Famous Trucks: Ford F250 Bigfoot from Take This Job and Shove It

The Truck: 1974 Ford F-250

In 1974, gearhead and off-road enthusiast Bob Chandler picked up his brand-new 1974 Ford F-250. By the following year, modifications for racing had already begun. Due to the lack of aftermarket support for the truck, Chandler opened an off-road racing shop, titled Midwest 4 Wheel Drive Center, in Ferguson, Missouri. 

Chandler continued his vicious cycle of truck modifications as an owner and fabricator. As he experimented with larger lift kits and beefier tires, he'd face damage to the differentials. Chandler would then upgrade the axles to handle the extra rotational mass, thereby remedying the mechanical woes. Then, he'd test the limits of the upgraded axles by bumping up a tire size, which would lead to more breakage and beef. By the late 70s, the truck sported a complete military surplus driveline and 48-inch-tall tires. 

The truck affectionately earned the nickname "Bigfoot" due to Bob's notoriously heavy-footed driving style and propensity for breakage. The truck garnered widespread attention at this time, leading to its first silver screen appearance in Gus Trikonis' 1981 film Take This Job and Shove It.

The Film: Take This Job and Shove It

In 1981, Bigfoot appeared in Gus Trikonis' goofy American comedy Take This Job and Shove It, starring Robert Hays, Art Carney, and Barbara Hershey. In the film, corporate man Frank (Hays) is sent back to his hometown to boost production at his company's recently acquired Brewery. Once back home, Frank reconnects with a past love interest and ex-schoolmates, who make him long for a simple life away from corporate greed and office life. 

During the film, Frank and the boys enter an off-road race in a friend's pickup truck, which happens to be Chandler's Bigfoot. The truck races through the dirt, tires screeching across mud and dirt in a hilariously unrealistic fashion. Still, the film marks the first silver screen usage and widespread appearance of a monster truck in cinematography, with many crediting Chandler's truck and the film with kicking off the monster truck scene.

The Bigfoot Cruiser: Ford's Special Edition Pickup

Due to the immense popularity of the monster truck, Ford attempted to capitalize on the craze by releasing a special trim package available on the 1987 Ranger, F-150, and F-250 platforms. 

Scherer Truck Equipment built the deep, metallic blue trucks on behalf of Ford. They featured a slew of modifications, including lift kits, 33-inch-tall tires, polished alloy wheels, unique graphics, and a roll bar with KC HiLiTES lights. 

Unfortunately, the special edition was short-lived and laced with issues. Ford issued recalls due to clearance issues with the larger tires, leading several dealers to strip the trucks completely of their modifications. Additionally, the NHTSA came after Ford for failing to submit crash test reports for the trucks, leading Ford to buy back a significant portion of them, return them to stock, and sell them at auction. 

However, a few trucks managed to evade recalls, making them true survivors and rarities.

Build Your Own "Bigfoot" Tribute Truck

If you're still as infatuated with Bigfoot as the day Bob Chandler debuted the monster truck, it's time to build yourself a tribute. While this section won't teach you how to construct an actual monster truck, it'll serve as a guide to a rugged tribute truck that'll be instantly recognizable to fans of Chandler's original creation.

Platform

For a base platform, you'll need to locate a solid 6th-generation Ford F-series, which stretched from 1973 to 1979. While the screen-used truck is a 1974 model with an updated 1978 front clip, any truck from this generation would suffice. Plus, retrofitting an earlier-model front clip onto the older model year is a quick and easy process, so long as it's a single-cab with an 8-ft bed.  

Body

Bigfoot's body features a custom pearl blue paint job that has become an iconic part of the truck. While not an original Ford color, any custom paint shop should be able to whip up a similar color for a tribute build. While the screen-used truck features modified flared bedsides and a one-piece fiberglass front clip, we recommend sticking with the factory sheet metal for easy installation and structural rigidity. After all, our tribute isn't a full-fledged race truck like the screen-used Bigfoot, just a stylish ride inspired by Chandler's creation. 

Wheels and Tires

Bigfoot may sport polished aluminum wheels, white-painted tri-spoke wheels, or other designs depending on the generation. For a screen-accurate tribute, we'd recommend installing a whole-painted alloy like the Black Rhino Axle, providing modern tech and performance with rugged styling. 

Wrap these wheels in a rugged mud-terrain tire, such as the Toyo Open Country MT, for a setup that performs as well as it looks.

Suspension

It's no secret that Chandler's original Bigfoot sits sky-high, but how did he get such a sizable lift? Chandler utilized custom, military-grade suspension, which is not easily available. Instead of outfitting our tribute with a custom, race-ready setup, consider a mild lift kit for increased ride height, while maintaining factory-like driving characteristics. 

Products like the Skyjacker basic lift kit enhance height while retaining most of the factory suspension geometry, ensuring solid driveability and a rugged appearance.

Roll Bar and Lights

Another classic component of any Bigfoot truck is the tubular roll bar with KC HiLITES lights. Fortunately, replicating this look isn't too difficult. Consider bolting on a similarly styled roll bar, like the Go Rhino bed bar, and classic KC HiLITES Apollo Pro halogen lights. 

Additional Details

For some final Bigfoot-inspired touches, consider having custom graphics whipped up to replicate Chandler's iconic truck, including the gold side stripe, "Bigfoot" door text, and Rat-Fink-style caricature on the bedsides. 

Following this guidance, you'll be towering over other cars in your very own tribute to the first monster truck, Bob Chandler's seminal Bigfoot, in no time.  

As always, we offer all the parts and expertise to assemble this build and countless others at RealTruck. For more information, please refer to our other articles on RealSource, and don't hesitate to contact our experts.