Covered in real ash wood, the bed of Lynn's Lightning exudes class and good taste. Along with the mirrored and leather-trimmed tonneau cover, the bed area is a cozy place for the polished nitrous bottle to hang out.
With the polished-aluminum Breed Enterprises valve covers installed and the long-block completed, a Kenne Bell Blowzilla was crowned on top with one of C&L's large-diameter plenums and JDM Engineering's 100mm intake systems to feed it. Injectors disperse fuel at a rate of 60 lb/hr and are still controlled by the factory EEC V, which is custom tuned with a Superchips Programmer. Mind you, Lynn drove the car all the way from California to Jim D'Amore in New Jersey for the work, attesting to his long-distance aspirations.
Pulleyed for a moderate 16 pounds of boost and set on a conservative fuel curve by JDM, Elvira jumped to life with 574 hp and 636 lb-ft of stump-bustin' torque at the wheels. With a more aggressive tune, Lynn expects about 610 ponies and 718 pounds of twist at the wheels. And that's without the nitrous.
Making sure the 4R100 can manage all the power, Level 10 Transmissions (Hamburg, New Jersey) and ACT Performance Racing Transmissions (Northridge, California) provided their services to make the four-speed gearbox last more than one pull on the dyno. With a 2,700-stall converter and a Mag-Hytech finned aluminum transmission oil pan, brutal launches and consistent shifts have been realized.
The 22s are brought to a halt thanks to SSBC's Force 10 brake kit with its massive 14-inch slotted rotors and four-piston calipers. Ride height is dropped 2 inches in front and 4 inches in back to get rid of the unsightly raked stance from the factory. Bilstein dampers all around make the ride smooth without compromising the SVT-tuned handling.
Out back, a super-strong 9-inch Ford with 3.73s and Metco Traction Masters make sure most of the power gets to the ground without breakage. We say "most" because at full throttle, this thing smokes the tires at just about any speed.
Lynn learned from the days of his Ferrari fascinations that it was nice to have an interior cabin fit for a king. With that in mind, he located several square yards of supple, tan Connolly leather (the type found on Ferraris) and hired Randy's Upholstery in Lancaster, California, to slather the interior with the exquisite material. With embossed flames on the door panels and matching wool carpeting (yes, real wool!), the interior was befitting royalty. Even the billet rearview mirror was wrapped in the vitamin D-enriched cowhide.
This home-away-from-home was then upgraded with some serious electronic equipment, including an Alpine IVA-D900 head unit that plays DVDs on its 1.2 mega-pixel screen and dual removable navigation monitors in the sunvisors. An Alpine TV tuner allows Lynn to check out his favorite flicks while on the road, and the Focal, MB Quartz, and Kenwood speaker components bring the nightclub sound inside the cab. One of the neatest, and by far the classiest, things we have ever seen on any car is the solid ash wood bed kit that Lynn sourced from Bruce Horkey's Wood and Parts in Windom, Minnesota. Together with the leather-trimmed and mirrored tonneau cover, this bed is as gorgeous as anything that deserves to have four wheels on it.
For the exterior, it's obvious Lynn wanted to make a striking yet modest statement. He had all the emblems shaved off, and the tailgate handle was relocated on the inside. The bed's sidesteps were smoothed and then prepped for matching factory paint. The original black remained, but Cobalt Blue Candy Apple flames were added along the entire length of the truck.
"Black is an aggressive color for a muscle truck," Lynn says. "I've always liked the idea of iridescent cobalt blue against black. It makes a statement yet it's also understated. Because of the ghostly appearance, I've been able to put flames on every panel of the entire truck without it being too much, as you can't see the entire set of flames from just one vantage point. No matter where you stand, you will only see some of the flames as the rest of the truck appears to be just black." We like the effect. It's sort of like looking at the real Elvira, as you never know what to expect the more you stare at her from different angles--especially from down low.
Owning, driving, and experiencing the traditional American V-8 is an experience that cannot be offset by any foreign car, no matter what the price or country of origin. Luckily, Lynn can appreciate all types of cars. For this, we can thank him for putting together what has to be one of the nicest Lightnings anyone will come across. After a lifetime of playing with exotic sports cars, Lynn has finally answered the call from his youth with--of all things--an American pickup truck.
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The interior is covered in genuine Connolly leather (the same type used in Ferraris) and is trimmed in real burl wood and billet aluminum. The carpeting was replaced in matching wool, and even the heel pad is leather. | 
Barely noticeable are the candied flames hiding in that deep black paint. Upon closer inspection, you will begin to find how the cobalt blue paint effects make this a true standout. With a 2/4 drop kit, the chrome 22-inch Axis wheels with Pirelli Scorpion Zeros tighten up the look of this '01 Lightning. |