zippy Posted January 29, 2003 Report Share Posted January 29, 2003 first of all, 12's is far from 800hp. another thing, you said you ran 12's n/a. what is the injection system? i'm just going with the bragging up of the 454 ss. i really like them trucks, but they aren't the performance king for sure. this tbi (i assume still factory tbi) equipped truck about to run 12's, is it still emissions legal, n/a, and not weight reducted? i'm seeing mid12's regularly with newer lightnings without them ever unbolting more than the catback, pcm, pulley, and air box. this is without ever getting into any serious work on the engine. i have personally seen 12's from a 454 ss myself, with a 4 barrel tbi unit on it, headers, 2800 stall, cut-outs, aftermarket intake, camshaft change, pullies, and ported stock heads. it had a few other mods and was lightened. i'm not doubting the capabilities of the big block, just the big block they used in that truck as well as the wonderfull fuel injection system they had. even the first gen lightnings are in the 12's with bolts on's like the 454 ss trucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FDlightningSVT Posted January 29, 2003 Report Share Posted January 29, 2003 Speaking of REAL power, Sal Mennela of Power Surge Performance, owns a Lightning that ran 10.48 I call that real power, and JDM's ran 10.50. My point, the Lightnings are making REAL power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RATFINK Posted January 29, 2003 Report Share Posted January 29, 2003 Sure they make power with nitrous and a blower. But as a base engine the 5.4 is weak, no way around that fact. I'm totally impressed by trucks running two power adders at extreme levels that run 10's. You guys can quote JDM or whoever till you are blue in the face and there still won't be any way around the fact that the blower on the lightning is a crutch for a weak engine. Real power = N/A Nit pick and misquote all you like, these are facts. RF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RATFINK Posted January 29, 2003 Report Share Posted January 29, 2003 first of all, 12's is far from 800hp. another thing, you said you ran 12's n/a. what is the injection system? i'm just going with the bragging up of the 454 ss. i really like them trucks, but they aren't the performance king for sure. this tbi (i assume still factory tbi) equipped truck about to run 12's, is it still emissions legal, n/a, and not weight reducted? i'm seeing mid12's regularly with newer lightnings without them ever unbolting more than the catback, pcm, pulley, and air box. this is without ever getting into any serious work on the engine. i have personally seen 12's from a 454 ss myself, with a 4 barrel tbi unit on it, headers, 2800 stall, cut-outs, aftermarket intake, camshaft change, pullies, and ported stock heads. it had a few other mods and was lightened. i'm not doubting the capabilities of the big block, just the big block they used in that truck as well as the wonderfull fuel injection system they had. even the first gen lightnings are in the 12's with bolts on's like the 454 ss trucks. I never said 800hp = mid 12's. I never said the 454ss was the performance king, it's 13 years old ya know technology has changed quite a bit since then. When it was released it was the best performance truck going, and still has the most ability of any truck produced to make power. Yes the TBI truck is factory and does pass emissions, it is N/A and still rolls at full weight. The current setup is using stock unported heads and runs 13.2's, I am currently porting the heads and upping the compression from 7.9:1 to 9.5:1. It will breeze into the 12's with room to spare. Yes lightnings can run great times, no disputing that. Don't you think they should coming factory with a blown V-8 though? And yes a few mods will get great times with a lightning, but you will be on borrowed time. I know several friends who have scattered near stock gen2 lightnings, the rods are weak and everyone knows it. Am I correct in reading that you think a 454 with the mods you listed can only run 12's? I'd say the one you saw run was weak and poorly tuned, with those mods done right he should be in the 11's easily if not quicker. RF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombtech Posted January 29, 2003 Report Share Posted January 29, 2003 The info here on the potential of the 454 and the gen II is interesting, but all I know is the only place I can get a stock, brand new mid 13 second truck is at a Ford dealership. No one else has stepped up to do that. I don't know how true this is, but I read on another board that PVO is now thinking of dropping the SRT-10 from their future plans, I think it is problems with their rear end. That would leave Ford all alone in the "HIGH"performance truck market. Also, you keep mentioning the base 5.4, the Lightning engine is a re-engineered 5.4. If you were to take the blower off, it would have no intake as the blower and intake are one in the same. If you did fit a "base" 5.4 intake, then you would still have the lower compression pistons, not to mention the computer tuning problems. The path SVT took to build the engine for power is probably one of many considered, why they chose supercharging is something only they could tell us. I would say it was because of the higher power increases seen from supercharging, and they did design the engine to work with the supercharger, not just slap it on like an aftermarket unit. By the way, no flames intended, just joining the discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RATFINK Posted January 29, 2003 Report Share Posted January 29, 2003 When I say Base engine I mean the mechanics of the engine, the rotating assembly and block if you will. And yes it is re-engineered, but they should have used a different pencil when they drafted the rods. And yes the L2 is the single best sport truck currently on the market right now, if I were to be in the market for a new sport truck you'd see me driving one no doubt. (sorry silverado guys ) But since I'm not in the market for a new truck I'm gonna scarf up all the cheap 454ss trucks I can lay my grimy hands on. RF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombtech Posted January 29, 2003 Report Share Posted January 29, 2003 How many 454s do you have? There is no question, you have one hell of a truck. There is no need for you to trade what you have after all the work you have done, not to mention the performance you have attained. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RATFINK Posted January 30, 2003 Report Share Posted January 30, 2003 Right now funding only allows me the one I have, I'm watching prime examples sell for cheap with no coin to buy any. At any given time I may have several 454ss trucks in my shop however. RF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muscleshop Posted January 30, 2003 Report Share Posted January 30, 2003 Right now funding only allows me the one I have, I'm watching prime examples sell for cheap with no coin to buy any. At any given time I may have several 454ss trucks in my shop however. RF Just put "liens" on the vehicles...then repo them...lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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