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This Stretched, First-Gen Lightning Is Shockingly Rare

We spotted this first-generation, extended-cab Ford Lightning sitting innocently in the corner at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on the first leg of the 2017 Power Tour. There was something about it that piqued our curiosity. When we realized just how clean and well built this truck was and knew it deserved further investigation.

Soon we tracked down Scott Cedergreen and agreed to meet later in the week to photograph the truck on one of the stops. We finally met up in Indianapolis, Indiana, and got our chance to get up close and personal with this unusual pickup.

Rare Breed

Scott was quick to let us know that he is just the “caretaker” of this special Lightning, it actually belongs to his wife, Jean. By now, you have probably noticed this is no ordinary Lighting. Ford’s Special Vehicle Team only produced regular-cab Lightnings in either the first or second generation of the sport truck.

While SVT didn’t see fit to add more passenger space to the Lightning, a company called Full Effect in California modified a small number of first-generation trucks, turning them into Crew Cab and Super Cab trucks. The company was already a Quality Vehicle Modifier for Ford, meaning they had the Ford parts supply lines among other things. Full Effect specialized in building Crew Cab and Super Cab configurations that Ford did not offer for special builds such as rollbacks, unique towing vehicles, and other special applications, so the foundation for stretched Lightnings was already there, but they didn’t build many.

The inside of the truck is basically stock. The driver seat is set back 1 inch to take advantage of the extra cab space. The rear seat is covered to match the front factory Lightning seats. Three Auto Meter gauges mounted on the A-pod help keep tabs on the 5.8-liter, while a Kenwood head unit and speakers provide tunes for those long road trips!

According to Scott’s research, there were only 17 Super Cab trucks built by Full Effect.

According to Scott’s research, there were only 17 Super Cab trucks built by Full Effect. The yellow one you see in the photo above is the first prototype truck. Scott and Jean’s truck was not actually built with the original run, but was built in 2000 by a body shop in Tennessee following the same design and build plans as the original trucks. The couple purchased the truck from the original owner in 2006 with 45,119 miles on it. The truck now has just over 109,000 miles in it after the completion of the Power Tour!

After spending some time with this truck, we wonder why in the world Ford never built a factory extended-cab Lightning? The body lines flow so well with the extra cab, and we have no doubt it would have been popular.

Under the hood, the stock 5.8 wears a Powerdyne BD-11 Supercharger. The centrifugal unit makes about 8 pounds of boost and is supported by an MSD 6A ignition box, 30 lb/hr injectors and a custom tune by Steve Stock. The engine breathes through Bassani mid-length headers, a high-flow mid-pipe, and a pair of Flowmaster Super 44 mufflers. You will notice in the photo that the supercharger lacks a belt. Scott tells us that some where in the mountains on the way to Kansas City for the start of Power Tour that something went south and shredded the belt. Scott did not let the hard luck slow him down though as he completed the long haul with the truck — just without the added fun of the boost!

More Mods

While Scott and Jean’s truck appears mostly stock on the outside, a closer look reveals many modifications that make this truck even more unique. Clear headlights, markers, and turn signals up front and custom Ice White taillights in the bead with LED accents give the truck a much cleaner look over the factory units. The wheels are factory 18-inch Ford units off a 1999-2000 Lightning and only required slight modification to fit the first-generation chassis. They are powdercoated Silver Vein to match a set of Lightning Force Performance traction bars on the back of the truck.

As beautiful as this truck is, it does not own all of Scott and Jean’s heart, in fact, this is just one of seven Lightnings owned by the couple! The other trucks ones include a Super Cab truck as well as the yellow example pictured above in the Full Effect ad. They are definitely passionate about their first-gen Lightnings, and with a truck like this one to enjoy, we do not blame them!

Photo gallery

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