whats up guys?? currently have an 03 lightning and planning on getting a gc srt8.. just how much can the truck handle?? engine and tranny wise?? Im sure someone has had to blow one already... Im trying to see how much i have to save up for some big mods as soon as i get this thing.. perhaps a blower if the motor and tranny can handle it... any info would be greatly appreciated..

whats up guys?? currently have an 03 lightning and planning on getting a gc srt8.. just how much can the truck handle?? engine and tranny wise?? Im sure someone has had to blow one already... Im trying to see how much i have to save up for some big mods as soon as i get this thing.. perhaps a blower if the motor and tranny can handle it... any info would be greatly appreciated..
There is an SRT engineer who said that the tranny could possibly handle up to 600 hp.

I have an ' 02 Lightning making about 405 RWHP and 500+ RWTQ. This truck is way quick, but just not practical enough for me (I have a 100 pound Labrador Retriever). My '07 GC SRT8 should be here in October if all goes well. I figure I'm gonna need to get similar numbers out of the Jeep to be as quick as my L, but I suspect the torque number will be hard to reach without a blower. Anybody blow up a 6.1 with a supercharger yet?

GSM is about to release thier Novi 1500 kit.

my L makes 425rwhp and 485 rwtq, i love the truck but need more seats, i may just put a nitrous kit on the gc.. my tuner has one and ran 12.5 with his kit... damn i cant wait

I hate to burst your bubble but a stock JGC will waste a stock Ford Lightning P/U anytime! They even beat a stock 06 GTO at the drag strip. I beat my friends Lightning by more than 2 car lengths in the 1/4 mile. He ran the best of 13.6ET to mine 13.3ET. DCX has tuned the PCM to put out 600 hp but after some miles the 6.1 hemi makes over 400 rwhp. A highly underrated engine bone stock! I like the Ford Lightning too but don't need a P/U. Gene

I have a 2002 Lightning that I ran prior to adding any mods and the best I could run w/ the original paper filter was 13.70's, but the L responds to mods like crazy and now runs 11's.

I am new to the DCX brands and I hope that the 6.1 Hemi is as easy to build reliable HP with as my 5.4 S/C. I run my L on pump gas (the highest you can get in Alaska is 90 octane) and run 12's all day long w/o the NOS.

The AWD system on the SRT is what makes it the ultimate weapon. I can't leave full throttle on my L or the tires would just spin. The SRT pulls like a freight train from a dead stop and that is a serious rush :cool:

TXBLU if you want to sell your L, ill buy it!

I hate to burst your bubble but a stock JGC will waste a stock Ford Lightning P/U anytime! They even beat a stock 06 GTO at the drag strip. I beat my friends Lightning by more than 2 car lengths in the 1/4 mile. He ran the best of 13.6ET to mine 13.3ET. DCX has tuned the PCM to put out 600 hp but after some miles the 6.1 hemi makes over 400 rwhp. A highly underrated engine bone stock! I like the Ford Lightning too but don't need a P/U. Gene


How do you know that the 6.1 Hemi after some miles put out 400RWHP? Do you have empirical evidence to that statement? From what I have read it is comporable to the 60's 426 Hemi, and is rated closer at about 467 HP vs. the listed 425.

How do you know that the 6.1 Hemi after some miles put out 400RWHP? Do you have empirical evidence to that statement? From what I have read it is comporable to the 60's 426 Hemi, and is rated closer at about 467 HP vs. the listed 425.


Intriguing comment. Please post your source.

Intriguing comment. Please post your source.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...ons/index.html

History Repeating
An SRT engineer showed us one of the earliest known dyno runs (July 1966) ever conducted on the original 426 Street Hemi. The run was made under the SAE J606 standard, which didn't include any accessory drives and allowed race fuel, headers, and just about anything else which might produce a big gross horsepower number. That number? How does 467.3 horsepower at 6000 rpm (and still climbing) sound? It sounds like the Hemi was underrated. Max torque on the same run was 458.0 pound-feet at 4000 rpm.

Rather than attempt to build an original Hemi and test it under the current, more restrictive SAE standard to see how their 21st-century version stacked up, the SRT guys dyno tested the new motor using the old J606 rules. Drum roll, please: The result? 467 horsepower at 6000 rpm. How's that for history repeating itself

This comment came from an SRT Eng, and was also quoted at the SRT Nats. in Topeka last week. (400 to 425 RWHP after 40K miles) The oil choice was also discussed with their comment; the new oil base stock is different than the old oils, hence the synthetic oil in a new engine. Also the "Crossfire" make actually 356 hp not 330 hp stock and probably the most underrated SRT Vehicle out there! They had a 07 GC that cleaned my plough by 4 tenths and 4 mph with their tricked out PCM! (no info from the ENG that brought it to the Nats.) I ran the same times as another silver stock one. 13.7 @ 100.49 mph in 90* + heat. Cooling the intake plus the fuel rails does really help! A almost stock 05 300C SRT8 wasted all those Vehicles with ported heads, tb, headers, big exhaust, posi rear carrier, tires and wheels, and other gimmicks, a local guy, with 41K miles on it. So you decide what works? They only like one exhaust system? Why? PM Me for the answer. Gene

The MT link is not working.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/wagon/112_0509_performance_wagons/index.html

I never go by any Magazine's Hype, as most of it is based on theories, politics, and payola from the car companies. This comment came from DCX, no hype just facts through their testing over several years and on several different cars. That's their business not selling magazines or pleasing their editors! You can believe it or not. I do tend to believe it from the local cars mileage and performance. I can't reply to any PM on this site? Sorry. Gene PS. I post a lot on the other one.

I don't believe that it takes 40,000 miles for an engine to "break in". Hell, I've never KEPT a vehicle that long!! What you're saying is that the second owner will be making 400 RWHP.:confused:
Today's engines break in very quickly due to the advances in piston ring material, plated bores, CNC machined cranks & rods, high tech bearing material, ect. To say that it will take 40,000 miles, even taking into account the synthetic oil, is very hard to believe.

lol, there seems to be alot of guys on here trading in their lightnings. I def need more seats and AWD for the winters. However a stock a srt-8 won't waste a stock lightning. There very closley matched. My Lightning bone stock went 13.31 @ 102.x mph at englishtown. :p

Having owned my second Lightnig (first was a '93, bought new) since new (it's an '02) and being involved with several Lightning groups since 1998, I have seen reports of several "stock" Lightnings well into the mid 13s. Remember, this is a truck that weighs 4600 pounds and is rated at 380HP/450TQ. I don't know what TQ mine made stock ( I have thedyno sheet somewhere ), but I know it made right at 354HP at the wheels before ANY mods. Maybe someone can start a thread where people can post up their 1/4 mile times and list a code for whatmods they have. The NLOC site has times posted for dozens of trucks running 13s, 12s, 11s, 10s, and even two in the 9s! :eek:

I would be interested to see how mods are affecting 1/4 mile times.

03AZRoush, As soon as I have my SRT in my garage, I will post the Lightning up for sale. It is the rarest of ALL Lightnings in that it is a 2002 True Blue. This was a one year only color for Lightnings, and the fewest made of any color. I'll post up details on all the mods when I put it up for sale. :D

I also looked into buying an 03 Lightning but didn't. A nice package but I didn't need a truck and wanted an all year driver plus AWD. The JGC SRT8 is an amazing vehicle and probably one of the best new sleeper vehicles coming out of Detroit, this baby goes, stops, corners, hauls the wood, and even beats a 06 GTO in the 1/4 mile. It comes all stock with the best designed suspension, front end is like the ZO6 Vette, big brakes, and has a 160 mph top speed.
I paid big bucks to buy this vehicle and sold a 10 sec Buick GN to get it. Gene:D

I have a 2002 Lightning that I ran prior to adding any mods and the best I could run w/ the original paper filter was 13.70's, but the L responds to mods like crazy and now runs 11's.

I am new to the DCX brands and I hope that the 6.1 Hemi is as easy to build reliable HP with as my 5.4 S/C. I run my L on pump gas (the highest you can get in Alaska is 90 octane) and run 12's all day long w/o the NOS.

The AWD system on the SRT is what makes it the ultimate weapon. I can't leave full throttle on my L or the tires would just spin. The SRT pulls like a freight train from a dead stop and that is a serious rush :cool:


Not to get off of the thread, but I was curious about why they have only 90 AKI in Alaska?

On another note, it's to now there is stock competition for our beasts, the Lightning. I hope to race one some day :)

If the motor comes from the factory with synthetic oil, it's already "broken in". All "broken in" means is that the rings have seated, 90% of which happens in the first few minutes of use.
These motors may make 460hp at the flywheel, but the AWD and auto eat that down to ~355-365rwhp corrected. 400rw no way in hell.

[QUOTE=Str8Srt8]Not to get off of the thread, but I was curious about why they have only 90 AKI in Alaska?
[QUOTE]

Because we suck :) We used to have 92 Octane only available at Cheveron. Then the Cheverons got new ownership and now nothing but 90 octane! Sucks big time.

why they have only 90 AKI in Alaska?

Yes, Alaska is oil heaven. I would think 100 octane is available like tap water.

There may be crude in AK but there isn't much in the way of processing plants.