Skritch
Moderator
September 2008 Gen 2 Truck Of The Month – Congratulations William (Chitown Willie) Hochfellner ! (NLOC #1359)
This months Gen 2 truck comes from Illinois. A 2003 sonic blue model, Will has used his truck as a truck ! At the same time he has managed to make a “few” passes down the drag strip and in the process shave over a second off the factory advertised E.T. from Ford. Will is ready to help any who ask as well as being very active in the ILLNESS local chapter of NLOC. Read on to learn more about Will’s truck and some of his “other” antics around the greater Chicago area.
1. What sparked your interest in the Ford Lightning?
I think just the sheer beauty of it. I had lusted after the Red and Black ones for a few years and when the Sonic Blue came out I just had to have one. One day, two Sonic Blue trucks showed up at the dealer near work. I detoured through their lot every morning for a few weeks. Stopped in one afternoon and the salesman tossed me the keys for an unsupervised test drive. Looking back, I should have driven the one I didn’t want to buy.
2. Do you have any interesting stories about previously owned vehicles, before becoming a Lightning owner?
The only other high performance vehicle I have owned was a 1985 Mustang GT.
I bought it brand new and I think I mechanically beat that car to death within two and a half years. The 5.0 motor was great but the rest of the drive train couldn’t take the punishment.
After that I became a Ford Truck man with a 1987 F150 step side and then a 1993 Ranger STX.
I have also restored a few cars over the years ranging from (for some odd reason) a 1977 Plymouth Volare Road Runner to my best work a 1963 ½ Ford Galaxie 500 XL convertible with a 390 and a 4 speed.
I also had a short lived attempt at dirt track stockcar racing. I got a half dozen races in before I got my bell rung real good. (I still see bats sometimes) In my sixth race, I drew the outside pole position and was quickly taught what “the pit maneuver” was. After bouncing off the wall and killing the motor (and power steering) I rolled out in front of the last couple cars.
3. What modifications have you made to your truck since you have owned it...both show and go?
Not much changed in the show side.
I did change out the wheels for the 1999-2000 style in chrome and put in a set of blacked out 1999 grilles.
For the go side it’s your typical street mod list.
JLP Drop Shackles
JLP Long Bars
FTVB
Competition Engineering Drive Shaft Loop
K&N Intake
SCT 2400
LFP SBTB
C&L Plenum
Ported Eaton
Metco Idler
Metco 6lb Lower
LFP E-Fan
LFP Heat Exchanger
Hurst Linelock
Bassani High Flow Cats
Bassani Cat Back
Nitto 555R Drag Radials
Autometer Pod and Gauges
Dyno Jet Wideband Commander
A Bob Kurgan tune
I think the best the truck has run was 12.56 at 108.0 on a cool day.
4. Do you have any interesting stories about your Lightning?
Couldn’t justify buying it unless I could use it as my daily driver. So the first three years it was used year round which, in Chicago, meant snow, salt and giant potholes.
I’m always working on something around the house, so it has done a lot of building material hauling too. It has also done a lot of hauling at the drag strip. I counted the ET slips the other day and I’m up to 160 passes. All that practice has netted me a couple nice local trophies and also Third place in Street Lightning at LFest 3 and Second at LFest 5.
The truck has also had it’s picture in Ford Performance Truck and Muscle Mustang and Fast Fords.
5. Tell us about yourself, your hobbies, business or work, sports, family, etc.
I live in an 88 year old Craftsman Bungalow (which I rehabbed myself) in the City of Chicago with my Fiancé Nancy. I have worked for the past 27 years as a Tool and Die maker. My other hobby has always been motorcycling. I have been riding off and on for 26 years, but the hobby really took off about 10 years ago when I bought my first Harley. I joined The Harley Owners Group and got hooked on touring. My current bike is a 2004 Electraglide Ultra Classic. I’m very proud to say that I have ridden that bike in all 48 of the contiguous United States of America. I hope to ride it to Alaska soon. Hawaii is probably out of the question.
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 became a member October 2003 a few months after I bought the truck. I signed up because I felt the need to support this great source of information and camaraderie.
7. What suggestions do you have to make the NLOC.net website easier to use and navigate?
I think it works pretty well right now.
8. Why did you pick your board user name (screen name)?
I’m proud to be from Chicago and with Willie being one of the nicknames for William… ChiTown Willie was born.
9. What are your plans for future changes to your truck?
The current setup works well for now and the next steps are very expensive, so for now it will stay as a mid 12 second truck. Over time I plan to clean it up a little more, those first three winters were a little rough on the underside. Maybe install a bedrug, add a little bling under the hood, some new brake rotors.
10. Whom would you like to thank for help\donations\support for putting the truck together?
My Fiancé for her support of my hobbies and for buying many of my mods as B-day and Xmas gifts. (Those letters to Santa do work.) I want to thank all the wonderful members of the ILLNESS family for all their advice, friendship and for walking the path before me, so I can safely learn what works and what didn’t
.
My Nine Year old Niece Tracey for being my “Pit Crew”
Rob G for installing many of my mods when I just plain run out of spare time or get scared to tackle a project. Bob Kurgan for giving the truck a strong but safe tune. Dwight and Nan for putting their sanity on the line, watching over all us “bad little kids”, especially Nan for all her Motherly lectures. Don’t worry Nan, we will get that marriage license one of these days.
Congratulations to William Hochfellner and his 2003 sonic blue Ford Lightning for Gen 2 Truck of the Month, September 2008 !
This months Gen 2 truck comes from Illinois. A 2003 sonic blue model, Will has used his truck as a truck ! At the same time he has managed to make a “few” passes down the drag strip and in the process shave over a second off the factory advertised E.T. from Ford. Will is ready to help any who ask as well as being very active in the ILLNESS local chapter of NLOC. Read on to learn more about Will’s truck and some of his “other” antics around the greater Chicago area.
1. What sparked your interest in the Ford Lightning?
I think just the sheer beauty of it. I had lusted after the Red and Black ones for a few years and when the Sonic Blue came out I just had to have one. One day, two Sonic Blue trucks showed up at the dealer near work. I detoured through their lot every morning for a few weeks. Stopped in one afternoon and the salesman tossed me the keys for an unsupervised test drive. Looking back, I should have driven the one I didn’t want to buy.
2. Do you have any interesting stories about previously owned vehicles, before becoming a Lightning owner?
The only other high performance vehicle I have owned was a 1985 Mustang GT.
I bought it brand new and I think I mechanically beat that car to death within two and a half years. The 5.0 motor was great but the rest of the drive train couldn’t take the punishment.
After that I became a Ford Truck man with a 1987 F150 step side and then a 1993 Ranger STX.
I have also restored a few cars over the years ranging from (for some odd reason) a 1977 Plymouth Volare Road Runner to my best work a 1963 ½ Ford Galaxie 500 XL convertible with a 390 and a 4 speed.
I also had a short lived attempt at dirt track stockcar racing. I got a half dozen races in before I got my bell rung real good. (I still see bats sometimes) In my sixth race, I drew the outside pole position and was quickly taught what “the pit maneuver” was. After bouncing off the wall and killing the motor (and power steering) I rolled out in front of the last couple cars.
3. What modifications have you made to your truck since you have owned it...both show and go?
Not much changed in the show side.
I did change out the wheels for the 1999-2000 style in chrome and put in a set of blacked out 1999 grilles.
For the go side it’s your typical street mod list.
JLP Drop Shackles
JLP Long Bars
FTVB
Competition Engineering Drive Shaft Loop
K&N Intake
SCT 2400
LFP SBTB
C&L Plenum
Ported Eaton
Metco Idler
Metco 6lb Lower
LFP E-Fan
LFP Heat Exchanger
Hurst Linelock
Bassani High Flow Cats
Bassani Cat Back
Nitto 555R Drag Radials
Autometer Pod and Gauges
Dyno Jet Wideband Commander
A Bob Kurgan tune
I think the best the truck has run was 12.56 at 108.0 on a cool day.
4. Do you have any interesting stories about your Lightning?
Couldn’t justify buying it unless I could use it as my daily driver. So the first three years it was used year round which, in Chicago, meant snow, salt and giant potholes.
I’m always working on something around the house, so it has done a lot of building material hauling too. It has also done a lot of hauling at the drag strip. I counted the ET slips the other day and I’m up to 160 passes. All that practice has netted me a couple nice local trophies and also Third place in Street Lightning at LFest 3 and Second at LFest 5.
The truck has also had it’s picture in Ford Performance Truck and Muscle Mustang and Fast Fords.
5. Tell us about yourself, your hobbies, business or work, sports, family, etc.
I live in an 88 year old Craftsman Bungalow (which I rehabbed myself) in the City of Chicago with my Fiancé Nancy. I have worked for the past 27 years as a Tool and Die maker. My other hobby has always been motorcycling. I have been riding off and on for 26 years, but the hobby really took off about 10 years ago when I bought my first Harley. I joined The Harley Owners Group and got hooked on touring. My current bike is a 2004 Electraglide Ultra Classic. I’m very proud to say that I have ridden that bike in all 48 of the contiguous United States of America. I hope to ride it to Alaska soon. Hawaii is probably out of the question.
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 became a member October 2003 a few months after I bought the truck. I signed up because I felt the need to support this great source of information and camaraderie.
7. What suggestions do you have to make the NLOC.net website easier to use and navigate?
I think it works pretty well right now.
8. Why did you pick your board user name (screen name)?
I’m proud to be from Chicago and with Willie being one of the nicknames for William… ChiTown Willie was born.
9. What are your plans for future changes to your truck?
The current setup works well for now and the next steps are very expensive, so for now it will stay as a mid 12 second truck. Over time I plan to clean it up a little more, those first three winters were a little rough on the underside. Maybe install a bedrug, add a little bling under the hood, some new brake rotors.
10. Whom would you like to thank for help\donations\support for putting the truck together?
My Fiancé for her support of my hobbies and for buying many of my mods as B-day and Xmas gifts. (Those letters to Santa do work.) I want to thank all the wonderful members of the ILLNESS family for all their advice, friendship and for walking the path before me, so I can safely learn what works and what didn’t
.
My Nine Year old Niece Tracey for being my “Pit Crew”
Rob G for installing many of my mods when I just plain run out of spare time or get scared to tackle a project. Bob Kurgan for giving the truck a strong but safe tune. Dwight and Nan for putting their sanity on the line, watching over all us “bad little kids”, especially Nan for all her Motherly lectures. Don’t worry Nan, we will get that marriage license one of these days.
Congratulations to William Hochfellner and his 2003 sonic blue Ford Lightning for Gen 2 Truck of the Month, September 2008 !
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