I have recently inherited my dads 2001 Lightning. I don't know a lot about trucks or cars, just the basic stuff. As far as I know the truck is pretty much stock and has 27,000 miles on it. I would like to know the best options to increase the performance. I have some people saying chip it others say new pulleys, heads, exhaust. I am at a loss and need some guidance. I would like to race it this summer at our street legals...basically I am doing this because it is what my dad had wanted.

 

sorry to hear about your pops...

There is tons and tons of information on this forum... as far as performance mods, it depends on how deep your pockets are.
standard mods: chip (or programmer), 4lb pulley and cold air kit. also a valve body for the trans. that should make it much more fun to drive and get you high 12s if you can figure out how to launch the thing...

 

As Birdy said, chip/pulley/intake is step one. ($1000)

Step two:
two options:
build up the little stuff: (electric water pump, long tube headers, better fuel, 6lb pulley, ported blower, electric fan) $3000

just buy a bigger blower (KB/whipple) $3500

Step three:

Ditch the stock block and get a built block ($5000)

Step four:

Do whatever you didn't do in step 2 ($3000)

Step five:

You're still around? Really? And you're not happy running low 11s? Well it's time to see how deep your pockets are:

build alum engine, ported heads etc ($15,000)

All of this improves your performance via HP. Suspension and weight and a basically seperate path:

step 1:

lowering kit ($1000)

step 2:

traction bars ($500)

step 3:

lots of options, but you're getting into custom stuff, so searching is your best bet.


This is just a VERY quick VERY rough estimate. Lots of people have spent more/less and will suggest other options, but I think I'm giving you a quick general overview.

The key is you need to decide what exactly you want to achieve then you can figure out how to get there. For example the "daily driver 10 second vehicle" is a common goal.

 

YA WHAT HE SAID, start with Fliter Tune and Pulley....

WELCOME to the Family 2001 Lightning
I am very sorry to hear about your Father

The most important thing you can do is stick around these forums when you can, learn the important do's and donts of a Lightning, and ENJOY something you Father obviously had much Love for.

 

Also sorry to hear about your pops man!
People already said the good adive....read as much as you can here before you do anything. Also, drive it stock for a little bit. These trucks are scary fast, don't get too ****y. Learn what it can and can't do and learn how to launch it, how to correct from a slide (a hard downshift, or hard launch will throw your *** end sideways real quick!) and just be real carefull with it for a long time. Take care of her, never ever sell her, and don't settle for mail order tunes. If you do work to it, get it dyno tuned by a reputable tuner. Welcome to the family, and I hope you'll be around for a while!

 

Sorry for your loss man,,, Bottom line, Money.. That will determine what you do.. Good luck, Ted

 

If you pay $1000 for chip/pulley/intake you are on crack!

 

Cut me some slack. I'm rounding here.

 

way up lol. 6# lower $200, ported blower $500, cai $200, ftvb $200, and a good tune $400.

works out to 1,500 and your mid-lowish 12's with a good launch on good tires

 

Thank you for all the info. I am looking into a lot of the the mod's on your list. One step at a time I guess
Thanks again

 

So you are saying $800 instead of my $1000? My "step two" of $3000 included a bunch more stuff. I'm inclined to build a reliable truck, so I am unwilling to trust a 6lb pulley and a ported blower on an otherwise stock truck.

Anyway, good luck Abra, Feel free to ask any questions and we'll all try to argue about them for you