http://autos.yahoo.com/newcars/detai...=autos/IY/test

Hope that link works. If not go to Yahoo! autos and under the new car heading select Ford trucks and on the next selection bar it should have 2004 Lightning. On the page it has for it, yahoo says the 2004 Lightning is a carryover from 2003. And on a couple of other ford sites like this one, people have been posting that the Lightning that looks like the 2004 concept will be an 05.

 

I work at the Kansas City Assembly Plant. We are still trying to ramp up the assembly line. This launch is going much better as far as quality goes, but it is a slow process. Ford wants this truck to be right the first time. I don't believe they have shipped any units yet. The truck is awesome and I believe people will like how much more room there is. I'll let everybody know when I here they are releasing units for shipment.

 

I could swear I've seen one around. But I can't prove it.

 

My friend just called me..... he works across the street from a ford dealer and saw them unload several of the new '04 F-150's from an enclosed car hauler this morning..... Im swinging by right after work to see whats up!!! just to let you know this is in Connecticut.

 

And QUIT with all this "secrecy" stuff regarding the 04' F-150. Why would they deliver these trucks in "enclosed" haulers on their way to the respective dealers? They better STOP thinking about these childish games and start concentrating on the competition thay're facing from both the domestic and foreign truck makers. And one more thing while I'm at it. We keep hearing about a 6%-7% DISCOUNT on the new 04 series. They better DO BETTER THAN that. I "priced" an 03' new Avalanche Saturday. Sticker is $41,357. My price was $31,793. I do like the 04' F-150 after seeing one, but bargains are made to take advantage of.

 

So what if they delivered them in an enclosed car hauler? Obviously they just had a few and didn't need a whole semi truck to deliiver them. It really isn't that big of a deal...

 

Well sure enough my friend was right.... he saw them unload three out off a large enclosed trailer.....

I stopped by after work and took a look at them. They are not the dealers trucks.... they are FORDS trucks and are registered with plates from michigan. They are display trucks that ford is taking around and dropped them off at my ford dealer to be washed, waxed, and fully detailed. They will be gone tomorrow. According to my dealer the trucks will not hit showroom floors until next month.

The kids that were detailing them let me jump up inside..... I turned the key and listened to the radio, played with the seats, popped the hood, crawled underneath...... very sweet looking trucks.....

They had a black standard cab, red/grey FX4 supercab, and a black/tan crewcab lariat..... this is the one I played with..... The seats were awesome and the interior with the full center console and center shift is sweet. Felt like I was sitting in a lincoln towncar. I was very surprised to see climate control also in the Lariat!!!!! The back seat in the crewcab has a great amount of room also..... personaly I loved the trucks.... Not a fan of the standard cab but the super and crew cab rule. The only thing I didnt like was the HUGE ford emblem dead center in the tail gate.... that would have to go!!!!

cant wait to get behind the wheel and really test drive one.

when are the Lift kits going to be out!!!!?????????...... a 4 door crew cab lariat lifted with 36's are on my list.

 

Thanks for the info. Did the FX4 have the sport cloth seats? If so what did you think about them? Ford ought to throw us a bone and release some to dealers for test driving duties, then take them back when the full production models come out. They would have quite a few happy people out there, and would have some real world miles on some test mules to give to QC.

 

Yes- the FX4 had dark grey cloth seats. They looked nice but I didnt sit or feel them.... I basically played with the lariat.

 

Thanks again for the info.