Skritch

June 2007 Gen 2 Truck Of The Month – Congratulations Paul (Nazgul) Barrow ! (NLOC #936)

The truck selected for TOTM is a stunning, nicely detailed 2001 model hailing from California ! Paul’s is one of the relatively few that has seen the road course ! Four of them in California have felt the weight of his truck: Thunderhill, Sears Point, Laguna Seca, and Buttonwillow Raceways. But it has also been on the drag strip a few times with a best of 13.2 sec @ 104.95 mph. Paul commented, “You know that feeling of exhilaration you get when you go down the 1/4 mile? Imagine feeling that for twenty minutes at a time when you're out on the road course!” Read on to learn more about Paul and his Lightning !




1. What sparked your interest in the Ford Lightning?

In 1998 I bought my third Ford truck. I got a F-150 SuperCab with the Flareside bed. A few months later I read about the new Lightning coming out. If I had only read that sooner ! I discussed this with my wife Margaret several times over the next couple of years. She didn't want to lose any money trading in the SuperCab, so I had to wait. Meanwhile we talked. I told her that if I got a Lightning, I would get a black one. (I am into hot rods, and figured maybe someday I'd paint classic flames on the truck.) Then, at Christmas 2000, my cousin and her husband visited us. He asked me, "Guess what Denise got me for Christmas?" I had no clue. He said, "A Lightning!" I just looked at my wife. She stopped talking and just looked back. I asked him, "What color?" He said black. I looked at my wife. She was real quiet. I didn't say anything. Finally, she said, "If you really want one I guess you can have one." I was high for two days! I came home from work a couple of days later, in the morning, and found her on the phone. She had gotten the salesman's name from my cousin, and was talking to the insurance company. I then knew she was serious!



2. Do you have any interesting stories about previously owned vehicles, before becoming a Lightning owner?

I was always into cars. My first new car was a VW bug, which I modded. Then I bought a new 1973 Mercury Capri. It lasted thru my first marriage. In 1978, my wife-to-be and her brother showed up to a Capri Club picnic in their Capri. One thing led to another, and we married on March 10, 1979. Being into cars herself, she always goes along with me and my ideas. I took the V-6/4-speed out of the Capri and dropped in a 302/automatic, a 9" rear end, cross-flow radiator, box fenders, steel scoops, louvers, paint, etc. etc. That was one fast little car! I was elected club prez and wrote the newsletter. No one would take over my jobs with the club after several years, so I had to sell the car in 1985 to divest myself of the responsibilities. Besides, we had a daughter (my second), and sometimes carried grandma around, so we needed a bigger car. We got a 1985 Thunderbird Anniversary Edition.



3. What modifications have you made to your truck since you have owned it...both show and go?

Drivetrain:

JLP 4# crank pulley, Cold Air Intake, & Supercooler intercooler recovery tank;
Canton radiator recovery tank;
LFP idler pulleys;
C&L aluminum intake plenum & elbow;
Accufab single blade throttle body;
Factory Tech valve body;
Bassani ceramic-coated stainless headers and stainless cat-back system;
computer chip

Suspension:

So-Cal Speedshop lowering kit, -2"/3";
RU Slow panhard bar;
TCE/Wilwood front brakes;
Stainless brake lines;
Gloss-black powder coated stock wheels;
LFP driveshaft loop;
JLP traction bars

Interior:

Ford Expedition console;
Recaro driver's seat (when racing);
Passenger seat modded;
Carbon fiber-look appliqués on dash, upper & center consoles;
Autometer/Ford Racing gauges & triple pod;
Simpson four-point harnesses

Body:

Blacked out headlights;
Blacked out LED taillights;
Black billet fuel door;
Innovation Pro-Sport tonneau cover;
Rhino Lining bed liner;
Black billet antenna.



4. Do you have any interesting stories about your Lightning?

A couple. The first time I took it 'on track' with the NorCal Shelby Club (SAAC), they singled me out at the awards dinner as the only truck on the track. After a long funny story touting the performance of the Lightning, they presented me with a special corner flag: a black flag ("driver problem, get off the track") with a girlie silhouette like the chrome ones on big rig mud flaps. Then a couple of years later, I was again at an 'on track' event at Laguna Seca with a different club. As I got on the track for my second session, a new Porsche Cayenne SUV got on right behind me. Running my four racing slicks and Wilwood competition pads, I was able to pull away from the Porsche a little bit at every corner. Later, while checking out the track pictures for sale, I was viewing a pic of my L in a corner when this guy slaps my arm from behind me, saying, "Is that your Lightning?" I calmly answered yes. Then he spouts, "I was in the Cayenne. I couldn't keep up with you!” and walked away. Made my day.



5. Tell us about yourself, your hobbies, business or work, sports, family, etc.

I am a retired firefighter/paramedic. I joined the San Leandro (CA) Fire Dept. in 1978. In 1989, after the Loma Prieta Earthquake, I became the dept.'s Disaster Preparedness Program Mgr., and I updated the city's disaster plans, and taught citizens and fellow firefighters how to react when a disaster hits. In 1995 the city contracted with Alameda County for fire protection. We all then became County firefighters. SLFD had begun sending some of us to paramedic school. I finished in 1996, and got my medic license. I transferred a couple of times, and retired on 12/24/04 while at a station in Dublin, close to my home in Livermore.
My main hobby has always been cars. I'm not a died-in-the-wool, grease-in-my-blood kind of guy, but I have always enjoyed fiddlin' with cars. I modded my dad's 1955 Ford Tudor wagon with bigger tires (recaps!), different hubcaps, black vinyl spray, and a little chrome air cleaner for the 1bbl carb. My first car was a 1960 Ford Starliner (I wish I still had it!) It had a 390/autom. Same thing: vinyl spray, tires, a little chrome & black paint. My first truck was a 1973 F-250. I junked the 360 and put in a 460. Then I got a new F-250 SuperCab in 1990, with a factory 460/automatic O.D. Great truck! I had been carrying campers, but in 1997 we got a motorhome. So I sold the F-250 and replaced it with the F-150. This one got lowered, Snugtop bedcover, twice pipes, pinstripes, looked really cool.
When I graduated from paramedic school, I celebrated by buying a hot rod. I drove it for a year, then sold it and built one from scratch. I found a repro frame, a body, a salvage yard 460 (again), and went from there. Since then, I got my wife a 1969 Bronco (she had to have it or a Ranchero), I got my self a 1957 T-Bird as a retirement present to myself, and my wife got her '64 Ranchero, too. We sold the Bronco (mistake, I think) because she didn't drive it, and we needed garage space for the 'Bird. Now she doesn't drive the Ranchero, but I want to finish it. I hope to next acquire a new Shelby Mustang. I'd love the GT500, but only at MSRP or lower. So, maybe I'll get the Shelby GT instead.
My wife quit working for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. after 20 years, when our daughter Laura started high school. Laura is now attending UC/Santa Cruz, and Marg has her own business contracted to airlines, delivering their lost luggage, when they find it. My first daughter, Kat, is married and living in Richmond VA. She and her husband both work full time.



6. How long have you been a user of the NLOC.net, when did you become an NLOC member, and why did you choose to become a member of NLOC?

I have been on NLOC.net since early 2002, and joined in August '02. I found out about NLOC from Don Brubaker ('RDDYKW'), whom I met as a fellow member of our local SVTOA chapter. NLOC was more to my taste, as the SVTOA crowd catered to Mustang owners. All my Lightning questions were answered, all my problems/ideas/experiences had been experienced before. I joined because I wanted to support Dwight and Nan and everyone who had a hand putting together this wonderful site. It's the least we can do, for all that we receive in return.



7. What suggestions do you have to make the NLOC.net website easier to use and navigate?


My only suggestion is an easier way to navigate between a post and my gallery. Going back and forth to post a few pics in a thread can be tedious. Unless I'm doing it wrong!?




8. Why did you pick your board user name (screen name)?

I have been a great fan of Tolkien's HOBBIT and Lord of The Rings since I first read them in the '70's. Having a black Lightning, and having some friends tell me how 'evil' it looks all blacked out, I immediately thought of the 'black riders' from the story, the Nazgul.



9. What are your plans for future changes to your truck?

Well, with my other projects, money is being spread thinly. This summer I plan to get a pair of drag radials mounted on my extra pair of black wheels; a Stegemeier port & show-polish job & a dyno tune, just in time for L-Fest. Someday I'd like to get a nice cowl hood & maybe some black billet grilles. Way in the back of my mind are blue ghost flames (not the classic yellow-orange-red ones anymore).



10. Whom would you like to thank for help\donations\support for putting the truck together?

First and foremost, I owe an immense amount of gratitude to my wife Margaret, without whose cooperation and enthusiasm none of my projects would have gotten started, much less finished. In addition, for the Lightning, I want to thank the BALA guys for all their help on Mod Days, & the NLOC members and vendors for their ideas and the neat parts that are available.



Congratulations to Paul Barrow and his 2001 black Ford Lightning for Gen 2 Truck of the Month, June 2007!

madramper

Awesome rides!!! Congrats!

__________________
Black 93 #4693 - 7-2-93
Matt Hill Motorsports Tuned
550 RWHP 570 RWTQ

Videos

jec1521

That is the meanest looking L I've ever seen! Congrats man!!!

__________________


04 Sonic Blue Lightning

SVTman75

Congrats!! The story about walking off from the Porshe was funny. Please PM me and tell me who makes those LED tails.

__________________
99 SVT Lightning # 124 of 4,000
Best ET : 12.63 @ 107.51
New motor numbers & times coming soon....

deebee53

Real nice truck! Black is the best (and worst) color!

Nazgul

Thanks for the kind words, guys. I am thrilled to have been chosen Gen 2 TOTM for June!

For SVTman75 and anyone else interested, the LED taillights are from www.stylinconcepts.com. Their fit and finish quality are excellent.

SBL03

Congratulations on being LOTM. Beautiful Lightning as well as the rest of your Blue Ovals!

Excuse me TOTM.....newbie mistake

plum360415

Congrats, Nice L. I would like to do the road race thing myself. I'm the gen1 TOTM.
Kerry

__________________
Former Gen1 owner..... 1994 #1665 5-sp gen 1 L....
Replacment 97 Cobra #799

Nazgul

Thanks guys, and congrats to you, too, Kerry!

oiN8io

Awesome truck!!

redlightningssf

Way to go Paul.

Black P-38

Congrats Paul!!! Nice MEAN lookin' truck...gotta love the black. Great stories. I thought I recognized those backdrops... I grew up in Livermore, seeing some of the coolest cars appear on the showroom floors of the dealerships.
In 1965 the Police dept was driving brand new 427 Galaxies. Livermore was known as a cruising town as was San Leandro and I saw some of the most amazing cars and trucks around those areas, especially East 14th in SL.
There are alot of great twisting roads around that area and you have the perfect truck to investigate them with. Enjoy and say hello to my Dad...
(sooner or later everyone meets my Dad... )

Way to go!!!
Mike

Mike

Nazgul

Thanks, Mike. What a small world! I grew up in San Leandro, cruising E. 14th St., 'cruising the strip' as we used to call it, from about 148th Ave. past Pring's restaurant and back. Livermore now has 'No Cruising' signs posted around downtown.

NewbRand

Congratulations, Paul!!! That truck is incredible!!!!

Randy

Scuba-Matt

Congrats Paul. Very nice looking ride