Driving on Ox Rd. at about 8pm last night. I see a set of headlights with yellow foglights coming up from behind kinda fast. About 20 yards back the vehicle stopped accelerating and just stayed behind me. I quickly changed lanes to let it pass (I was curious) and when it did I saw it was a red Ford Lightning. As fate would have it, we came to a light, but by this time I was behind him because a slower car had blocked the other lane. While waiting, I slowly inched forward toward his bumper to let him know I was game. He let off the gas and crawled up too as the opposing light turned yellow. As soon as the light went green he mashed it did a 3 second burnout before taking off.

I followed, starting from absolute scratch (2k rpm in 1st). 1st gear he pulled (duh) probably more than a car length. I shifted to 2nd and lost a little ground (maybe 1/2 car) while spinning the tires. By the time we hit 3rd he was not gaining nearly as much as the first 2 gears, but still pulling slightly. I shut it down around 70mph and he kept going in a show of bravado I guess. All together I'd say he pulled about 2 cars on me.

All in all I'm very impressed with my performance, considering I had no launch. I expected to get eaten alive off the line, but with the proper launch I think this race would've had a different outcome.
My mods are clutch/flywheel and intake. I don't know if he had any, but his license plate was a variation of the word Terminator.

 

First rule of street-racing: commit 100% or don't bother racing. I once had a heavy-ass turbo Volvo wax me for the first 2 gears because I wasn't committed. Never again.

The Ford Lightning can be a formidable opponent, the supercharged/automatic combination gives them a definite advantage at the line if they can drive, so you need to be on your game.

In stock form they're not so tough, but modified they can be killers. There are a couple that show up every weekend at my local 8th, and they both beat me every time (they run high 7's and I run an 8 flat).

'01 SVT Lightning:

MSRP: $32,300
HP: 380 @ 4,750 @ 8 psi
TQ: 450 @ 3,250 @ 8 psi
0-60: 5.8

 

I agree! I lost to a damn Jetta 1.8T. LMFAO! I didn't launch it, then I grinded 2nd gear...so I lost. No matter if I "should have" won, I didn't. He's probably out there thinking s2k's are slow now. haha.

 

a lightning was trying to race me...coaxing me to try and pass him. i just couldn't pass his ass...he was just too fast. granted this wasn't a 'fair' race but i don't think i could've beaten by the way he was gaining on me at highway speeds.

 

Lightnings are pretty quick, i just sold mine, and got an S. They're very tricky to launch though, and they have a wonderful thing called torque and lots of it. You might get one from a launch if you time it perfectly, however i'm pretty positive once they get traction you're in for a close race, all the way up to their top speed of around 144mph. I like the S, it's a fast car for what it is, but unless you've got some mods and and know how to drive, i would leave the lightnings alone, especially modded ones. Lightnings are also very quick from a roll since they already have traction. And even quicker it seems from a 50 mph roll on.

 

i was as committed as I could be given the circumstances, unless I wanted to rear-end him...

 

[QUOTE=gizorge8,Dec 10 2006, 02:15 PM] Lightnings are pretty quick, i just sold mine, and got an S.

 

can't win em all.

check my sig for mods.If you need help on what to get, let me know.






peace

 

I read it wrong, my fault.

 

I have beaten them. Its all in the launch. If you launch right you can take them. Thats assuming they are stock. They respond quite well to mods.