Ford F150 Lightning is hands down one of the most iconic production performance trucks in the history of American muscle cars. Back in the 90s, it used to compete with the Chevy 454SS, a high-performance edition of their C/K truck powered by a gas-guzzling 7.4L V8 that produced a whopping 230HP…quite impressive for those times.
The first-gen F150 did a little better than that with a smaller displacement 5.8L V8 which made it drive and handle nearly as light as a Mustang.
We earn a commission if you purchase products through certain links in this article – at no extra cost to you.
2nd Gen Lightning
Unlike Chevy’s competitor, the Lightning nameplate continued production in the second generation which launched back in 1999 on the base of a 10th Gen Ford F150. The new body style truck turned out to be incredibly successful in terms of design and performance.
Compared to the base model, it was low and wide thanks to the awesome factory ground effects package and certainly the flare-side bed, which looked like a proper wide-body that we used to see on performance cars.
Performance
Performance-wise it was a true performance muscle car. Being equipped with a 5.4L Triton V8 and Eaton M112 supercharger it produced 360HP with massive amounts of torque (up to 450 ft⋅lbf in later models).
After the appearance in the Fast and Furious movie, Brian O’Connor’s Ford F150 SVT Lightning became an absolute dream truck for many car guys around the world. That red single cab short bed truck that looked like it was modified by a professional mechanic was actually a stock SVT Lightning which perfectly reflected Paul Walker’s character.
Pedro’s Custom Build
This sinister black Ford F150 SVT Lightning is owned and built by a big fan of the model @Pedroo.SVT. Main mods are concentrated around the performance, so the truck is FBO with a fully built motor and cam. The side-exit exhaust with dual tips adds a few points on top to the performance truck looks of this SVT Lightning.
Exterior-wise it remained nearly stock except for the Cervini 3” cowl hood, tailgate spoiler, and a blacked-out debadged mesh custom grille to continue the overall black-on-black exterior theme. The only white detail that stands out in contrast to the black truck are Nitto tire decals on the sidewall of the wheels.
List of Modifications
- Cervini 3” cowl hood
- Tailgate spoiler
- Blacked-out and debadged mesh custom grille
- Black Custom Headlights
- White Nitto Tire Decals
“It was a truck I grew up wanting my whole life and I was able to luckily land my hands on this one once I turned 18. Being able to share my build on social media really motivated me to keep going with this build and just making it into a street truck that’s in the process at the moment”
Interview With the Owner
How did you get into the muscle car scene?
– Grew up seeing many other race their trucks on YouTube, IRL, Social Media. At the age of 15 I landed my eyes on a Ford Lightning and told myself I will own one in the future.
Why did you choose an F150 Lightning for your project?
– I chose this particular model because it was the fastest stock production truck back then before any of the new Coyote trucks with the 5.0 motor started to come out. Knowing that this truck had a factory supercharger on it made it 10x more why I wanted it.
What inspired you to choose this modification style?
– I always loved the body style.
What challenges did you face while putting it together?
– Just the fact that it was so much time-consuming.
What do you love about your truck?
– I love everything. especially how it sounds.
Is it your daily or a weekend ride?
– It’s a weekend and sometimes daily.
Do you take it to local car shows or a race track?
– Yes, to the track to test it.
What are your future plans for this truck?
– Honestly, putting a bigger blower.
Conclusion
Pedro’s Lightning is all about that perfect mix of show and go, with Performance leading the charge at 6.5 points thanks to that built motor setup. The Exterior follows right behind at 6 points, with that wicked Cervini hood stealing the show.
| Parts Category | Difficulty Rating* |
|---|---|
| Performance Mods: | 6.5/10 |
| Exterior Mods: | 6/10 |
* Based on our build difficulty evaluation system ⓘ
While the suspension and interior remain untouched, this build proves you don’t need to check every box to create something special – sometimes focusing on what matters most to you is the way to go.
Watch the progress and find out more about this Ford F150 SVT Lightning project by visiting the Instagram profile of the owner: @pedroo.svt!
Stay tuned for more project reviews on Specs&Mods.com – Follow us on social media, and share this write-up if you enjoyed reading it!
Leave a Reply