BIGFOOT 50x50 Day 41, 1984: “By Leaps and Bounds”

Just under the wire!! And it’s a DOOZY! Without further ado..

Looking back, 1984 was possibly the biggest single year for growth for the BIGFOOT organization up to that point. A year that would introduce not just one new BIGFOOT truck, but two, and a host of new ideas to be explored and new territory to chart.

On January 7, BIGFOOT 3 would debut at the Pontiac Silverdome, sporting eight 66-inch tires, dualed up on both axles. This truck was different from the older brothers. Decked out in the standard BIGFOOT blue, trimmed with chrome all over, it instantly became the sharpest looking of the BIGFOOT fleet. Not to be outdone, on February 25, Jim Kramer took BIGFOOT 1 to New York City for BIGFOOT’s first show at the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. It’s been said that if you can get over in New York City, you can get over anywhere. BIGFOOT got over splendidly.

In the spring of 1984, construction was underway on a new 22,000 square foot building at 6311 North Lindbergh Blvd in Hazelwood. The main construction would last until July when the new headquarters for Midwest Four Wheel Drive would open. Visitors to that year’s open house would be in store for two massive new surprises. The first of which would be the set of 10 foot tall tires mounted onto BIGFOOT 1. Purchased earlier in the year at a scrapyard in Seattle, these massive wheels and tires were originally used on the LeTourneau overland trains in the 1950’s. Over the next two years all four of the BIGFOOT trucks would wear the massive shoes at one time or another. Which leads directly into the next surprise! Sitting to the far left of the row of trucks was someone new. Decked out in unpainted sheet metal and wearing dual wheels like brother 3 had in January sat the new newest edition to the family, BIGFOOT 4.

Built during the summer, BIGFOOT 4 may have looked like the natural progression of the BIGFOOT trucks by sporting the latest F-Series body, paint stylings and trim as its brothers, but underneath it sported a radically different concept. Instead of a stock pickup truck frame, 4 had a considerably beefier straight rail frame not unlike those used on industrial and 2.5 ton military trucks. Other new ideas were explored in various areas such as the vehicle’s suspension, axles, and drivetrain. Where BIGFOOT 3 got all the looks, BIGFOOT 4 got the POWER. Eventually this “stage 2” monster would make its live debut about 6 weeks later in Baton Rouge and roll right into the chaos and rigors of life on the road as if it had been there from the start.

Would you believe that even BIGGER things lay ahead?