Lebanon Ford F-150 Lightning Show Truck Shines at SEMA

F-150 offers 725 horsepower from a Whipple supercharger, along with a custom look.

The Ford F-150 Lightning has been out of production for more than a decade, but the name lives on. The demand for a supercharged street truck lives on as well, but the Motor Company has yet to answer that demand. Fortunately, Lebanon Ford will sell you a 725-horsepower F-150 for just $39,995. That price includes a base level, rear-drive F-150 with the short cab, the short bed and the 5.0-liter V8 topped with a Whipple supercharger. It still looks like a normal production truck, but it has 725 horsepower.

While the Lebanon package is impressive, a stock-looking F-150 won’t draw attention at the massive SEMA Show, so with the help of some industry partners, the Ohio Ford dealership created a modern Lightning. This truck packs more than 725 horsepower, but it also has a unique look that is fitting of a truck wearing the Lightning name.

Lebanon F-150 Package

The basis for this Lightning build is a new Ford F-150 regular cab, short bed pickup. The standard 5.0-liter V8 is fitted with a Whipple supercharger that lifts the output to 725 horsepower. That is the truck that you get for $39,995 from the Ohio Ford dealership. The other features of this truck are added in addition to that basic package to create this stunning sport truck.

Other performance enhancements made to this F-150 include a Corsa exhaust system and a Nitrous Express nitrous oxide system. The engine tune was provided by Lund Racing, but we don’t know the total output with the Lebanon package, the nitrous and the other upgrades. Depending on the size of the nitrous jet, this truck could pack nearly 1,000 horsepower.

Finally, this F-150 gets its sporty stance from Belltech suspension upgrades coupled with the Velgen wheels.

Unique Look

If you were to glance at these pictures, you might assume that this F-150 exterior has been heavily modified, but it has not. This truck sports a custom carbon fiber chin spoiler and a carbon fiber hood vent, while the rest of the body parts are factory issued. The factory grille inserts, mirrors and badges are painted gloss black. The headlights and taillights are smoked and the windows are practically painted black. However, the majority of this truck’s body is original.

What really makes this truck stand out is the stunning color-changing paint job. Even if you don’t love the purple-to-bronze look, the paintwork on this F-150 is absolutely incredible. It played a key role in this truck attracting so much attention. Once the paint pulled attendees close, the details did the rest of the work, making this modern Lightning one of our favorite trucks at SEMA.

Photos: Derin Richardson for F150Online

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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