BIGFOOT 2

The arrival of BIGFOOT #2 in the fall of 1982 hit the off-road enthusiast world with a bang. As if one BIGFOOT taking the world by storm wasn’t enough, a second (and initially larger) seemed equally astonishing, although in hindsight it is no great surprise considering the growing public demand for the BIGFOOT name in 1982.  Despite having a great deal in common with its older brother BIGFOOT #1, #2 did incorporate a number of improvements from the get-go, most of which contributed to the truck’s increased height, weight, and width when compared to #1.  BIGFOOT #2 began life as a 1974 Ford F-250 frame and body, but instead of experiencing seven years of evolution en route to becoming a car crusher, it skipped straight to super-size.  5-ton military top-loader Rockwell axles were used in lieu of the lighter 2.5-tons used by BIGFOOT #1.  #2 also rolled out of the operating room with bigger shoes on; 66”x43”x25” agricultural flotation tires, also known as terra tires.  This choice of footwear made BIGFOOT #2 the first monster truck to use 66” tall tires, which from that point on to this very day are recognized as the “standard” monster truck tire.

Much like its predecessor, BIGFOOT #2 relied upon a 460 c.i. big block for motivation, topped with Predator carburetors and a BDS blower, with exhaust gasses being spit out of Hedman Hedders (coincidentally, Hedman became BIGFOOT’s first sponsor in 1977).  It should be noted that BIGFOOT #1 was quickly updated to match its new twin, to the point that the two were nearly indistinguishable from certain angles, and generally, only a trained eye could tell the difference.

The addition of a second BIGFOOT truck allowed the BIGFOOT name to appear literally in two places at once, although the twins could be spotted together at a number of larger events.  Media coverage of the new giant from St. Louis was extensive, and the additional exposure generated by nearly doubling the number of events attended compared to the previous year did a great deal to further enhance the growing popularity and brand-awareness of BIGFOOT.

As the level of intensity at car crushing exhibitions grew, so did the level of strength incorporated into BIGFOOT #2’s underpinnings and drivetrain.  The days of merely crawling atop a set of junk cars were almost a thing of the past; fans now expected the trucks to perform massive wheel stands when climbing atop the cars, and by the mid-1980’s if you weren’t getting air underneath all four tires during a car crush run, you just weren’t cutting it.  To cope with the added abuse (and the aggressive driving styles of guys like Jim Kramer and Don Breitweiser), BIGFOOT #2 was fitted with planetary hubs and the bigger steering knuckles that went along with them, in addition to extra bracing and gussets on the truck’s frame and axle housings.

Although BIGFOOT #2 (and BIGFOOT #3) was surpassed in technology and capability by BIGFOOT #4 in 1985, #2 continued to serve as a true workhorse for the team.  For 1987 it shed its 1979-styled bodywork in favor of newer 1987 F-250 sheet metal, as did most of the BIGFOOT fleet at that time (which only served to further befuddle the casual observer as to which truck was which).

Despite the fact that BIGFOOT #2’s contributions to monster truck history seem somewhat overshadowed by those of other BIGFOOT trucks in the fleet, #2 achieved a number of remarkable feats in its time.  In 1983, BIGFOOT #2 raced against Everett Jasmer’s USA-1 for the ABC television program “That’s Incredible”, crushing an untold number of cars in a side-by-side “race” that took them partway down the Gateway dragstrip in St. Louis.  BIGFOOT #2 appeared in Hawaii in 1984, and later in Puerto Rico (’86) and Australia (’89).  With dual tires on each corner, BIGFOOT #2 raced a paddleboat down the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, GA in 1985.

Although newer BIGFOOT trucks (4, 6, and 7) competed in the majority of high-level races through the end of the 1980’s, BIGFOOT #2 held its own at many races through the years until 1990, when it went into a state of semi-retirement from competition.  In 1992, BIGFOOT #2 was overhauled and outfitted with racing seats and a roll cage in the bed, becoming one of the very first dedicated monster ride trucks.  Dubbed “Safarifoot”, the truck became an instant hit with fans who wanted to experience the thrill of riding in a monster truck for themselves.  The first incarnation of SafariFoot featured the yellow/red stripe BIGFOOT paint job, later changed to a black and yellow flame paint job that coincided with the team’s Power Wheels sponsorship at the time.  The final incarnation of BIGFOOT #2/SafariFoot saw the truck wear a fiberglass Snake Bite front clip and corresponding paint job.  In 2000, BIGFOOT #2 was sold to a private individual.