Ford created its own tribute version with a double Westin roll bars and KC off-road lighting, via a conversion outsourced to a company called Scherer Truck Equipment. Unfortunately, some of the modifications present on the Bigfoot Cruiser led to a recall and a buyback,
Ford’s recall noted that there were 360 F-150 and F-250 pickups, plus 200 Rangers fitted with the package, but collectors believe that only 300 were purchased by customers in total. Ford has also stated that 660 trucks were modified prior to the recall.
The Bigfoot Cruiser is a unique piece of American history because Ford was one of the few companies in the 1980s to experiment with more extreme lifts and trail-ready suspension packages (with Dodge celebrating its Baja success through the even more rare, also-recalled Rod Hall Signature Edition trucks around the same time).
The origin of it all? Bob Chandler had a successful construction company in the 1970s before being stopped by a motorbike accident. Bob began altering his 1974 Ford F250 4X4 to fit his interests, as he was an off-roading aficionado in the budding field, looking for something to do. So, Bob started with a reinforced axle, a bigger tire, and various motor tweaks & lifts.
Bob’s used his F250 to compete in off-road events with his family. And as the truck increased in size, from the engine to the axles to the tires, curiosity in the beast grew as well. He executed roadside stunts, performed at events, and later appeared in films and television shows. It evolved into the phenomenon that it is today, spawning an entire class of vehicles, an industry, and for some, a way of life.
