Bigfoot. Everyone knows the name. It's the truck that started it all. I can still remember the first time I saw her. I had never seen anything like it before. It was raw, savage, and visceral. It was 1984 in the movie, Cannonball Run II, and she ran over a Porsche like it was nothing. And even though I always favored muscle cars and high-end exotica, from that moment on I was intrigued. Maybe you will be too.
But most people don't know the story, or the man, behind the truck. It, and he, deserve mention. In the 1970's, Bob Chandler ran a prosperous construction company before being sidelined by a motorcycle injury. Looking for something to do, and as Bob was an off-roading afficiando in the budding field, he began modifying his 1974 Ford F250 4X4 to suit his personal tastes. And so Bob began with a hardened axle here, a bigger tire there, and motor mods and lifts everywhere.
Unfortunately, Bob had a habit of breaking things whether he was mudding in the backcountry or fording a local river. Unhappy with the lack of 4X4 replacement parts and mods available, Bob embarked in a new career direction. And thus was birthed the Midwest Four Wheel Drive and Performance Center. It's still around today located in Hazelwood, M.O.
BIGFOOT was a slow and steady evolution of Bob's F250 that he took to off-road events with his family. And as the truck grew, from motor to axles to tires and etc., so too did interest in the beast. He did tricks on the road, performed at events, and later made cameos in movies and on TV. It gradually grew into the phenomenon it is today launching an entire class of trucks, an industry, and a way of life for some.
It's been duplicated many times over the years with reproductions and look-a-likes popping up for sale all over the place. But there is no substitute for the original truck that Bob created over 40 years ago. The original BIGFOOT # 1 was a 1974 F250 4X4 updated with a front clip from a 1979 F-series truck, a 460 with dual quads, extreme lift kit, and ever increasing tire size. They are currently up to BIGFOOT # 21 and even though the body, engine and tires have grown exponentially, the original DNA is still there and what makes it great. Give it an eyeball and buckle up.
(via Blue Oval Trucks and Bigfoot4X4)