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No Reserve Runner: 1993 Ford Lightning

Cheap muscle trucks don’t come along every day, so this 1993 Ford F-150 Lightning is worth a look if you’re OK dealing with some minor rust issues. The Lightning is said to be completely original, and wears the less-often-seen red paint job with blue decals. The seller notes it has been in central New York State and the Hudson Valley since new, and that he has a personal connection with the previous owners. The Lightning is said to run and drive quite well, and has never been modified from stock condition. The body will need attention at some point, but the good news is the frame is rock-sold, according to the listing. Find it here on eBay with bids to $6,601 and no reserve.

As you can see here, the rust has permeated the body along the lower fenders, rear wheel arches, and lower extremities of the bed. The passenger side definitely seems like the worst of the two, with the driver’s side showing less widespread corrosion (the wheel arches and lower rear bed sills seem to be affected, but the edge of the front fender appears sound.) Still, these are not dramatic rust repairs on a truck, and if you were looking for a quick and dirty solution, swapping the bed out for a red one in better shape would address some of the rust in a jiffy. Of course, none of this requires an immediate repair; the truck can definitely continue being driven as-is before it needs to be dealt with.

The Lightning has 146,568 miles on the odometer, which isn’t exceptionally low but also represents fairly nominal annual mileage. We’ve seen these trucks with healthy odometer readings through the years, so they can definitely go the distance. Despite the rough exterior, the interior is in respectable condition with nicely bolstered bucket seats still presenting well and no obvious flaws to the center console, door panels, or dash. The seller claims his only reason for selling is lost garage space, and that he would drive it anywhere, anytime. He notes the entire A/C system has been replaced and spits out ice-cold comfort.

The engine bay isn’t exactly overly detailed, but the listing still describes a host of recent repairs and fixes that the next owner will get to enjoy. Some of the repairs include new suspension bushings, KYB gas shocks, fuel tank, fuel lines, fuel pump, battery and cables, starter, and much more. Even the tires have just 2,000 miles on them. As the listing states, “…taking a huge loss to please the boss,” that being his wife who doesn’t love seeing the Lightning in the driveway. What a shame – and what a great opportunity for the next owner to jump into a turnkey Lightning that just needs some easy-peasy rust areas repaired. The no reserve auction has already taken off; where will it end up?

Comments

  1. Avatar cre

    Rusted out bed, rusted cab corner, rusted fenders. All visible from one image. I wonder how the author of this post would define serious rust issues. smh

    Like 6
    • Avatar KKW

      Apparently you’ve never seen serious rust issues

      Like 10
  2. Avatar sluggo

    well the first thing I’d do is paint it white…

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Will250sl

    I know I know , it’s nitpicking but seller states entire ac system replaced . Aftermarket ac parts don’t come black , black ac hoses and drier assembly ? no , , ,used compressor Beware

    Like 1
    • Avatar KKW

      And just what colors do they come in? Pastels maybe?

      Like 6
  4. Avatar Harrry

    finally a non-lowered truck.
    in a way, the rust is better than no rust because then you’d be afraid to drive it.

    Like 0
  5. Avatar Troy s

    Good running truck that really handles and that body style was one of Fords best….and last one I ever liked. Sharp interior. Brand new these were pricey at the time.
    I wonder how much those tires cost now?

    Like 3
    • Avatar Autoworker

      I had a ’95 black lightning. # 454 of the 2200 built that year. The 351 had the GT-40 heads and intake, and would outrun the Mustang GT. I believe I gave $16,0000 new for mine. Had several build issues, with the ac compressor and one of the fuel pumps failing within the first couple of thousand miles. Don’t know for sure, but I bet those tires aren’t too expensive… they were only 17″. Back in the day those were big rims. Sold the truck to a co-worker to free up money as I was building a house.

      Like 3
      • Avatar Troy s

        It was black, stealthy looking, with the mean 5.8 engine and those big high performance tires, sat perfectly level with the excellent handling suspension and the sticker price was 25 thousand dollars….sitting there on the showroom floor. No matter what the salesman could not get the payments low enough for me to afford at the time so I walked…
        Oh but that was a sharp truck! Many that I remember were being modified almost immediately over at JBA, the hot Ford shop so to speak, and could be found at Carlsbad Raceway on Saturday tearing it up alongside a splattering of 5.0 Mustangs and turbo Buicks as far as newer cars went. Good memories!

        Like 3
  6. Avatar Rich

    If that is minor rust, then I am the King of France…just sayin’.

    Like 2
  7. Avatar Patrick Anderson

    My ‘93 sat on the lot for over a year until I bought it. The sticker was about $21,600, the dealer was asking 24 even, and no takers. They finally put it in their ad for 17k and I bought it. Still have it. A guy recently walked up and asked me how much? I told him “a million dollars “. He said he had a couple of grand in his pocket. No sale. 136k miles and still runs like a raped ape. The paint is pretty weathered, but a good paint job, and a new set of the Lighting decals ( available from FMC truck parts) and she’ll be looking goood, ese!

    Like 5
  8. Avatar PRA4SNW

    Almost every F-150 in New England rusts this way, especially around the rear fenderwells. There are probably some experienced body shops that have “fixed” a lot of these.

    Like 1
    • Avatar KKW

      As does every other brand of truck.

      Like 1

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