So I was driving around town a few weeks ago and spied a red lightning dying in a garage in my home town. Looked rough from the road but it was like a barn find so not much could be expected. I loaded up the family to go out to eat and pointed out the truck to my wife. Come to find out it was a very close family friend of her and her parents and the truck is for sale. Here’s what I know about the truck and what I’ve seen in a walk around and talking to the owner.
1993 Red lightning 280,xxx miles.originally from AZ, bought by someone in Houston then bought by the people i’m Talking to 6 years ago so I would be 4th owner. Parked since September of 2018, ran then but had to hold the gas down to keep RPMs up or it would die. Replaced tranny around 6 years ago (E40D), top of motor rebuilt around same time I believe he said. Was driven by a kid so it’s been rode rough. See some tranny leakage around pan and oil leaks off the bell housing. Told me there’s an Exhaust leak. Inside isn’t too bad but needs a really good cleaning (smells moldy), they removed but still have center console,Dash has some cracks but there’s a 1” hole on top of radio, and they installed pillar gauge cluster that would need to be removed, and they have some weird rims that aren’t factory SVT. They robbed the radiator and electric fans out of it (they started using it as a donor for some stuff!)
she has oil leaks, possible rear main seal leak and need to pin point a few other fluid leaks nothing too crazy. They put some sort of aftermarket full exhaust I think too. Needs paint because clear coat is starting to peel and she has minimal dings from a hail storm 5 years ago. No flood damage and never wrecked....

$1,500

So this has been my dream truck since my dad almost bought a red one in ‘93 instead of the XLT straight 6 but I loved that truck too. If I bought it I would pretty much do what I could to get her back to stock and get rid of any bolt on go fast crap. She’d be a project...a big project but I LOVE Lightning’s....am I blinded by this truck? Sorry pics didn’t have phone when I was there I know that would help with getting yalls input. I’m going back tomorrow to look at a few more things and I’ll try to snap some then.

any thoughts are welcome.

 

You could put a new rear main seal in it, but with 280k on the ticker, it'll probably just leak again; the bearings are probably worn out and the motor needs a rebuild. There are a few GEN 1 specific parts available through LMC and LMR. From there, you're looking at used parts from current or previous owners. Looks like you have a good platform to work with though for 1500 bucks.

 

Bargain price for lightening.

 

The seats and intake manifold are worth close to the asking price, I say go for it!

 

For that price it sounds like something to jump on. Any pics? With that high of mileage it is likely a bit worn out, but could run for another 100k. I met a guy with close to 400k on his beat up work truck Lightning.

 

Since the wifes family is so close to this family i told him the exact same thing! Watch me go to pay for it and he changed his mind today.

 

getting pics today when i stop by to "look" at it (with cash in hand). I have a lot of errands to run tonight but i'll try and post them after i leave his house, including getting the lowboy ready to get the truck this week. this ones been through the ringer with a young kid driving it for a long time but the body seems really good and interior is not to bad for the age and sitting for so long, plus the kid really loved this truck so its abused but somewhat taken care of if that makes sense. I'll be rebuilding the engine it for sure though and looking at the trans to see how that is going to hold up. Want to get it to the house to get the radiator reinstalled and fan/fan shroud back on so i can get it started and see exactly where i'm starting from.

theres a few items that i cant help but look at and get annoyed though, center console removed for speaker box, cheesy cheap pillar gauges, some dash and plastic console damage the "ram air" hood they put on it and the paint clear coat peeling. I look at it and jaw drop because this to me was a rare awesome truck and some of the abuse they put them through blows my mind. It had all terrains on the rear tires for Gods sake....and rattle canned the rims black....whatever, if all goes as planned today i'll have the title and the lonnnng expensive process of rebuild starts this weekend.

 

That's what I was thinking too.

 

 

Also found ot the truck has less miles than originally thought. It's at 180,xxx. Transmission replaced 2 years ago (they pulled a aftermarket one out and sold it and replaced with a E40D) and motor rebuild was done 5 or so years ago. Don't know too what extent though. Pretty happy about this overall.

 

That's one rode hard, put up wet Lightning.

I'd have scraped together together the 15 hunert' in a heartbeat.

 

Looks to be well worth 15 hundo.