entire engine has been rebuilt, with the seller noting the build included a polished crank and the block bored 0:30 with new flat-top pistons. The transmission was also serviced with fresh Amsoil fluid, and a new exhaust has been installed. The front suspension was rebuilt as well, and the seller also sprung for a new radiator, battery, and brakes. It sounds like a turnkey truck that can be driven confidently despite the mileage, and if the cosmetics were freshened up, the bed cap deleted, and the proper wheels/tires sourced, it’d look infinitely better. Lightnings are on the rise as younger collectors get into the market, and if the reserve is reasonable, this one could be a solid buy with the heavy lifting already done.

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Comments

  1. Ian C

    This would absolutely make a great daily driver. I am almost more confident buying a truck with this kind of mileage as opposed to one with 30k. Most vehicles can take 30k of straight out abuse. It takes a lot of care and maintenance to get to the 350k mark.

    Like 6
  2. jerry z

    I like the color match wheels and hubcaps. For a truck with 350K+ miles, it sure looks good! Also only about one hour away from my house!

    Like 1
  3. Bakyrdhero Bakyrdhero

    I’m gonna throw in another vote for the dog dish hubcaps. I know one could attain this look with a regular F-150, but I like the sleeper aspect of it.

    Like 2
  4. Johnny

    Someone took care of it and put work back into it. This looks alot nicer and alot more reasonable then some of the rusted down-no running gear –outlandish price vehicle. Plus you can drive it. Only thing I would do to it is have the rust taken care of on the wheel arch and drive it and keep it up. This won,t last long.Its well reasonable priced.

    Like 0

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