Building the F-150 Lightning that Ford Won’t
Do you miss the F-150 Lighting? Want Coyote-power in your regular cab, short bed truck? It exists, if you are willing to build it yourself.
The Ford F-150 Lightning may not have been the most practical truck ever, but we still loved it. We would love to see Ford make one off the newest generation platform. However, it doesn’t seem likely that will happen anytime soon. But if you dream of a Coyote-powered, regular cab, short bed truck, you are not alone. You can’t drive down to your local Ford dealer to pick one up, but all is not lost. These trucks are being built. They are just being built as one-off projects nowadays. The truck pictured here is one of the better examples.
Caleb Richards recently posted a video on his Foxcast Media YouTube channel highlighting a blacked-out beast of a truck. It carries on the spirit of the old F-150 Lightning trucks. It looks great, sound great, and is a total badass. Like previous generations, it is not the most practical option, but it might be the most fun. The truck cab began life as a 2016 model that was involved in a significant crash. That cab and a new frame made the perfect starting point for the truck that we see here. Let’s take a closer look at just want makes this build so special.
The truck wears the face of a 2018 truck and has a full leather interior that was not available from Ford in this configuration. “Not only has it been converted to 2018 front end, all the Lariat interior and all that. Totally repainted, all brand new interior, it’s absolutely freaking amazing.” Explains Richards. The change is subtle but is one of those things that hits you after a few minutes looking at the truck. You start to wonder, how this regular cab, 2WD, working spec truck has this upscale interior. Where is the column shifter? Where are the vinyl seats? All in the bin and replaced with higher spec items.
On the outside the truck just looks mean with the fully blacked-out color scheme. For instance, a set of black Shelby wheels and all badges going to black. “Just a lot of small, simple touches and of course blacking it all out is just epic.” Says Richards. We agree. The truck looks fantastic. Although, we haven’t even gotten to the best part yet. For that you have to pop the hood. Under there you will find a second-generation Coyote V8. It is pretty much a stock setup at the moment, and stock is good, but it can always be made better. Therefore, a Whipple supercharger and some long tube headers could be in its future. The truck does already have a Corsa exhaust and it sounds fantastic.
Richards eventually gets the truck out on the road and gives us a taste of how this custom truck performs. It is impressive to say the least. “I’m telling you if there was ever anything that could convince me to sell my car. It would have to be one of these.” Says Richards. That is a bold statement, but we understand the appeal of a truck like this. What do you all think? Would you sell your current car or truck for something like this? Let us know your thoughts in the Ford Truck Enthusiasts forum.
Join the Ford Truck Enthusiasts forums now!
