I like it. The stripe package is very era-correct for even the most civilian F-Series of the time, and so are the wheels. 33-inch rubber on basic aluminum wheels was common, and the roll bar with KC lights is as universally at home on a little Ranger as it is on a gigantic monster truck. Photo from ford-trucks.com.
While dealing with the same railroad crossing, I can now say that I’ve sacrificed an engine, a transmission, and finally, a differential. One single set of tracks and one complete driveline spread out across three vehicles. The first time, I made it about three hundred yards over the crossing when I heard the sound of a wiped-out camshaft in my Charger. That was in about 2005. In 2009, I broke the input shaft out of the drum in the transmission of my C10 on the one-two shift because I wanted to get to town quickly, so I didn’t have to wait for the train. I waited for a few trains when that happened. Yesterday, I rolled over the tracks and BANG. The carrier exploded in the rear differential on my S10. That’s three failures on the same small stretch of highway. Needless to say, I’m over it. Two GMs, one Chrysler. Am I possibly driving the wrong brand? I do like the Model T Ford… I also like this 1987 Bigfoot Cruiser.
Of the two Fords that I owned and drove, both were junk, but they were also both the worst of the worst. One had a 460 that slung a rod the same way and at the same mileage as the previous engine did. The other was a 2008 F150 with the howling differential and the infamous 5.4 Triton that is praised by literally no one.
The Bigfoot Cruiser, though, that’s back when Ford made some good stuff. 9-inch differentials, 302 and 351 V8 engines, and chiselled, square-cornered good looks. In the 80s, Bigfoot was wildly popular, so Ford tried to make some money off of it with a special edition. Most of these gimmick models are nothing but a decal package, but the Bigfoot Cruiser was legit. Not only did it get a bold-but-tasteful Bigfoot decal set, but it also got a suspension lift to clear 33-inch rubber, mounted on slotted aluminum wheels. A chrome roll bar with KC lights tops it off, along with a chrome Warn Enforcer front bumper complete with a winch. It’s everything the customer would have wanted, right off the showroom floor.
Those options were for the F150/F250, but the package was also available on the Ranger. Unlike the F150, the Ranger only received the decal package, roll bar, and aluminum wheels, though I believe the wheels were just upper-end everyday Ranger wheels.
Why haven’t you ever seen these trucks? Mainly because very few were produced, but mostly because they were recalled. The aluminum wheels would come loose, as aluminum wheels do, and the big tires rubbed on the body and brake lines, as big tires do. These seem like minor problems to an enthusiast, but on a brand new truck, Ford found it to be a liability. Lots of lifts, tires, front bumpers and roll bars were removed, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the decal packages were stripped off at that point, too. Why own a Bigfoot without the big feet? Ford actually offered cash-back to replace the aftermarket parts with lower price stock parts. There were several hundred made, and few are left today. Since lots were recalled, there’s possibly someone out there driving one right now who doesn’t even know it.
Have a question or comment for Kelly? Post it at lmtimes.ca/kirk