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Buy this Ford vs Ferrari GT40 Movie CarClassic Comparison: Chevy 454 SS vs Ford SVT Lightning
Love fast trucks? We compare two classics from the early 90s, the Chevy 454 SS versus the Ford SVT Lightning.
Slow Trucks Going Fast
Given today’s trucks, the F-150s, Silverados, and RAM 1500s of the world, try to be all things to all potential customers, that is, fast, luxurious, and supremely capable, one cannot be faulted for forgetting that no too long ago, things were not so. Back in the 1980s, trucks did truck things at truck speeds, as in not fast. That all changed in 1990, when Chevy decided to plant a 454 big block V8 in their pickup and slap an SS (Super Sport) badge on the side. The new Chevrolet 454 SS was joined by the Ferrari-beating GMC Syclone in 1991.
Ford’s response was the SVT (Special Vehicles Team) Lightning, which debuted in 1993 alongside the SVT Cobra Mustang. Not only did the Lightning spawn a second generation, but it also lent its name to the new all-electric version of the F-150. This Classic Comparison pits the Chevy 454 SS against the Ford SVT Lightning to find which gnarly fast, totally rad 90s truck rules.
Chevrolet C1500 454 SS
The Chevy C1500 454 SS was launched in 1990 as a speedy, sporty version of your standard C/K Chevy pickup. Officially an options package, the 454 SS came only as a regular cab with rear-wheel drive. The main attraction was its namesake 454 big block V8, borrowed from the Chevy 3500 Work Truck. This 7.4L engine made 230 horsepower and 385 lb-ft of torque.
Those numbers might not sound like much by today’s standards, but they were impressive back in 1990, especially that torque number. The 454 SS was able to scoot from zero to sixty mph in 7.2 seconds and a run a quarter mile in 15.9 seconds, again, quite fast for its time. The 454 big block was a thirsty engine and delivered abysmal gas mileage even by the standards of the day at just 10 city/11 highway mpg.
The 454 SS package also came with accoutrements like air conditioning, power windows, and cruise control. Visual cues included a front air dam with integrated fog lights. Bilstein shocks and a beefed-up front sway bar improved handling over the regular suspension set up. Fuel economy was not the only concession the 454 SS made for speed. Payload capacity was limited to just 1,000 lbs. and towing to a meager 6,000 lbs.
Just over 17,000 Chevrolet 454 SSs were built, 75 percent of those in its initial year, with production concluding with the 1993 model year.
Ford SVT Lightning
In response to the Chevy 454 SS and GMC Syclone, Ford launched their own fast truck, the SVT Lightning alongside the SVT Cobra in 1993. Starting with the basic 2WD, regular cab F-150, Ford added a front air dam and fog lights, lowered the suspension for visual cues and plunked a 351 Winsor V8 under the hood for some serious grunt. The 351 (5.8L) V8 produced nearly identical numbers to those of the 454 SS at 240 horsepower and 340 lb-ft of torque. Fuel economy was only slightly better than the Chevy’s with the Lightning achieving 12 mpg in city driving. Towing was markedly superior at 8,500 lbs.
On the mission of performance truck, the SVT Lightning was a small notch above its Chevy counterpart. A zero to sixty time of 7.1 seconds was almost identical as was its 15 second quarter mile run. Handling was a bit better and braking much better (184 ft from 70 mph versus the 454 SS at 217 ft). Indeed, by the time Ford was launching the Lightning in 1993, the 454 SS was already on its way out.
After a three-year hiatus, the SVT Lightning returned in 1999 with a new supercharged 5.4L Triton V8 good for 340 horsepower and 440 lb-ft of torque. Of course, the new Lightning looked the part with the tenth-gen F-150s streamlining, yet another front air dam with fog lights, and a stylish Flareside bed. A 2001 update improved output to 380 horsepower and allowed the Lightning to zap from zero to sixty in under six seconds.
So not only was the first-gen Lightning faster (barely) and towed more than the Chevy 454 SS, it spawned a whole second generation and evolved (in name at least) into the blisteringly quick F-150 Lightning EV. Add in the Lightning’s awesome 90s graffiti-style graphics, and it is clear that the Ford wins this comparison.
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