Skritch

August 2007 Gen 2 Truck Of The Month – Congratulations Frank (Frank5L) Likert ! (NLOC #891)

The truck selected for TOTM is a well known 2002 model hailing from Arkansas ! Frank started out with a new Lightning and quickly started making changes to the truck to coax more speed and a quicker ET from it. Before the stock block let go he’d managed to lay claim to the quickest stock long block to the tune of 10.75 @ 125.96 MPH ! Since replacing the engine Frank has let loose with a best of 10.05 @ 134.24 MPH. Since this was written Frank may have indeed slipped into the 9 second bracket !! Have a look at Frank’s ride and learn more about his “need for speed”.

In an odd twist of fate, Frank being “carded” by Grade 8, the Gen 1 TOTM for this month.


1. What sparked your interest in the Ford Lightning?

Like many other owners, I've had several Mustangs and wanted/needed a truck. This was the best of both worlds. I know several comments made that the Gen1 is like a Mustang with a Bed. I had a '93 for a couple of months but it was a project and something I didn't have time or a place for. So I got the '02 that I currently have.



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

I still have my first car, a '64 Falcon Sprint Hardtop. I'm envisioning a resto-mod cruiser type build project one day, with a little turbo of course. I've had probably 6-8 Mustangs between then and now. In fact Scott (Scriced) found the Falcon sitting in a barn on one of his cross-country excursions! I tried to race NMRA Factory Stock once, and was building a car but decided then that it was too expensive to build a class specific car so I gave that up.



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

Well it has had a full range of parts on it, starting out bone stock on 6/2/02 when I bought it. I've always been proud what it has done for the mods, nearly running 12s without a pulley, running 12.5 on F1s to win Street Lightning at WFC 6, running 12.3’s without a chip later that year at the first Lightning Fest, later running 11.70 with a ported Eaton and bolt ons, and then won WFC 7 again, and the Pro Street Lightning class at LFest 2. Then I went to the turbo and it went 10.75 on the stock longblock. It has had a full list of bolt ons, Boyd wheels, Bogarts, lowered, raised, lowered, etc until it’s in its current limited street duty configuration.



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

Back a summer a couple years ago, I was running a heads up class at my local track that requires true radial tires, so I was running F1s. I had a pair that was worn out, basically just track duty tires. I wanted to take my Dad to a gun show about 90 miles from the house but had been racing the night before. I didn't feel like swapping the tires around before we left and wouldn't you know the bottom fell out of the sky. I had slowed considerably on the freeway but as I was passing a tractor truck (completely around the truck) the wind pushed my truck just enough to get it loose, and before I knew it I was looking head on at a Cadillac that was following me. Down into the median it went and spun out. I thought the roof was going to cave in, but luckily it didn't. Somehow my Dad was trying to grab the "oh Sh.." handle and instead opened the door for a split second. That was funny after I got out in the pouring rain and kissed the ground! HAHA!! About 5 minutes after that we were back on the freeway in a little less downpour and there were two city cops headed the other direction.







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

I am 27 with a great wife, Sarah, and two kids, a little girl is still in the "oven" and my boy, Braxton is almost a year and a half old. I love spending most of my free time with them. Racing is my #1 hobby of course, but closely followed by baseball. I helped coach a little league team this summer for the first time and really loved it.

Frank holding son Braxton






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've been a board user since November of '01 when I had the Gen1 for a short period of time (about a months time after I registered) but didn't become a club member until I got my '02. I think it was July of '02 when I paid my membership.



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

I know this is not a gripe session, but I really like the old classifieds better. Otherwise I think the forum is well run and managed. Most of the childish stuff that occurs on other sites is not an issue here.



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

When I first joined I had a 5.0 Mustang and that was my main “toy”. So that’s how I was "Frank5L" for 5 Liter.



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

I have to pick up a Powerglide transmission on Thursday and I'm putting it in. Other than that, since I just built a killer 9" for it, I hope I'm about done. I'd really like to put a Big Stuff 3 on it, but it won't fit into the class rules that I race most of the time.





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

I have to thank Sarah first for putting up with my expensive hobby. After that I have to thank a good friend of mine Brian Zardo at Zardo Race Cars for countless labor hours in the truck in the past year. Also Pro Tire and Service here in Searcy has really helped me out quite a bit as well for the costly Mickey Thompson slicks that my truck uses.



Congratulations to Frank Likert and his 2002 black Ford Lightning for Gen 2 Truck of the Month, August 2007 !

my98stang46

awsome truck man...concrats

__________________
Silver 2001 #2566 537hp/601tq
Kenne Bell 2.3, JLP Thunder pipe, JLP stage 2 cams, catless mids, MAFia, FTVB, flowmaster cat-bak, RWTD tuned, 28x10x16 hoosiers/skinnies, JLP longbars, 3/4 Eibach drop, Ruslow battery tray, E-fans,
YouTube
Myspace

SUX2BU

Congrats on being picked for TOTM! That is a beast you have there.

e9tac

Congrats Frank...WTG

EZ SPEED

Congrats Frank !!!!

__________________
SOLD - 2003 Lightning # 1180
SOLD - 1993 Lightning # 5173

2005 Pontiac GTO
2004 Mustang Mach1
2004 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 CrewCab Diesel

SBL03

Congrats on being selected as TOTM. Sweet looking ride!!!

Lightningbob02

Congratulations Frank, That was one fast Lightning even before you got modding it. Good Luck! Bob

SLVRLTNG

Congrats Frank, your truck is looking awesome......

WashTruBlu

Way to go Frank,
You set the bar really high for the rest of us gen2 owners.

wd13

Congratulations!

bgstew6

Congrats Frank!!!

L lover

Awesome truck, and congrats!

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01 Bullitt #1510 SOLD!!
04 DSG L

C.J.in a tj

One bad truck! Congrats man. I was great to meet and run with ya last W/E. That was the coolest thing I've ever heard when that truck flew past me


Frank is my new hero!!!!

WickedSVT

Congrats Frank, that is one sweet truck!!!

__________________
2002 Lightning Silver #2315 of 4726 TOTALED RIP
69 Coronet Superbee (project car)
2005 Mustang GT (wifes)
13.78@ 103 stock

StruckBy

Holy S!! Frank I did not realize your truck was so built and so professionally done as well.

Hey I even like the battery box

EE