2001 Ford Lightning - Laid Lightning

Imagine a truck that was designed to be stuffed into corners without the slightest bark from the tires as the factory blower emits a sweet whine from excess pressure on the go pedal. Such a truck would set you back in your seat when the throttle was pinned to the floorboard and the tachometer needle had nowhere to go but redline. Since its introduction in 1993, the Ford Lightning has been viewed as one of the ultimate out-of-the-box performance haulers, and Lightning fans are serious about the power and handling characteristics of their Blue Ovals. Most Lightning owners are so hard core about being able to drive their trucks through the cones at speed, that dropping it on airbags and stuffing 22-inch rims and rubber under the fenders would be unthinkable.

Jamie Webster of Eastpointe, Michigan, is not your average Lighting owner and has created a stunning show-worthy pickup by going out on a limb and building the truck the way he envisioned it, 'bagged, flamed, and detailed. Starting with an '01 Ford Lightning, Jamie paid a visit to Down-N-Dirty Kustomz in Clinton Township, Michigan, to get the truck on the ground with 22-inch rollers. The notching, cutting, grinding, and fabricating crew at DND began by installing a pair of custom-machined 3-1/2-inch drop spindles up front to begin the initial descent. Firestone 2500 airbags from Air Ride Technologies were slammed into the factory coil spring pockets to get the OEM Lightning front bumper down to the appropriate pavement-scraping altitude, while QA1 shock absorbers from Air Ride Technologies were used to iron out inconsistent pavement surfaces.

Switching his custom focus to the rear suspension, Jamie decided to get a bit crazier and had Innovative Air of Reno, Nevada, design a custom cantilever rear suspension setup, enabling the use of Air Ride Technologies ShockWave airbags. While Innovative Air was constructing the custom cantilever system, DND was busy boxing the rear 'rails and installing a massive bridge notch for strength and for the truck to be able to lay hard over 22s. Once the cantilever was done, DND welded everything up, installed a polished Air Ride Technologies four-link, and bolted the Air Ride Technologies ShockWaves in place. Plumbing for the switch-hitting airbag suspension system consists of Air Ride Technologies Big Red 1/2-inch valves, 1/2-inch air line, two Viair 400 compressors, and two 5-gallon Air Ride Technologies air tanks. Contributing a high level of bling to the exterior are 22x9.5-inch Niche F16 chrome wheels, forward and aft, which have been encased in Pirelli P295/30ZR22 low-profile rubber. The fat five-spoke design of the wheels lends a luxury look to the truck's finished appearance and look perfect buried in the fenderwells.

Completion of the stance enhancement led Jamie to addressing the already impressive powerplant and figuring out what modifications could be done to increase horsepower without breaking the bank. A 4-pound lower pulley was added to aid the factory SVT supercharger, while a Superchip computer chip and JDM billet throttle body add even more neck-snapping power to the performance mix. A MAC Products cold-air intake allows the factory 5.4L to take deeper breathes, while a MAC Products 2.5-inch after-cat exhaust helps with the engine's exhale factor. These simple performance enhancements combined with the factory huffer has pushed Jamie's frame-laying Blue Oval to a best 13.60 in the quarter-mile, which is not too shabby for a truck that can lay 'rail at the tap of a few switches and spin the heads of more than a few judges the shows.