Ford F-250 “Bigfoot” by Bob Chandler
Car of the Day #150: 1979 Ford F-250 “Bigfoot” by Bob Chandler – As Seen On TV
I bet you never thought you'd see Bigfoot on here, but think about it: before Bigfoot, putting gigantic tires on your off-road truck was something that very few thought of doing.
Re-engineering the truck to handle punishment before off-road suppliers started engineering and selling parts was a significant obstacle as well, and should be commended.
In fact, Bob and Marilyn Chandler started their own company, Midwest Four Wheel Drive and Performance Center, in order to support what Bob wanted to do…which was to drive the most bad-ass truck on the planet.
This truck is, in some small way, capital G Genesis for many off-road enthusiasts who were alive through the ’80s, watching Bigfoot crush cars… then dreaming of Monster Trucks into adulthood.
What many don't know is that the first Bigfoot was actually quite a novel invention. When you're the first monster truck, well, you're not going to have an easy time buying suspension parts, brakes, wheels, tires, and all that: better get used to fabricating.
Fabrication, invention, and a willingness to break things — fuck around and find out — are what made Bigfoot a household name.
The most novel thing about Bigfoot, and a key feature of all Monster Trucks to this day, is its rear wheel steering, said to have been added after Chandler heard that the U.S. Army was considering adding the feature to its off-road vehicles. It offered an amazing amount of maneuverability essential for the tight confines of the mud pits, fairgrounds, tractor pulls, and the other events the Chandlers took the truck to perform at.
