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mongoose1983

My BIGFOOT 4x4x4 vtg toy & memorabilia collection

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I've been meaning to open a thread with this stuff for quite some time. The "Big Trak" thread recently opened by another TCer here in the forums made me realize that perhaps some of you might find this stuff interesting.

In my childhood and early teens I was a huge monster truck fan (Come to think I've never seen a real one in my life and probably never will). I believe I've inherited my interest in off-road vehicles from my Dad, and I do remember my excitement when I first saw these things on That's Incredible and in the movie Cannonball Run II, in 1984.

Well, that 1st truck was Bob Chandler's BIGFOOT Ford Ranger XLT.

Anyway, here's some pictures. I'll go adding some more later. And I consider opening another thread with memorabilia of all of the other Monster trucks from the good old days.

1983 Playskool BIGFOOT SST by MB:

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1988 BIGFOOT V "Four-Wheeler" poster. This is the incredible Monster truck with the 10ft tall Tundra tires. Four-Wheeler magazine released a set of different posters that include other monster trucks from that era. I might post some photos of the other ones later.

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Have a look at this. Anybody who was a kid in the 80's would recognize these guys immediately: Jim Kramer and Sgt. Slaughter on the 1986 "Tug of War" Monster, Pull, and Mudbog show.

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And this is the same hat Jim Kramer was using there:

1984 official BIGFOOT baseball hat. Signed by Bob Chandler & Jim Kramer B)

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"To Erich: Bigfoot Bob Chandler - Jim Kramer" (THANK YOU, CHRIS!!!) :D

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This is the kid's version in black, and it is also signed by Jim Kramer and Bob Chandler.

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More later ;)

You all have a great Sunday! :)

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Think I still have one of the toys in a box somewhere.

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My collection of 1984 Bigfoot MB 100 puzzles. I think these four is the complete set. If there was another puzzle available I would like to know. Sadly, I lost the puzzles while moving, decades ago, but somehow I managed to keep the box covers. For some reason I liked them more than the puzzles themselves. I do remember getting the puzzles stuck to some cardboard so I had them on my room's walls in the late 80's. :)

Here's the box covers:

Bigfoot II (a piece-by-piece clone of the first one):

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This one was my favorite of the set. It's Bigfoot I & II crossing the river in St.Louis, MO.

(Bob Chandler's driving the original, and Jim Kramer's on Bigfoot II):

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Now some postcards. These items are not vintage, but they do show significant moments with the original truck:

The original Ford pickup lifted (the kid in the photo is Bob Chandler's son)

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Here's a controversial one. Now the logo isn't accurate (it's the one they're using nowadays), but on the back the postcard says that's "Bigfoot 1 performing the 1st car crush ever in 1981". The topic of which actually was the 1st monster truck to crush cars has been a matter of a big controversy, because TX's Jeff Dane has a dated photography AND video footage of his Ford truck KING KONG crushing a car in 1979. Bob Chandler said, "well, at least Bigfoot did the 1st car crush ever in a public event". I understand this is still a point that Dane and Chandler doesn't ever seem to agree. Myself, I know I was very surprised to see the 1979 dated KING KONG photo!

Anyway, enjoy the picture. That's poetry in motion! :D

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Another one. This vehicle is what nowadays is presented as Bigfoot #1. It is actually a reproduction of the original vehicle that first sported the huge 66inchers in 1982. Now I can understand Bigfoot turning on to the Firestone terra tires as they're one of their most important sponsors nowadays, but if you look closer, the body differences, and other details like the mirrors and rollbars are too evident. Sometime in 1984 Bob Chandler changed the black rollbar to the one that was exactly like the chromed one that you can see in this here truck:

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Special thanks to Crash Cramer for these fantastic postcards!!

More stuff later ;)

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Think I still have one of the toys in a box somewhere.

I would be more than happy if you could share some photos of it. Anything Bigfoot brings a smile to this here face ;):lol:

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Next time I am at my parents I will hunt in the toy box they keep for my kids.

Watched cannonball run II last night, big foot crushing a 928 at the start of the race

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In my childhood and early teens I was a huge monster truck fan (Come to think I've never seen a real one in my life and probably never will).

Don't know where you are in the world, but, if you're in the UK,the best bet would be at Santa Pod.They have a few Monster trucks of their own and run them as a side show at regular intervals during the day,or when there's been an oil down after a dragster has blown up.

Next (and last for the year I think) is the flame and Thunder at the end of the month.

http://www.santapod.co.uk/e_flame.php

Defo going to have a look in the garage today for Orange blossom and pull sled!

Found the performance center though. :)

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Don't know where you are in the world, but, if you're in the UK,the best bet would be at Santa Pod.They have a few Monster trucks of their own and run them as a side show at regular intervals during the day,or when there's been an oil down after a dragster has blown up.

Next (and last for the year I think) is the flame and Thunder at the end of the month.

http://www.santapod.co.uk/e_flame.php

Defo going to have a look in the garage today for Orange blossom and pull sled!

Found the performance center though. :)

I'm in Santiago de Chile, way too far. Anyway, who wouldn't like to see Santa Pod? And yes, dust off that Orange Blossom Special and share some pics when you can ;)

Here's some die cast vehicles. Back in 1990 when I got to see a closeup shot of Andy Brass' Bigfoot 8 I was shocked to see the door handles, headlamps, and every detail in the Ford body was painted, all fake! That was Bigfoot's 1st fiberglass body. And the yellow-red lines to me seemed very much a sacrilege and a big departure to what Bigfoot really was! (three years later seeing Fred Shafer's Bear Foot all red and with a Dodge body was WAY too much for me as a hardcore monster truck fan). And as the TNT competition ended I lost the interest in the motorsport.

1991 Hot Wheels Bigfoot "Champions" line. These examples are missing the monster tires and so they stand on the tiny wheels for the transportation rig (sadly I haven't found the Bigfoot tractor truck):

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I always thought how funny was that Hot Wheels, a reputable scale car company, did the old leaf suspension systems as these trucks were using a very different suspension set up. So much that Bigfoot 8 was banned by TNT, and they had to return to the competition using Bigfoot 4 if my memory is correct.

Here's Bigfoot and the "other Bigfoot" called Snake Bite (I believe it was made by the same Bigfoot 4x4 Inc).

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Again, Hot Wheels and the 1st gen leaf suspension system for a truck that never had such thing!

Closer look at Snake Bite. This was the 1st Monster truck with a fantasy body which opened the door to all of the unfortunate monster truck bodies that seem to be a bit of a norm nowadays:

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More later ;)

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The modern trucks are purpose built race machines,with space frame chassis etc.A far cry from the original Bigfoot.

I got a bit side tracked today looking for Orange blossom, see general discussion thread, but got the performance center pictured!

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Sorry my knowledge of events near Santiago de chille is a bit limited!

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That SST performance center looks good. I hope to find a cheap one someday :)

This is one of my favorites. The official Facts & Photos BIGFOOT book from 1986!

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I'll post more pictures of this book when back at home tonight ;):)

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That SST performance center looks good. I hope to find a cheap one someday :)

I think postage costs would render mine a bit expensive for you.

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Ok , Mongoose1983 . You have made me look for it .

I got this Video in the early 90's , maybe have been 1990/ 91 .. But came out in 1990 , I was in NZ .

I could maybe get a M8 to convert it to DVD if he still does it ?.

I have taken pic's of front & the rear .

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I think postage costs would render mine a bit expensive for you.

Yeah, I know. It's curious these little battery-operated trucks are much heavier than a Tamiya Grasshopper! :o

Ok , Mongoose1983 . You have made me look for it .

I got this Video in the early 90's , maybe have been 1990/ 91 .. But came out in 1990 , I was in NZ .

I could maybe get a M8 to convert it to DVD if he still does it ?.

I have taken pic's of front & the rear .

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Thanks Matt! That seems to be a very nice video. Would be happy to watch it for sure :)

Now here's the 1986 Bigfoot Fact & Photos book:

It's got the sticker sheet complete and in pristine conditions :wub:

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Bob Chandler's newest and most developed monster truck back then was this one, Bigfoot 3. This is the Monster truck that you probably saw on the Police Academy movie in the late 80's.

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Gotta love this classic shot from the 1986 Gravelrama hill climb. That's the infamous chrome rollbar that replaced the classic black one:

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The rest of the book later ;)

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The rest of the 1986 Bigfoot Facts & Photos book:

I've always had a soft spot for Miss Bigfoot :) The lady there is Bob Chandler's wife, Marilyn.

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The Bigfoot Shuttle will always be one of my favorites:

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I'll upload more Bigfoot memorabilia in a couple of days.

In the meantime, I wish you all a great week! :)

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That's some awesome memorabilia of the original monster truck, Erich! :)

Do you thinka they pre sign the hats and then write the persons name when they hand them out?

I remember seeing one of the bigfoots when it came to NZ to play with Kiwi Thunder approx 1989, I was hooked after that! :D

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I will answer that question for you Berman. It seems Erich is so enamored with all things BigFoot that he buys as much as he can, has it shipped to me, then I have to trudge down to the post office with all these goodies and send them away to him. :ph34r: It is quite sneaky, but it works. JUST KIDDING :D , I don't mind doing it at all, seeings as most of the time a single item shipped to him would be cost prohibitive, so we just get a small box worth of stuff together before I send it down to him.

On that note, he won the light blue hat on eBay and when it got here, I thought I would try my hand at looking for another hat on eBay for him, for a surprise gift, well, I found the dark blue hat. Then, while waiting on a few things to arrive to get into the same box, I got this crazy idea, I will CALL Bigfoot 4x4 company and ask them about autographs after Erich tells me that Bill is still with us, so they tell me on the phone that the "guys" are out driving on tour, but will be back and things sent for autographs will be handled in that time when they are home, so I got my pen and paper out, sent them a note about Erich, asked them if they didn't mind signing the hats and they did. I remember talking with the person on the phone, asking if I should send the markers for them to use so they could be seen on the dark blue hat etc, they told me not to worry about it, it would be handled and it was.

This summer, it seems I got to see history before it closed as I dropped by the Bigfoot 4x4 company and got a few more small things for Erich and myself. You could just tell it was an old performance shop once upon a time, reminded me of Speed and Sport in San Antonio if I am honest. Anyway, they are closed now as they are moving the whole kit and kaboodle out of town of St Louis area to another burb on the south west end of town, so I shot some photos of their toy collection for Erich and hope he can post them here as I don't know how to get them to work here,and I know, will have to figure out snap thing whatever it is called one of these days.

In short Berman, NO is the answer you were looking for, these were signed JUST FOR Erich as these hats are VINTAGE and not seen in their store these days at all.

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Well, actually, Chris' (Crash Cramer) gesture really took me by surprise. One of the NICEST things ever! Thank you!

Thinking about it, it sort of reminds me the efforts the girl I had a crush on did to get a Bigfoot toy truck for me back in 1991. I ruined it all that back then --no surprise-- and I regret that to this day! It's good for nothing now, but if she was reading this I would tell her "Carmen you know you'll always have a special place in my heart".

ANYWAY, I scaled down some of the photos that Crash Cramer took at the Bigfoot Headquarters in Hazelwood, MO. These pictures were taken only a few weeks before they closed it!

Bigfoot Fastrax monster tank:

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The 10ft tall Tundra tires. The Camper there works on to show how huge they are!

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Bit of a Bigfoot...

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Bob Chandler's award (from the International Monster truck Hall of Fame).

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And last but not least, some toys for the boys! :D

That's the LP record with the OST for the 1981 that Bigfoot starred in. (Take this Job and Shove it! was a huge hit for Johnny Paycheck); 1991 Snake Bite Big Foot champions Hot Wheels; 1985 Bigfoot Matchbox Super Chargers; some VHS tapes from the 90s; and that's Bigfoot SST Playskool pulling Blackgold. That was the multichampion Chevrolet 4wd puller that was driven by Paula Geuin! What a fantastic piece! :wub:

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More toy cars "NOT FOR SALE":

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Special thanks to my good friend Crash Cramer for sharing these photos and the stories!!

That's some awesome memorabilia of the original monster truck, Erich! :)

Thanks, Neil!

Well, Chris already explained the detail on the hats. I can only add that Bigfoot Inc. sold these baseball hats until the late 80's. They only changed the truck model after they turned to modern F-250 or F-350. Those are also very rare pieces of memorabilia! Someday I hope to track down some example for the collection.

By the way, do you happen to have some photos of the time you got to see the truck down there, Neil? Would be awesome to see some!

You all have a good one, and more Bigfoot later! ;)

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Official postcard with Bigfoot V. This is not vintage, I presume the photo must be from 2003.

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This is a Birthday invitation card. And the truck is obviously Bigfoot Snake Bite:

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And this is something else. A Bigfoot squished penny!

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I'll come back with something vintage next weekend.

In the meantime, here's something for those who remember "Bigfoot and the Muscle Machines" from 1985!

You all have a great Thursday! :)

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Hey I think I remember watching a show or two, but I remember watching Transformers more. Oh and Kidd Video as well. Good to know you got the penny, it is of course worthless now, but so is the American penny used to make it. LOL

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Nice collection Erich, I have a couple of the Playskool Bigfoots and my brother has the Black Gold one, I think I have some pictures in my showroom. My original Bigfoot was painted several times with hammerite in so many colours, I don't think I could restore it back to its original glory if I tried! I notice that the display ones in the picture are missing the keys that switched them on and off, I usually had a screwdriver handy for that!

I'm pretty sure I have a VHS of the cartoon show somewhere, think I picked it up for about 50p at a boot sale. I seem to remember it being pretty cheesy when I watched it!

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Chris helped me get this one from some seller in Texas. A perennial favorite from my early teenage days!

1985 Bigfoot 4x4x4, 1st version of the Matchbox Super Chargers series. Not mint but I'm chuffed with it!

1985 Bigfoot 4x4x4 Matchbox Super Chargers photo IMG_7507_zpsmgmwjmbm.jpg

1985 Bigfoot 4x4x4 Matchbox Super Chargers photo IMG_7511_zpsuswgt6on.jpg

There's a 2nd version of this truck, the only difference being a hitch on the rear to attach the big sled to it. One day I hope to have the chance to find one of those for my Bigfoot collection.

I also got another 1983 MB SST Bigfoot motorized truck which is in better shape than the one I already had. I'll work on it, and I'll show you some pictures of that one later.

You all have a great Friday! :)

 

 

 

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i've seen Bigfoot V in person and stood inside one of the wheels. I'll need to find the photo (from July 2000 IIRC)

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15 hours ago, Kevin_Mc said:

i've seen Bigfoot V in person and stood inside one of the wheels. I'll need to find the photo (from July 2000 IIRC)

Would be nice if you could share pictures of Bigfoot V when you find them.

Have a good weekend! :)

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