Skritch
Moderator
November 2010 Truck Of The Month – Congratulations Danny (lightningDan) ! (NLOC #1935)
This month’s truck resides in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This one is in Fairhaven and has an “older brother” in the form of a Gen 1 Lightning that is undergoing a transformation from street to race truck. This truck is slated for towing duties for the race truck but in the meantime modifications have begun and a pile of parts are accumulating just waiting to be fitted to the Lightning. This one has quite the “garage” to get worked on too ! Unfortunately, Danny’s truck recently finished second to a large rock and tree. Upon return from the body shop though it is better than ever picking up a new roll pan while “visiting” the body shop !!
Read on to learn of Danny and his newest truck then join in the congratulations to Danny !
1. What sparked your interest in the Ford Lightning?
I have always been around race cars growing up. My father, 14 years ago, opened a race car business, custom building Factory Five race cars. He and his best friend for years were ranked as number #1 builders of Factory Five kits, in the country. We have built cars that have been shipped to Spain, Germany and France.
One of the men who had a Cobra kit, started hanging around the shop, he was an older man, and an electrical engineer. He had a black 94, with a little Paxton on it. He was on the Lightning forum way back in the day when Sal ran things. He took me for a ride in his truck one night to get parts and I will never forget it, since then I wanted a Gen 1. I bought a Gen 1 and after stripping it down into a race truck and having it sit there for 4 years I found a good deal on my Gen 2, and snagged it up. My girl friend ended up going to school in PA, so it gave me a good excuse to buy the Gen 2, so I can have a reliable vehicle to get me back and forth.
2. Do you have any interesting stories about owned vehicles, before becoming a Lightning owner?
My first car was an ‘84 F-250 with a carbed 351. I loved that truck, drove it to school everyday. I have always loved the Ford series truck, but when I was 16 I bought my ‘81 Delorean and restored that from the ground up. I used my ‘84 F-250 to drive around, never used the Delorean as a daily car, matter of fact it has 24k original miles, I’ve owned it for 10 years and put 400 miles on it…
3. What modifications have you made to your truck since you have owned it...both show and go?
I have a few things for my gen 2, I got the belltech spindles up front, with belltech hangers an shackles out back, the cervini’s roll pan, and I have a bunch of stuff I still have to bolt on like, BA2400 MAF meter, Accufab single blade throttle body, M122 ported super charger, 60lb injectors, dual 255 Walbros, 4lb lower ring, electric fan, Punisher valve body, a 2400 stall converter, OBX long tubes all sitting in my bed room. I use the truck as a daily driver and can’t get to extreme with it, one day I will have a set of bogarts for it though!
4. Do you have any interesting stories about your Lightning?
I have a story that just happened to me… On May 4th* my rear axle snapped, locked the rear up and threw me off the road into the woods, my bed hit a rock, threw me up into the air and landed on a tree… Truck was in the body shop until August 4th!! Every time I go to my girls house I have to pass the rock, and I make a joke about how the truck “sputters” every time I drive by.
Well, last night I’m driving to my girls house and around a sharp turn here comes my famous rock I always look at. Well, this tree near the rock is moving…wait a minute its not a tree it’s a deer!! A deer jumps out at me an I hit it!! Thank God I didn’t kill the deer, I just tapped it in the butt. She was rather small and didn’t even fall she just kept on running never stopped! After the relief of not killing the animal I got the sudden burst of rage, knowing my fresh new paint was destroyed. I get out to look… Not a single scratch.. Just a little itty bitty clump of fur stuck between the head lights!! Somebody was looking out for me that night!
5. Tell us about yourself, your hobbies, business or work, sports, family, etc.
Well I’m 26, love Lightnings and the community that comes with it. I just started hanging out with the DelValLO crew and wish I met them years ago! They are such great people. I’m a finish carpenter during the day, then at 6pm we head over to the shop and work on the cobras. Lately the cobra business has been dead so we have been non-stop with carpentry. As for hobbies besides Lightnings I enjoy spending my free time with 3 kids I have kind of adopted. They lived near our shop and are very under privileged, and haven't had a really easy or kind life. So I have kinda taken them under my wing, I have joined the “Project Big Brother” program here in the city. I take them all over from Rock climbing competitions, to lacrosse, bowling and Pokemon league. I have sacrificed a lot for these 3 kids, but I would do it all over again to see how happy they are and how much they appreciate what I have done…
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?
Funny thing is I have been on the forum for a long time because of the man with the Gen 1 at the shop. Thing is I am a horrible speller an always was afraid to post because I can’t spell to save my life. Well in 2004 I finally decided to just do it, and start posting. And I am glad I did, I have made a bunch of new friends, some I have even got to meet, and many more I am still waiting to. The NLOC to me is pretty much my life, I have made friends on here and seen a lot of them come and go. There aren't too many of them around from when I first joined, they still come on once an awhile, but I still miss the old days.
7. What suggestions do you have to make the NLOC.net website easier to use and navigate?
Don't update anything! Years ago when BigD changed the whole layout of the forum I was so lost!! Plus I don’t like change one bit at all, so for weeks I was anxious about the “new” Lightning forum… I have grown to adapt to it, u can’t fix something that isn’t broke, BigD, and staff you do an awesome job, thank you !
8. Why did you pick your board user name (screen name)?
In the city there is a lot of street racing, for big money too… I always hung around Wendy's Saturday night 10pm to about 3am some times! I was known as Delorean Dan, even in high school that’s what they called me. Once I got the Gen 1, that changed to Lightning Dan. In a whole gang of 40-50 people being the only Dan, they still called me Lightning Dan lol. So I decided to use that as a user name.
9. What are your plans for future changes to your truck?
Not much for the Gen 2, I’m going to throw those bolt ons on and finish my Gen 1. Then put a JLP short block in the Gen 2 so I can turn up the boost and put the Bogarts to work!!
10. Whom would you like to thank for help\donations\support for putting the truck together?
First of all, everything I have done to my truck wouldn’t have been done without the help of everyone on the NLOC. I also have to thank Jamie V, he has taken me under his wing and explains everything to me and how to do it. All the options there are, he has saved me a lot of money, and given me all kinds of awesome ideas of his. He really should open his own speed shop, he has an awesome talent, and lastly my Dad, without him I wouldn’t be able to work on all my toys. He has worked hard all his life to support his family and done a heck of a job doing so, putting my sister through Boston University to get her masters in teaching for the deaf. My brother for becoming a top notch barber. And showing me there is still real love in this world being faithfully married to my Mom for 30 years, when all my friends parents, and his friends are divorced…Thanks to you all !
Congratulations to Danny and his 2000 White Ford Lightning for Truck of the Month, November 2010 !
This month’s truck resides in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This one is in Fairhaven and has an “older brother” in the form of a Gen 1 Lightning that is undergoing a transformation from street to race truck. This truck is slated for towing duties for the race truck but in the meantime modifications have begun and a pile of parts are accumulating just waiting to be fitted to the Lightning. This one has quite the “garage” to get worked on too ! Unfortunately, Danny’s truck recently finished second to a large rock and tree. Upon return from the body shop though it is better than ever picking up a new roll pan while “visiting” the body shop !!
Read on to learn of Danny and his newest truck then join in the congratulations to Danny !
1. What sparked your interest in the Ford Lightning?
I have always been around race cars growing up. My father, 14 years ago, opened a race car business, custom building Factory Five race cars. He and his best friend for years were ranked as number #1 builders of Factory Five kits, in the country. We have built cars that have been shipped to Spain, Germany and France.
One of the men who had a Cobra kit, started hanging around the shop, he was an older man, and an electrical engineer. He had a black 94, with a little Paxton on it. He was on the Lightning forum way back in the day when Sal ran things. He took me for a ride in his truck one night to get parts and I will never forget it, since then I wanted a Gen 1. I bought a Gen 1 and after stripping it down into a race truck and having it sit there for 4 years I found a good deal on my Gen 2, and snagged it up. My girl friend ended up going to school in PA, so it gave me a good excuse to buy the Gen 2, so I can have a reliable vehicle to get me back and forth.
2. Do you have any interesting stories about owned vehicles, before becoming a Lightning owner?
My first car was an ‘84 F-250 with a carbed 351. I loved that truck, drove it to school everyday. I have always loved the Ford series truck, but when I was 16 I bought my ‘81 Delorean and restored that from the ground up. I used my ‘84 F-250 to drive around, never used the Delorean as a daily car, matter of fact it has 24k original miles, I’ve owned it for 10 years and put 400 miles on it…
3. What modifications have you made to your truck since you have owned it...both show and go?
I have a few things for my gen 2, I got the belltech spindles up front, with belltech hangers an shackles out back, the cervini’s roll pan, and I have a bunch of stuff I still have to bolt on like, BA2400 MAF meter, Accufab single blade throttle body, M122 ported super charger, 60lb injectors, dual 255 Walbros, 4lb lower ring, electric fan, Punisher valve body, a 2400 stall converter, OBX long tubes all sitting in my bed room. I use the truck as a daily driver and can’t get to extreme with it, one day I will have a set of bogarts for it though!
4. Do you have any interesting stories about your Lightning?
I have a story that just happened to me… On May 4th* my rear axle snapped, locked the rear up and threw me off the road into the woods, my bed hit a rock, threw me up into the air and landed on a tree… Truck was in the body shop until August 4th!! Every time I go to my girls house I have to pass the rock, and I make a joke about how the truck “sputters” every time I drive by.
Well, last night I’m driving to my girls house and around a sharp turn here comes my famous rock I always look at. Well, this tree near the rock is moving…wait a minute its not a tree it’s a deer!! A deer jumps out at me an I hit it!! Thank God I didn’t kill the deer, I just tapped it in the butt. She was rather small and didn’t even fall she just kept on running never stopped! After the relief of not killing the animal I got the sudden burst of rage, knowing my fresh new paint was destroyed. I get out to look… Not a single scratch.. Just a little itty bitty clump of fur stuck between the head lights!! Somebody was looking out for me that night!
Well I’m 26, love Lightnings and the community that comes with it. I just started hanging out with the DelValLO crew and wish I met them years ago! They are such great people. I’m a finish carpenter during the day, then at 6pm we head over to the shop and work on the cobras. Lately the cobra business has been dead so we have been non-stop with carpentry. As for hobbies besides Lightnings I enjoy spending my free time with 3 kids I have kind of adopted. They lived near our shop and are very under privileged, and haven't had a really easy or kind life. So I have kinda taken them under my wing, I have joined the “Project Big Brother” program here in the city. I take them all over from Rock climbing competitions, to lacrosse, bowling and Pokemon league. I have sacrificed a lot for these 3 kids, but I would do it all over again to see how happy they are and how much they appreciate what I have done…
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?
Funny thing is I have been on the forum for a long time because of the man with the Gen 1 at the shop. Thing is I am a horrible speller an always was afraid to post because I can’t spell to save my life. Well in 2004 I finally decided to just do it, and start posting. And I am glad I did, I have made a bunch of new friends, some I have even got to meet, and many more I am still waiting to. The NLOC to me is pretty much my life, I have made friends on here and seen a lot of them come and go. There aren't too many of them around from when I first joined, they still come on once an awhile, but I still miss the old days.
7. What suggestions do you have to make the NLOC.net website easier to use and navigate?
Don't update anything! Years ago when BigD changed the whole layout of the forum I was so lost!! Plus I don’t like change one bit at all, so for weeks I was anxious about the “new” Lightning forum… I have grown to adapt to it, u can’t fix something that isn’t broke, BigD, and staff you do an awesome job, thank you !
8. Why did you pick your board user name (screen name)?
In the city there is a lot of street racing, for big money too… I always hung around Wendy's Saturday night 10pm to about 3am some times! I was known as Delorean Dan, even in high school that’s what they called me. Once I got the Gen 1, that changed to Lightning Dan. In a whole gang of 40-50 people being the only Dan, they still called me Lightning Dan lol. So I decided to use that as a user name.
9. What are your plans for future changes to your truck?
Not much for the Gen 2, I’m going to throw those bolt ons on and finish my Gen 1. Then put a JLP short block in the Gen 2 so I can turn up the boost and put the Bogarts to work!!
10. Whom would you like to thank for help\donations\support for putting the truck together?
First of all, everything I have done to my truck wouldn’t have been done without the help of everyone on the NLOC. I also have to thank Jamie V, he has taken me under his wing and explains everything to me and how to do it. All the options there are, he has saved me a lot of money, and given me all kinds of awesome ideas of his. He really should open his own speed shop, he has an awesome talent, and lastly my Dad, without him I wouldn’t be able to work on all my toys. He has worked hard all his life to support his family and done a heck of a job doing so, putting my sister through Boston University to get her masters in teaching for the deaf. My brother for becoming a top notch barber. And showing me there is still real love in this world being faithfully married to my Mom for 30 years, when all my friends parents, and his friends are divorced…Thanks to you all !
Congratulations to Danny and his 2000 White Ford Lightning for Truck of the Month, November 2010 !
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nice rebound looked like she was hit pretty hard. looks great after the repair. congrates.
