@@3rdGrant It was better with Bigfoot and Keystone Crusher... And Roddy Piper and Ultimate Warrior. It's still fun, but not 1980's fun, the hype was better and we 100% believed it. 🤣👍🏻
I have a Polaroid picture of me standing beside that very truck in the early 80s and I have a piece of an impala car that it had crushed. And a ticket stub signed by Bob Chandler. Those were the good old days.
My brother's and I have a picture of us as children inside the wheel of this badboy when it was parked at a shell gas station in Santa Barbara. What an epic truck!
Me uncle Herman Denunzio built this engine. He passed away on September 23, 2023. He started Goleta Speed & Marine (which is mentioned in this video) and De Nunzio Racing Products, which sold off road racing parts. They were avid in Off Road (Baja 1000, etc) and Boat Drag racing. Which is were this engine was born. RIP uncle Herman. If you guy remember the boat crash scene on Wide World of sports (Opening Scene) , That my cousin Tonny. Broke his back and both legs. He fully recovered. That was a very similar motor.
Bob, you have no clue how much you shaped my childhood. From that truck to the one that was under the Christmas tree. Thank you for being a great part of my past.
After Big Foot made its debut, Bob said in an interview that he would build anyone a Monster Truck for $100,000. That was a lot of money at the time and Monster Trucks came a long way since, but I will always remember that story because I really wanted one.
@@maelradec6766 🙋🏽♂️ one AA battery Stompers Tuck had small headlights , brave enough to play in my b-room w/lights off but the door wide open for quick boogyman escape..😅🤣😂
I lived right behind Spikers All American 4x4 in Eloise/Winter Haven and watched Big Foot evolve everyday as a kid, and got to watch it play around in the field behind Spikers behind my house.The whole town could hear this beast when they would fire it up.
@@louiewashere3 How did you see bigfoot evolve when the Midwest 4wheel drive center was here in north St. Louis County? I bought Dick Cepek tires and high performance engine parts from the Midwest 4wheel drive center where the bigfoot trucks were made and kept, so how did you see these trucks in Florida.
Good memories of grabbing 2 cartons of brand new eggs from the fridge that my mom just bought and running them over with my power wheels big foot! I got grounded and yelled at but those 30 seconds of bad assery as a 6 year old was def worth it!! Love this truck and the engine refresh on this episode! The attention to detail to address every potential future issue on this engine, strengthening weak points, care taken with this engine so that it’s less likely to break something every week was awesome!! Great job guys!
Back when I was young, there was no battery operated Power Wheels, all of our rides had pedals that you had to power with your legs and feet. My son ended up with a Power wheels Jeep under the Christmas tree one year though. Once the original 12 volt lead-acid batteries died, I PROMPTLY rigged it up to use my 18volt Lithium-Ion cordless tool batteries... 😆 The look on my sons face the first time he hit the gas pedal with the tool batteries in it, and the Jeep LITERALLY did a wheelie.... 😂 Those batteries were SO convenient, made POWER in the Jeep, and recharged in 25 minutes instead of overnight like the lead acid originals did. He had a TON of fun with that thing!!... 👍 The motors took the 18volts like a champ, and never failed.
"Fuel and spark exploded in it chambers". Most eloquently spoken! Great to see this historic monster ressurected from storage and have these boys put their touch to it! Fantastic video and Thank You!
One of my brothers friends fathers was an employee at Midwest 4 wheel drive in the 70s. He drove the original bigfoot home one night and I got to ride in the bed with a few kids from the neighborhood. Every time he turned the rear steer I hit my head on the bedside lol. I am a photographer as is Bob Chandler and we always have great conversations at the open houses.
Is this the very first bigfoot or is the one with the smaller tires they used in the movie Take This Job and Shove It the first one? That truck had a 460 engine, smaller tires and a winch. Also cool story you were a lucky kid getting to ride in the back of Bigfoot....
@@klink708 I believe Bigfoot #1 was used in take this job and shove it. Also Bigfoot #1 originally had a blown 460 in it but I think it was around 1985 when Bob swapped in this big 640ci Ford in.
I went out and bought a 4 Wheeler Magazine (Winter of 1978) after getting my own 4 Wheel Off Road vehicle. And it appeared as 4WD was becoming big...as in a fad...for me as a young teen just getting started in it. I thought that because I was one of the very first few to roll up with a Four Wheel drive (Cherokee Jeep) as an everyday driver at my high school/my area (that changed quickly). Along with all the new hype for 4WD's came "Bigfoot" which was featured in that edition of "Four Wheeler" magazine which I had just bought. It told the story of how Bob Chandler had built his 4 X 4 Beast up from stock by himself with Industrial size rims and tires! Literally, changing the face of trucks, Jeeps, and Broncos everywhere as they were just starting to get around town with lift kits and bigger tires. A true innovation: BigFoot. A great time for Four Wheel Drives everywhere and bringing great memories.
I am so jealous that you guys get to be a part of this when I was a kid back in the 80s I wanted everything BigFoot and one of my best Christmas memories was Santa bringing me a BigFoot power wheels.
A magnetic-base Starret indicator on an all aluminum set up? I caught that...Good thing your guy was holding it tight against that block!😂 We've all been there!
Back in the 80's that truck was parked where everyone who was in the right freeway could see it. My dad was a truck driver and he pointed it out to me. I watched that truck many times on TV. And it i could not wait to see it on TV! It is Awesome to see the engine being put back inside the truck. That is so cool.
Powernation 2.. Awesome rebuild of an Icon. I remember going to see it here in Jacksonville, FL. Back then my dad owned a welding shop called "Triple D Welding" and was in the process of building one around 1978-1979 but the owner of the truck ran out of money so we had to scratch the idea. It sat in our field for a few years before the owner was able to pay for the work already done and take it. Not sure what ever happened to it after that.
This truck absolutely belongs in the Smithsonian. Going to Monster Jam and seeing Bigfoot and Gravedigger in the late 80s/early 90s and going deaf and getting light-headed on exhaust are cherished memories
Hey Jimmy , it's always great seeing you either at the old shop off of I-270 in St Louis or when y'all come to Columbus Ohio. Thanks for the friendship and when Gene Patterson and Donny Wiesmuller needed help working on Big Foot because of Donny and his broken arm . I enjoyed working on Big Foot with these guys . Gene I hope you and your wife are happy out in California with your wife's family . Andy Brass I know you gave up hauling steel to drive these beautiful trucks but I seen you moved on so take care Buddy . Bob your incredible and sorry I never got to know you like the others but I LOVE your trucks . I would love the opportunity to hang out y'all again and work on your trucks if you come back to Ohio . Y'all can find me again through my friend and neighbor Danny Zuko at 92.3 WCOL . Shaggy PS : man we are getting old Jimmy . By the way your buddy Dan with Sampson is not far down the road from my house outside of Circleville .. I still remember y'all shared ideas years ago on the construction of tubular frames and cages being built . Big Foot #1 ALWAYS
I'm a Ford Guy. My first car was a '66 mustang. I grew up watching Bigfoot. Born in the '70s in the '80s this was Big. Glad to see you guys working on it. Good to see Bigfoot again. I've always wanted to see Bigfoot in person as a kid. Bigfoot is one in the history books. Thanks guys for this good video
The truck that turned me into a Ford Truck fan for life as a kid. I couldn't wait to turn 16 and get my license and a Ford Truck. And I did too. I got a 1967 F100(used of course) for my 16th birthday. 1 of 2 that my uncle had stashed away.
Sometimes I feel like we've gone backwards when it comes to mechanical engineering. The engines from back then just hit different. I have a SRT challenger with 700+ HP. But I still remember my dads 73 Firebird Formula that he swapped a blown 455 into in the mid 80s feeling like it was going to crush my rib cage on launch. I wish he kept that car... My dad also took me to see this very truck at a monster truck event in 1987. I was only 5 years old but still remember being able to feel the engine sounds in my chest every time the trucks went by. Big Foot was my hero and I will never forget the joy I felt watching these guys in these giant trucks.
It's ALL about the cubes.... Today's smaller engines just don't have the torque of a mountain motor big block. The 550" motor in my Olds is like a bucking bronco when you hit the throttle. It's instantanious.. My buddy with a 700+h.p. turbo LS Silverado says the same thing as you did... he rode in my Olds and said "WOW!! this thing is a WHOLE different animal than my truck!! I WISH mine came on like this thing does when you hit the throttle!!" Yea, a big cube N/A engine is definitely a different beast than a small cube boosted motor. Torque for days
48:13 This one time at band clamp. All joking aside you guys and everyone involved did an amazing job here. To improve/repair what was necessary without completely changing the DNA of the thing. I enjoyed every second of skill and care that went into this amazing piece of automotive history.
Thanks for putting this video together and for everyone's contributions to keep this legend alive! I, like millions of other kids at the time in the 80's, had our entire world rearranged because of Bigfoot! I wouldn't change that experience for anything! Great job to all that had a part in this American icon! Cheers
I too have some pictures of this truck in Salem, Oregon at the fairgrounds. it was displayed at a car show and the crowd talked them into starting it up and doing cookies on the concrete in the middle of some aluminum bleachers. i just was always in awe of this Truck. It was so loud and I am a Die Hard Blue Oval Person! I loved this show and how they restored and put the Original motor back into the truck. I have pictures of that day. I will get those pictures out and look at them again. Childhood memories!!!!
I don't think the smithsonian is good enough for this beast. It doesn't want to sit idle gathering dust, it wants to be driven and maintained. We have the technology, it has the power, it deserves nothing less.
100% agree. A quiet museum exhibit hall is the wrong venue for machines that are meant to move. Every car “museum” I’ve ever visited is a bittersweet experience because on one hand I get to see an iconic vehicle, but it’s also sad, like seeing a caged eagle.
This was fun to see happen, especially since they also went to a lot of the Bigfoot sponsors for the work to be done. Unfortunately, this engine was taken back out. The issue that came up was nothing that these guys did, it was just that what the truck is used for, there was not enough air flow going through to properly cool the engine. It would overheat really quick and rather than risk damage, it is pulled out and now is on display at the Bigfoot office. I do agree, this needs to be displayed at the International Monster Truck Museum and Hall of Fame. This was the benchmark.
@@brjones27 They didn't. It happened a few years after they did the rebuild. When it was pulled out it was exactly as they did for the rebuild. Wasn't the fault of the engine, just for what it was made for originally was not what it was used for later in life. I'm glad it was pulled out before it overheated for good and it meant another teardown.
This happened in 2015. That is when this episode aired. They are trying to fool their own fans. What a business model. Knowing that, everyone should for sure sub and like.
My guess is they switched from pure methanol fuel to a mix or leaded gas. Methanol sucks a lot of heat out of the engine when it evaporates. It's typical to see the section above the blower and the blower case to ice over a bit from that cooling effect.
This thing was super trick for the 1980’s. Extremely cool episode!!! So many great memories of all things Bigfoot-Related as a kid in the 80’s. Thanks for doing this 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
What an amazing video, I can remember playing with my 1983 Bigfoot battery powered truck and watching this truck at the Baton Rouge Tractor Pulls. What a legend and I hope the Smithsonian takes over this Iconic trend setting Truck.
Amazing. I went to the stock car race back in 1980 something. I was a kid and seen this exact truck. I was amazed to see a truck drive over the top of cars. It was the first one. Im a Chevy guy, but I will never forget seeing this truck.
Im not a mechanic, but damn them heads are just huge, the precision is amazing, I know precision, but these guys are the poster children of it lol ...I remember the first time I saw this truck in the early 80's there was nothing like it, it was like an alien man, remember it clearly, this engine is a work of art, glad i stumbled on this...
Prob not, it's not gonna be easy to replace something that rare, I think that's why it didn't spend much time at all on the dyno and I don't blame em, I wouldn't wanna be known as the D-bag that screwed up big foots big block lol. Shame they didn't make that out of iron it would hold up so much better.
Yeah I doubt it. This is a very unique and rare engine. While I'm sure they would have loved to, the risk of damaging something or blowing the engine all together would have been catastrophic for them not only financially but their image as well.
When this truck first hit the seen, I was driving graiot ave. In Michigan and that truck was driving down two lanes at once. Coolest thing I’d ever seen at the time. That same weekend it was at the silver dome in Pontiac Mi.
It’s amazing they got to sign the inside of the engine! I would die to be able to have a job with them building engines like big foot’s engine! Awesome video!!!
@LundRebel 31:05 min.... "that blocks had more than one accident in its life, we can see some welding in the valley and stuff and on the outside...." That weak ass block has flown apart more times than a jilted schizophrenic lefty bride left at the altar. 😅. Weak as piss
POWER NATION....YOU ALL JUST DID WHAT COULD'VE BEEN THE MOST IMPOSSIBLE REBUILD...FULLY REFURBISHED THAT ENGINE WOW!!!! I HAD TO TURN DOWN MY CELLPHONE VOLUME WHEN YOU STARTED THAT BEAST😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
May go into one after Bob dies just depends on the will I just read Bob will not allow anyone to touch the paint because it was done by a very close friend who is now dead
Would like to know if your dad had issues with air been sucked in past needle bearings on the throttle shafts, had this problem with a NA 351C which ment for a normal idle the whole carb tune was super rich
@@johngibson3837 I’ll ask next time I talk to him. I do know that he would grind custom cams for the carb, make fuel baffles out of cut up beer cans, adjust the size, quantity and spacing of individual holes in the Venturi fuel bar and about every other tweak and tune you could do to them. His last setup was on a ZZ4 small block he blueprinted with an original 6-71 on a chopped and tubbed 34 Ford Coupe that would run like a scalded ape on VP110
As a child of the 80s Big Foot was everywhere. The merch was as big as those 66" tires, and heck I remember Power Wheels had a Big Foot truck. She is that iconic, and the evolution story from a simple camping truck to the #1 monster truck is epic! Without Big Foot (and the legend Bob Chandler) I doubt that monster truck racing would ever have been a thing. Sure someone may have built a beast, but it never would have caught on. There are others but there can only be 1 original Big Foot. Big Foot is the OG and the GOAT!!!
They worked on monster trucks at my old school, barn behind my school. The school ended up buying the barn. Had the power wheel Big Foot growing up. Needless to say Big Foot was my favorite monster truck.
in the early 80s, my father brought in Bigfoot for an appearance at our yearly sidewalk sale for our parts store and speed shop, the truck and trailer was too big to fit at the hotel so they parked it in our front yard, and I woke up to Bigfoot being in our front yard, I was probably 7 or 8 at the time there are pics of me and my best friend in front of Bigfoot before we got on the bus to go to school, it was pretty amazing
That would be the most awesome thing to ever wake up to as a kid! I'm sure you and your friends were off the chain probably for months afterwards. Lol! I know I would have been! Cheers
I was lucky enough to grow up about a half hour from the original Big Foot world headquarters.. which is now a hyundai dealership😢 They would have number 5, the big one parked out front with a porch swing hanging under it. I remeber a news report of number 5 driving it on the overpass on hwy 270 back in the day😂
Hail to bob chandler the king of monster trucks. I have a ton of photos when I was little when he would come and stop in front of our house to go across the street to predator carb. Got to take some rare photos of ms big foot ✌️✌️
Olá POWERNATION 2 , sou brasileiro tenho hoje 43 anos , na infância não tinha amigos verdadeiros então passava horas no videogame , e bigfoot foi um jogo que sempre me deixava animado quando criança , ver o verdadeiro bigfoot hoje me roubou um sorriso. obrigado
I was at the up hill drags at Peeples, Ohio. When he used the rear steer for the first time. When the sand rail got in his way. And he crabbed big foot around him and went right up that hill of peegravel. And, this was before they had the tires that he uses today. Rear tractor tires all the way around. I wish I still had the pictures that I took that day.
Bigfoot is a legend without Bigfoot there would be no Monster Trucks like Grave Digger and some of the other ones that been around since the early days
Chandler came to a MTEG race at the Rose Bowl back in the mid 80’s for a exhibition event and could barely get over the moguls and after that he came to our pit area to talk with us about our Stadium Trucks and it was about a year or so later he came out with his first 4 link truck and the rest as they say is history and so I can say, I was there when!!!!
My dad had a jet boat with a mild 460, it ran pretty good, probably 50+mph. We bolted a Predator cab and easily picked up 5-7 mph and it made the mild BB sound like a prostock drag car! Predator is the $hit!!
Back in the 80's all of us boys were obsessed with monster trucks and wrestling. Those were the best days! 👍🏻
Monster trucks dirt bikes WWE video games pizza lol😂
Hell, I’m almost 40 and still am!! Why? Simple, all of the aforementioned things friggin RULE.
@@3rdGrant It was better with Bigfoot and Keystone Crusher... And Roddy Piper and Ultimate Warrior. It's still fun, but not 1980's fun, the hype was better and we 100% believed it. 🤣👍🏻
90s boys too!
I still have Bigfoot vs snake bite VHS
@@bfields1448back then it was WWF 😉
I have a Polaroid picture of me standing beside that very truck in the early 80s and I have a piece of an impala car that it had crushed. And a ticket stub signed by Bob Chandler. Those were the good old days.
That's so cool, when I was a little guy in the late 80s I got a big foot power wheels and it got me into watching the big foot shows.
My brother's and I have a picture of us as children inside the wheel of this badboy when it was parked at a shell gas station in Santa Barbara. What an epic truck!
Back when they crushed everything! Now a days.....yeah.
Me uncle Herman Denunzio built this engine. He passed away on September 23, 2023. He started Goleta Speed & Marine (which is mentioned in this video) and De Nunzio Racing Products, which sold off road racing parts. They were avid in Off Road (Baja 1000, etc) and Boat Drag racing. Which is were this engine was born. RIP uncle Herman. If you guy remember the boat crash scene on Wide World of sports (Opening Scene) , That my cousin Tonny. Broke his back and both legs. He fully recovered. That was a very similar motor.
Godspeed Uncle Herman!
Bob, you have no clue how much you shaped my childhood. From that truck to the one that was under the Christmas tree. Thank you for being a great part of my past.
This isn’t bobs channel
@@rbslammed6163 I don't remember saying it was.
After Big Foot made its debut, Bob said in an interview that he would build anyone a Monster Truck for $100,000. That was a lot of money at the time and Monster Trucks came a long way since, but I will always remember that story because I really wanted one.
lol my broke a$$ settled with rc monster trucks
@@maelradec6766 rc cars are the best!
Now you can't get a motor for than much
@@maelradec6766 🙋🏽♂️ one AA battery Stompers Tuck had small headlights , brave enough to play in my b-room w/lights off but the door wide open for quick boogyman escape..😅🤣😂
@@onmygrind3854😂😂facts 😂😂😂
I lived right behind Spikers All American 4x4 in Eloise/Winter Haven and watched Big Foot evolve everyday as a kid, and got to watch it play around in the field behind Spikers behind my house.The whole town could hear this beast when they would fire it up.
Sweeeeet, how cool that would be?
Damn that's awesome
The Midwest 4 wheel drive center was in north St. Louis, County.
I remembered that too as a kid my uncle lived right down the road from spikers on 9th street in Eloise
@@louiewashere3 How did you see bigfoot evolve when the Midwest 4wheel drive center was here in north St. Louis County? I bought Dick Cepek tires and high performance engine parts from the Midwest 4wheel drive center where the bigfoot trucks were made and kept, so how did you see these trucks in Florida.
Good memories of grabbing 2 cartons of brand new eggs from the fridge that my mom just bought and running them over with my power wheels big foot! I got grounded and yelled at but those 30 seconds of bad assery as a 6 year old was def worth it!! Love this truck and the engine refresh on this episode! The attention to detail to address every potential future issue on this engine, strengthening weak points, care taken with this engine so that it’s less likely to break something every week was awesome!! Great job guys!
AWESOME BRO!!
Back when I was young, there was no battery operated Power Wheels, all of our rides had pedals that you had to power with your legs and feet.
My son ended up with a Power wheels Jeep under the Christmas tree one year though.
Once the original 12 volt lead-acid batteries died, I PROMPTLY rigged it up to use my 18volt Lithium-Ion cordless tool batteries... 😆
The look on my sons face the first time he hit the gas pedal with the tool batteries in it, and the Jeep LITERALLY did a wheelie.... 😂
Those batteries were SO convenient, made POWER in the Jeep, and recharged in 25 minutes instead of overnight like the lead acid originals did.
He had a TON of fun with that thing!!... 👍
The motors took the 18volts like a champ, and never failed.
"Fuel and spark exploded in it chambers". Most eloquently spoken! Great to see this historic monster ressurected from storage and have these boys put their touch to it! Fantastic video and Thank You!
You never want an "explosion" in an engine's combustion chambers. That will kill the engine QUICK. It's a very fast burn, but not an explosion.
That truck has been an integral part of my life all my life. Im 51 now i was 7 the first time i seen it.
I'm so grateful that you guys got to do this for us thank you so much
Were you happy when they did this back in 2015? That's when this aired. 10 years ago...
One of my brothers friends fathers was an employee at Midwest 4 wheel drive in the 70s. He drove the original bigfoot home one night and I got to ride in the bed with a few kids from the neighborhood. Every time he turned the rear steer I hit my head on the bedside lol. I am a photographer as is Bob Chandler and we always have great conversations at the open houses.
Is this the very first bigfoot or is the one with the smaller tires they used in the movie Take This Job and Shove It the first one? That truck had a 460 engine, smaller tires and a winch. Also cool story you were a lucky kid getting to ride in the back of Bigfoot....
@@klink708 I believe Bigfoot #1 was used in take this job and shove it. Also Bigfoot #1 originally had a blown 460 in it but I think it was around 1985 when Bob swapped in this big 640ci Ford in.
I remember the first time I saw this truck as a kid,it stuck with me,my first vehicle was a blue 1977 F-250,it has to an honor to work on this truck.
Nice and special thanks to all those who are involved in part of History Bob Chandler and what a legend
I went out and bought a 4 Wheeler Magazine (Winter of 1978) after getting my own 4 Wheel Off Road vehicle. And it appeared as 4WD was becoming big...as in a fad...for me as a young teen just getting started in it. I thought that because I was one of the very first few to roll up with a Four Wheel drive (Cherokee Jeep) as an everyday driver at my high school/my area (that changed quickly). Along with all the new hype for 4WD's came "Bigfoot" which was featured in that edition of "Four Wheeler" magazine which I had just bought. It told the story of how Bob Chandler had built his 4 X 4 Beast up from stock by himself with Industrial size rims and tires! Literally, changing the face of trucks, Jeeps, and Broncos everywhere as they were just starting to get around town with lift kits and bigger tires. A true innovation: BigFoot. A great time for Four Wheel Drives everywhere and bringing great memories.
Talk about a kids big dream, Bigfoot was undoubtedly one of my favorites growing up!!!
Now that is perfection! Thanks to everyone involved for making this happen. I've been a fan from the beginning.
I am so jealous that you guys get to be a part of this when I was a kid back in the 80s I wanted everything BigFoot and one of my best Christmas memories was Santa bringing me a BigFoot power wheels.
There is a picture floating around somewhere of a six year old me chilling in the wheel of Bigfoot. That is the greatest of em all.
I used to take my 3 boys to the Monster Truck rallies in San Diego. They would cheer for their favorite trucks. Memories I'll go home with. Blessings.
What an honor pat's got it under control and it will be forever now associated with this video and Power Nation
A magnetic-base Starret indicator on an all aluminum set up? I caught that...Good thing your guy was holding it tight against that block!😂
We've all been there!
That engine alone is a work of art. That valve train alone, I almost screamed when I saw that! What a beautiful engine!
Back in the 80's that truck was parked where everyone who was in the right freeway could see it. My dad was a truck driver and he pointed it out to me. I watched that truck many times on TV. And it i could not wait to see it on TV! It is Awesome to see the engine being put back inside the truck. That is so cool.
Powernation 2.. Awesome rebuild of an Icon. I remember going to see it here in Jacksonville, FL. Back then my dad owned a welding shop called "Triple D Welding" and was in the process of building one around 1978-1979 but the owner of the truck ran out of money so we had to scratch the idea. It sat in our field for a few years before the owner was able to pay for the work already done and take it. Not sure what ever happened to it after that.
This truck absolutely belongs in the Smithsonian. Going to Monster Jam and seeing Bigfoot and Gravedigger in the late 80s/early 90s and going deaf and getting light-headed on exhaust are cherished memories
Hey Jimmy , it's always great seeing you either at the old shop off of I-270 in St Louis or when y'all come to Columbus Ohio. Thanks for the friendship and when Gene Patterson and Donny Wiesmuller needed help working on Big Foot because of Donny and his broken arm . I enjoyed working on Big Foot with these guys . Gene I hope you and your wife are happy out in California with your wife's family . Andy Brass I know you gave up hauling steel to drive these beautiful trucks but I seen you moved on so take care Buddy . Bob your incredible and sorry I never got to know you like the others but I LOVE your trucks . I would love the opportunity to hang out y'all again and work on your trucks if you come back to Ohio . Y'all can find me again through my friend and neighbor Danny Zuko at 92.3 WCOL . Shaggy
PS : man we are getting old Jimmy . By the way your buddy Dan with Sampson is not far down the road from my house outside of Circleville .. I still remember y'all shared ideas years ago on the construction of tubular frames and cages being built . Big Foot #1 ALWAYS
Awesome job, what an honor to do the job!
I'm a Ford Guy. My first car was a '66 mustang. I grew up watching Bigfoot. Born in the '70s in the '80s this was Big. Glad to see you guys working on it. Good to see Bigfoot again. I've always wanted to see Bigfoot in person as a kid. Bigfoot is one in the history books. Thanks guys for this good video
The truck that turned me into a Ford Truck fan for life as a kid. I couldn't wait to turn 16 and get my license and a Ford Truck. And I did too. I got a 1967 F100(used of course) for my 16th birthday. 1 of 2 that my uncle had stashed away.
Same here!
What an honor to work on such an American Icon of a Truck!!! Insane what goes into those trucks
Sometimes I feel like we've gone backwards when it comes to mechanical engineering. The engines from back then just hit different. I have a SRT challenger with 700+ HP. But I still remember my dads 73 Firebird Formula that he swapped a blown 455 into in the mid 80s feeling like it was going to crush my rib cage on launch. I wish he kept that car...
My dad also took me to see this very truck at a monster truck event in 1987. I was only 5 years old but still remember being able to feel the engine sounds in my chest every time the trucks went by. Big Foot was my hero and I will never forget the joy I felt watching these guys in these giant trucks.
It's ALL about the cubes....
Today's smaller engines just don't have the torque of a mountain motor big block. The 550" motor in my Olds is like a bucking bronco when you hit the throttle. It's instantanious..
My buddy with a 700+h.p. turbo LS Silverado says the same thing as you did... he rode in my Olds and said "WOW!! this thing is a WHOLE different animal than my truck!! I WISH mine came on like this thing does when you hit the throttle!!"
Yea, a big cube N/A engine is definitely a different beast than a small cube boosted motor. Torque for days
48:13 This one time at band clamp. All joking aside you guys and everyone involved did an amazing job here. To improve/repair what was necessary without completely changing the DNA of the thing. I enjoyed every second of skill and care that went into this amazing piece of automotive history.
Awesome video to watch I was born in 85 and growing up I was a huge fan of Bigfoot to young me it was the baddest truck in the World !!!
Hands Down the Greatest Monster Truck in History!! You guys are amazing Thank you for restoring this Historic piece!!
As someone who has seen big foot 2.0 when I was 9 it’s good to see the original come back to life
Thanks for putting this video together and for everyone's contributions to keep this legend alive! I, like millions of other kids at the time in the 80's, had our entire world rearranged because of Bigfoot! I wouldn't change that experience for anything! Great job to all that had a part in this American icon! Cheers
I too have some pictures of this truck in Salem, Oregon at the fairgrounds. it was displayed at a car show and the crowd talked them into starting it up and doing cookies on the concrete in the middle of some aluminum bleachers. i just was always in awe of this Truck. It was so loud and I am a Die Hard Blue Oval Person! I loved this show and how they restored and put the Original motor back into the truck. I have pictures of that day. I will get those pictures out and look at them again. Childhood memories!!!!
This was fascinating to watch. Big Foot was my favorite growing up!
I don't think the smithsonian is good enough for this beast. It doesn't want to sit idle gathering dust, it wants to be driven and maintained. We have the technology, it has the power, it deserves nothing less.
100% agree. A quiet museum exhibit hall is the wrong venue for machines that are meant to move. Every car “museum” I’ve ever visited is a bittersweet experience because on one hand I get to see an iconic vehicle, but it’s also sad, like seeing a caged eagle.
And when something happens to it or the engine blows and there aren’t parts to replace the ruined parts?
@@rbslammed6163 If the parts were made once then they can be made again.
I've got pictures from the 80s of Bigfoot 1 in Cincinnati. Dad took me when I was a kid. Been obsessed with big trucks ever since!
This was fun to see happen, especially since they also went to a lot of the Bigfoot sponsors for the work to be done.
Unfortunately, this engine was taken back out. The issue that came up was nothing that these guys did, it was just that what the truck is used for, there was not enough air flow going through to properly cool the engine. It would overheat really quick and rather than risk damage, it is pulled out and now is on display at the Bigfoot office.
I do agree, this needs to be displayed at the International Monster Truck Museum and Hall of Fame. This was the benchmark.
Aww. If these guys knew, they could so quickly fix that.
@@brjones27 They didn't. It happened a few years after they did the rebuild. When it was pulled out it was exactly as they did for the rebuild. Wasn't the fault of the engine, just for what it was made for originally was not what it was used for later in life. I'm glad it was pulled out before it overheated for good and it meant another teardown.
This happened in 2015. That is when this episode aired. They are trying to fool their own fans. What a business model. Knowing that, everyone should for sure sub and like.
My guess is they switched from pure methanol fuel to a mix or leaded gas. Methanol sucks a lot of heat out of the engine when it evaporates. It's typical to see the section above the blower and the blower case to ice over a bit from that cooling effect.
@@hydrocarbon82 would make sense since it didn't run on race fuel in its later years.
My childhood is alive and well , thank you .
My dad took me as a kid to see it several times, good times.
Good dad then.
This thing was super trick for the 1980’s. Extremely cool episode!!! So many great memories of all things Bigfoot-Related as a kid in the 80’s. Thanks for doing this 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I feel like a kid again 😂. Begging my Dad if we could go see bigfoot and USA1. Awesome
I was 15 and this is the truck that made me decide I was going to drive pickups instead of cars
That is the cleanest motor when opening I have ever seen. Well maintained
What an amazing video, I can remember playing with my 1983 Bigfoot battery powered truck and watching this truck at the Baton Rouge Tractor Pulls. What a legend and I hope the Smithsonian takes over this Iconic trend setting Truck.
Nice build up..Pat and Kasse what a combo.
Wow this brings back memories. I remember having the Bigfoot Power Wheel when I was a kid.
I don't have the direct memories with this truck like so many in here do, I just know it will be a sad day when it parks for the last time.
Amazing. I went to the stock car race back in 1980 something. I was a kid and seen this exact truck. I was amazed to see a truck drive over the top of cars. It was the first one. Im a Chevy guy, but I will never forget seeing this truck.
Im not a mechanic, but damn them heads are just huge, the precision is amazing, I know precision, but these guys are the poster children of it lol ...I remember the first time I saw this truck in the early 80's there was nothing like it, it was like an alien man, remember it clearly, this engine is a work of art, glad i stumbled on this...
You know damn well they maxed that sucker out on the dyno off camera 😂
Maybe but I doubt it. That engine isn't something that is easily replaced if you damage it.
Prob not, it's not gonna be easy to replace something that rare, I think that's why it didn't spend much time at all on the dyno and I don't blame em, I wouldn't wanna be known as the D-bag that screwed up big foots big block lol. Shame they didn't make that out of iron it would hold up so much better.
Yeah I doubt it. This is a very unique and rare engine. While I'm sure they would have loved to, the risk of damaging something or blowing the engine all together would have been catastrophic for them not only financially but their image as well.
When this truck first hit the seen, I was driving graiot ave. In Michigan and that truck was driving down two lanes at once. Coolest thing I’d ever seen at the time. That same weekend it was at the silver dome in Pontiac Mi.
I love the George and Jeremy podcasts. Be cool to have them on once every year or 2 just for updates
I got my picture taken right beside this truck in the early 2000s with my grand parents who took me to the fair that year
It’s amazing they got to sign the inside of the engine! I would die to be able to have a job with them building engines like big foot’s engine! Awesome video!!!
And he chose a Ford to drive and build this. Enough said. Ole Henry Ford has a smile ear to ear. Thanx Bob.
It says he, like you, is too biased to see the actual truth. A very admirable quality.
I think it means he's smart like me. And wanted the best. #1 selling trucks in America forever. Fact. Deal with it.
@LundRebel 31:05 min.... "that blocks had more than one accident in its life, we can see some welding in the valley and stuff and on the outside...."
That weak ass block has flown apart more times than a jilted schizophrenic lefty bride left at the altar. 😅. Weak as piss
POWER NATION....YOU ALL JUST DID WHAT COULD'VE BEEN THE MOST IMPOSSIBLE REBUILD...FULLY REFURBISHED THAT ENGINE WOW!!!! I HAD TO TURN DOWN MY CELLPHONE VOLUME WHEN YOU STARTED THAT BEAST😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I'm 49 and remember when monster trucks 1st started
wow this was amazing- i remember this as a kid
It should be in a museum it was the birth of a sport
May go into one after Bob dies just depends on the will I just read Bob will not allow anyone to touch the paint because it was done by a very close friend who is now dead
My dad LOVED those Predator carbs. Thats all he ran on his performance cars!
Would like to know if your dad had issues with air been sucked in past needle bearings on the throttle shafts, had this problem with a NA 351C which ment for a normal idle the whole carb tune was super rich
@@johngibson3837 I’ll ask next time I talk to him. I do know that he would grind custom cams for the carb, make fuel baffles out of cut up beer cans, adjust the size, quantity and spacing of individual holes in the Venturi fuel bar and about every other tweak and tune you could do to them.
His last setup was on a ZZ4 small block he blueprinted with an original 6-71 on a chopped and tubbed 34 Ford Coupe that would run like a scalded ape on VP110
We ran them on 545ci BBF sled pull engines. They were all tuned by an old timer that was a carb wizard, absolutely love these carbs
As a child of the 80s Big Foot was everywhere. The merch was as big as those 66" tires, and heck I remember Power Wheels had a Big Foot truck. She is that iconic, and the evolution story from a simple camping truck to the #1 monster truck is epic! Without Big Foot (and the legend Bob Chandler) I doubt that monster truck racing would ever have been a thing. Sure someone may have built a beast, but it never would have caught on. There are others but there can only be 1 original Big Foot. Big Foot is the OG and the GOAT!!!
It’s like seeing my childhood best friend. This thing was in Glend Fals NY
There’s something about a blown alcohol big block 385 series Ford that I just love
They worked on monster trucks at my old school, barn behind my school. The school ended up buying the barn. Had the power wheel Big Foot growing up. Needless to say Big Foot was my favorite monster truck.
That's clean a** engine to be 20 years old 😎
I worshiped Bigfoot back in the 80s. This is an amazing episode.
Wow getting to work on something so historic im VERY jealous
I remember that truck use to be in Surfside Beach,SC, many years ago. It used to be sitting outside .
in the early 80s, my father brought in Bigfoot for an appearance at our yearly sidewalk sale for our parts store and speed shop, the truck and trailer was too big to fit at the hotel so they parked it in our front yard, and I woke up to Bigfoot being in our front yard, I was probably 7 or 8 at the time there are pics of me and my best friend in front of Bigfoot before we got on the bus to go to school, it was pretty amazing
That would be the most awesome thing to ever wake up to as a kid! I'm sure you and your friends were off the chain probably for months afterwards. Lol! I know I would have been! Cheers
Very cool! Must watch and thank you for sharing
Love the history in this video great job guys.
When I was a kid I wanted the Power Wheels version more than anything. I also loved Police Academy 2 because of Bigfoot!
Man, that engine sounds like glory ❤
Props to Goleta Speed and Marine‼️
This is how we do... do, do, do, do.
🇺🇸 (805) FTW 🏁
Bigfoot and Grave Digger, the OGs of the Monster Truck.
And usa1
Bigfoot wat before gravedigger
Bigfoot, USA-1, Bearfoot, and King Kong are the O.G.'s. Grave Digger was a follower.
I remember seeing the original bigfoot live, if a truck could be a super hero, it was bigfoot.
I was lucky enough to grow up about a half hour from the original Big Foot world headquarters.. which is now a hyundai dealership😢
They would have number 5, the big one parked out front with a porch swing hanging under it.
I remeber a news report of number 5 driving it on the overpass on hwy 270 back in the day😂
It’s a shame that a big company was trying to kill this truck . This is an American treasure.
New displacement is 572ci (4.377 x 4.750) if anyone was wondering.
Currently running a 572?
The OG bigfoot was no doubt awesome my personal favorite was the 88-91 body style Big foot
That was so hot! Thanks guy you made my night. Master Craftsmen!
Hail to bob chandler the king of monster trucks. I have a ton of photos when I was little when he would come and stop in front of our house to go across the street to predator carb. Got to take some rare photos of ms big foot ✌️✌️
I had a VHS tape with a this truck and all the other Bigfoot trucks like Bigfoot 7 with those crazy huge tall tires. Watched that on replay.
What a motor!! What a legend!!
Great video!!
Olá POWERNATION 2 , sou brasileiro tenho hoje 43 anos , na infância não tinha amigos verdadeiros
então passava horas no videogame , e bigfoot foi um jogo que sempre me deixava animado
quando criança , ver o verdadeiro bigfoot hoje me roubou um sorriso. obrigado
I love watching legends work magic on legends.
AWSOME ....... How can anyone Forget about this ICONiC MACHINE as a kid we all LOVED this TruCK🤘🤘🤘🤘🎣🎣🎣💪💪💪✨✨✨✨💨💨💨💨💨KeeP it GOING
I was at the up hill drags at Peeples, Ohio. When he used the rear steer for the first time. When the sand rail got in his way. And he crabbed big foot around him and went right up that hill of peegravel. And, this was before they had the tires that he uses today. Rear tractor tires all the way around. I wish I still had the pictures that I took that day.
absolutely iconic truck
Sick man. Great video, you should do more like it.
I would love to see bigfoot again
Bigfoots still around, they just race in separate circuits other than Monster Jam.
Bigfoot is a legend without Bigfoot there would be no Monster Trucks like Grave Digger and some of the other ones that been around since the early days
Chandler came to a MTEG race at the Rose Bowl back in the mid 80’s for a exhibition event and could barely get over the moguls and after that he came to our pit area to talk with us about our Stadium Trucks and it was about a year or so later he came out with his first 4 link truck and the rest as they say is history and so I can say, I was there when!!!!
Great story, and it's awesome that you got to be there! I was obsessed with Bigfoot and all things huge, loud and crazy! 👍🏻
My dad had a jet boat with a mild 460, it ran pretty good, probably 50+mph. We bolted a Predator cab and easily picked up 5-7 mph and it made the mild BB sound like a prostock drag car! Predator is the $hit!!
EVERY CAR SHOULD SOUND LIKE THIS
Brings back my young days