Which is more badass, 1990-93 Silverado 454SS or 1993-95 F-150 Lightning?

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

Just for fun, which first generation muscle truck is more badass, the 1990-93 Silverado 454SS or 1993-95 F-150 Lightning?






I'd have to go with the 454SS, mainly because of the fact it's a big block, the 454's heritage, "four fifty four" sounds so much cooler than "three fifty one" GM, has much more torque (380 lb/ft v. 340), it's a tad bit quicker.

Although I must say the Lightning probably would be the better daily driver because it's rated much better on gas (12/17 v. 10/12), it's probably better in snow/rain, much better interior design and the interior color is grey, not the tacky red in the SS. Both are awesome trucks and I'd be proud to have either, although I probably wouldn't buy either next....too old, too bad on gas, too hard to find.

[Jesda]

The 454, for reasons of displacement! I prefer the 88+ Silverado body over all other trucks, ever.

[Jonas McFeely]

The 454 SS any day. Not as unique,but just so much more cool. Chad said it right "Four Fifty Four" just sounds so tight, Lightning just sounds like a 16 year olds drawing of some over the top future car. Add the "SS" to it,and youre just a F!ing bad ass.

[hardrockcamaro@mac.c]

Well, the Chevy looks far more badass. Chevy trucks have much meaner front grilles.

[RunningOnEMT]

i've owned both... i prefered my lightning just a little more... i think that was only because i drove them as daily drivers when i was younger

even with .97 cent gas it was still expensive to lug the 454 around...

sold my 454SS to a guy who now has it running 9's in the 1/4... also carbeurated motors BLOW THE NUTSACK!

[LS1Mike]

The 454 Trucks are TBI and are backed with a Turbo 400.
GM all the way.

[OffThaHorseCEO]

yea fords are ugly

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

What kinda mileage could I expect out of a 454SS? I heard they were rated like 9/10 with the THM400, and when they went to the four speed in '91 (700R4?) the highway mileage got a "boost" (lol) to 11, so it was 9/11. Was it really that bad? A full sized '75 Cadillac looks economical in comparison, weren't they rated like 10/14 or so? lol

[Blackout]

As soon as I read the title of this thread I thought to myself, "Why did I~LUV~Caddys8792 even bother making this thread?" knowing that everybody would be all over the SS. But after driving both of these trucks I'd go with the Lightning. Seemed like it was a better put together truck, like IgotmeaV said carbeurated motors do suck balls, knowing what the Lightning is possible of doing, and after hanging out at a Lightning owners club meet over at Atco Raceway in NJ I have to say that those guys are some nice ass dudes. They weren't all stuck up and were more then happy to answer any and all questions I had and the one guy even let me take his 650 rwhp Lightning out for a spin. We got out onto the main road and told me to come to a dead stop and I was like why whats up? And he just gave me this smirk and was like, "You know you want to!" so I threw it in gear and mashed the gas and god damn was that one of the longest burnouts I have ever done! I remember racing a guy a while ago with a 454SS and we were regulars at the track and we would talk to each other if we saw each other and we would race as much as we could. His truck was pretty damn quick and had a nitrous setup for it and I had my stock 2002 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V and he would beat me all the time. Well this one day we got paired up and we take off from the line and he missed a shift (quick question did they come with a manual because his had one) and I beat him. OMG he turned into the biggest damn pansy you had ever met. After we got back to the staging lanes he was all types of pissed that I won and he was begging me for a rematch and I told him I was good and that I was going to take my win and be on my way. After that he never talked to me again. I guess it kinda left a bad taste in my mouth about their owners, I dunno

[Night Wolf]

GM was using the Turbo 400 up until 1990!?!?

Heh, learn something new everyday.

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

My main "vendetta" against the 454SS is the gawdawful dashboard (and overall interior) design. It's just so tacky, so dated. And it's all red.




The Lightning has a much better interior design, much more normal, subdued.



The 454SS is rated at 230hp & 380 lb/ft in 1990, and from '91-93 it was 255 hp and 400 lb/ft. The Lightning was always 240hp & 340 lb/ft. The additional 93 cubic inches really help there! And the 454SS is TBI, the Lightning is PFI.

I'd assume the Lightning would be the better handler, mainly because of the lighter engine up front, and from what I can remember, those F-150s have much tighter, more communicative steering than the Silverados. I've driven a lot of the 88-98 Silverados at work, and the early ones (88-94) have a lot of slop and slack in the steering, not cool.

[FL01SS]

I took a 454SS to prom. Looked just like that one, except it was lowered a bit & had different tires. It needed new tires after that night too!!! I really liked that truck. I plan on getting a similar 1500 at some point & dropping a LSx in it & maybe putting bags under it.

[FL01SS]

All that red is killing me! What were they thinking???

[Vesicant]

I wonder if one could swap in the interior from the 96-99 Silverados ... it'd look at lot better and there also was a "red" color option.

[Night Wolf]

Ah yes, you just reminded me why I would never own one of those 454SS....

that interior is just awful... the red... and I just can't stand that interior to begin with... the '96+ style is still bad, but not that bad... the interior in the GM trucks didn't get good until '99.... and I really like those.

Interiors are important to me.... and that is one that I just coudln't deal with.

Plus PFI > TBI..... by alot.

So I'd have to say of those two... the Ford... plus I like them.

But I don't like single cab pickups... nor double cabs unless its the new RAM.... I like extended cabs... so right there they don't appeal to me..... and if it was me, they went the wrong way... truck needs to go higher, not lower