Restored 1974 Dodge D500 flatbed for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description:
This rare Medium Duty model was only made in this body style for 4 years (74,75,76,77) and most were made in the bigger 600, 700, and 800 series, so finding a D500 like this is pretty hard. Finding one in this shape is nearly impossible. There is no rust on the body and the 14 foot wood deck is in good shape, but not perfect because it has been used to haul a small car to shows. It has an 18,500 lbs GVWR with a 13,500 lb Rockwell rear axle. It has an NP435 four speed stick that was rebuilt in 2008, manual steering and power brakes that work great. It has dual exhaust with flowmaster mufflers that sound great out the back, but do make for a loud ride inside (there isn't much insulation in the cab; this was a work truck after all). It has a 318 V-8, but not the original 318. The one that is in it is out of a 1979 Dodge Diplomat that was also installed in 2008. It runs very well and has been very dependable. I live about 60 miles from the Woodward Dream Cruise, and have taken the truck there running 60 mph (it tops out at about 70mph), then cruise back and forth in the bumper to bumper traffic for hours on end (even in 95 degree temperatures), then cruise home for about an eight hour run, only shutting it off for gas and lunch, and have never had any troubles with it. I believe you could drive this truck anywhere, but it would be a slow, loud, hot, exhausting ride. The seats are a bucket type seat with a center arm rest/console out of a "Lil Red Express Truck" and are in fair shape with the seams coming apart on the passenger side and Gorilla tape covering it. The dash has a working Mopar tach, and the original fuel, temperature and alternator gauges also work. It also has aftermarket gauges for oil pressure, volts, and a second temperature gauge. It has an AM/FM radio with a single dash speaker that works fine, but can barely be heard at freeway speeds. It also has an aftermarket cruise control. The truck has a 10,000 lb receiver hitch on it and a Reese trailer brake controller inside the cab. The tires and rims are in very good shape, and it does have a spare tire, but it is not mounted on the truck. The drivers door was bent at the top of the door when the mirror hit the garage door, and was not fixed to "show standards". It still opens and closes ok, but you may want to work on it if you deem it necessary. This draws a lot of attention at local shows, and you will not have to worry about having another one like it show up and steal your thunder. With a bit of work, this truck would make a great car hauler or rollback to take your classic Mopar to car shows with. Drop a 440 in it or even convert it to a Cummins diesel and people may not even look at that classic Mopar on the back! As it is now, it could make a great transport truck for a classic tractor. I have a pair of very strong 14' ramps that I could sell for an additional amount that hook on the back and can get a small car up onto the bed. There are tie down loops in the front of the bed for a car, but the rear tie downs just hook around the frame of the bed.The air horns in the video have been removed and do not come with the truck. The seat and dash have also been changed since the video was made.
1974 Dodge D500
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Boosted Powertrain
At the heart of this SVT Lightning is its iron-block 5.4-liter SOHC, 16-valve V8 with a supercharger and an intercooler. The blower helped it deliver 380 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque in 2001, up some 20 horsepower and 10 lb-ft from the ’99 and 2000 models. The Eaton supercharged engine delivered peak boost of 8.0 psi and the engine featured an 8.4:1 static compression ratio, down from the standard 5.4 V8’s 9.0:1, which was rated at 260 horsepower and 350 lb-ft.
Power reached the rear 18-inch cast aluminum-alloy wheels via a four-speed automatic, an aluminum driveshaft and a beefy 9.75-inch, limited-slip rear axle with an acceleration-friendly 3.73:1 final-drive ratio, another upgrade for 2001. Car and Driver magazine reported a 0-60 mph time of 5.2 seconds and a quarter-mile in an E.T. of 13.8 seconds at 104 mph—impressive numbers for a 4,600-pound truck. Top speed was a drag-limited 142 mph.
A Truly Sporting Truck
Trucks generally require a suspension that can handle a full load in its bed while also providing competent driving while empty. But if you fancy one designed to a sports-car standard, then something has to give. In the case of the second-gen Lightning, Ford dropped its payload capacity to a mere 800 pounds. A standard 2001 F-150 Styleside carried a 3,180-pound payload rating, while an F-150 Flareside was rated at 2,005 pounds, some two-and-a-half times the Lightning, which featured the short-bed Flareside body. Towing capacity, likewise, was reduced from 8,800 pounds to 5,000 in the Lightning. But the Lightning’s strengths were never its payload or towing capacities, but it’s ability to perform like a sports car.
As a 21st century performance vehicle, however, the second-gen Lightning was also equipped to handle. A half-inch drop at the front was accompanied by SVT-specific coil springs and Bilstein shocks along with an exclusive 31-mm solid anti-roll bar. SVT’s influence continued at the rear with Lightning-specific five-leaf springs and a 23-mm solid anti-roll bar. The Bilstein setup at the rear included the right-rear shock staggered toward the front of the truck to reduce axle hop under heavy acceleration. The four-wheel antilock disc brakes were cribbed from the three-quarter-ton F-250, with 12.1-inch front rotors at the front and 13.1-inch discs at the rear.
As the years go on, fewer and fewer clean, unmolested low-mileage examples are out there, which is why this 2001 Ford SVT F150 Lightning now on Hemmings Auctions caught our attention. Showing just 5,525.5 miles on its odometer at the time of submission, it is said to be in “mint” condition and have an “immaculate” finish in the seller’s words. No modifications are noted to any part of the vehicle. The 18-inch factory alloys don’t appear to have any curb rash, though the Goodyear performance tires may be original. About the only deviations from stock are the tinted windows.
The latest electric-only F-150 Lightning is certainly a quick vehicle in its own right, but this 2001 edition from the engineers at SVT was built for excitement, not range. It was made with an old-school muscle-car vibe along with modern handling and braking. Which Lightning would you look good behind the wheel of?
Take a look at this second-gen Lightning on Hemmings Auctions before the bidding ends.
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