Hemmings Daily: SEMA to induct Bigfoot builder Bob Chandler into its hall of fame

Poster cars like the strake-laden Testarossa or the bewinged Countach might have defined the ambition of the 1980s, but the vehicle that epitomized that decade's excesses better than any other didn't come from Italy or a hyper-stylized studio. Instead, the F-250 known as Bigfoot came from St. Louis and from the truck-building efforts of Bob Chandler, who will be inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame this summer. Prior to Chandler, monster trucks didn't exist as we know them today. Sure, some dedicated niche off-roa [View in Browser | Subscribe]( [Hemmings Daily] Friday, May 24, 2019 ANNOUNCEMENTS There will be no Hemmings Daily on Monday, May 27, as we honor Memorial Day with family and friends. Look for the Sunday edition on May 26, and we'll be back on Tuesday, May 28. [SEMA to induct Bigfoot builder Bob Chandler into its hall of fame]( [SEMA to induct Bigfoot builder Bob Chandler into its hall of fame]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Poster cars like the strake-laden Testarossa or the bewinged Countach might have defined the ambition of the 1980s, but the vehicle that epitomized that decade's excesses better than any other didn't come from Italy or a hyper-stylized studio. Instead, the F-250 known as Bigfoot came from St. Louis and from the truck-building efforts of Bob Chandler, who will be inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame this summer. Prior to Chandler, monster trucks didn't exist as we know them today. Sure, some dedicated niche off-roa... [Read More]( [Sponsor]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1965 Oldsmobile 4-4-2]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1965 Oldsmobile 4-4-2]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Restomod 1965 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: Very rare Target Red 1965 Oldsmobile 442 powered by an upgraded 455 c.i. powerplant, 4 speed Muncie transmission and heavy duty 12 bolt rear end with large sway bar. This is a real 442 built at the Lansing Michigan plant and verified by the 4HV that is stamped on its trim tag. There are also multiple holes in the frame to adjust the trailing arms which is 442 only. New red base/clear paint that covers a body with excellent metal...[Read More]( [NASCAR solidifies its hold on stock car racing with purchase of 12 racetracks]( [NASCAR solidifies its hold on stock car racing with purchase of 12 racetracks]( Posted by Jim O'Clair - According to the Associated Press, NASCAR announced a $2 billion merger agreement with International Speedway Corporation (ISC) on Wednesday, May 22. The deal is expected to close by the end of 2019. ISC is a leading promoter of motorsports activities, currently booking more than 100 racing events annually as well as numerous other related activities. ISC also owns and/or operates 13 of the nation's major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR, which already owned 35-percent of ISC's stock, began acquiri...[Read More]( [Sponsor]( [WATCH THIS: How to do the Musclepalooza return lane]( [WATCH THIS: How to do the Musclepalooza return lane]( Posted by Dan Stoner - Musclepalooza is always one of our favorite events that we put on, every year. With hundreds of great American muscle cars parked in the lot out in front of the Lebanon Valley drag strip to show and an absolutely crammed few hundred feet of staging lanes ready to race, it's an absolutely jam-packed day of racin,' watchin,' eatin,' drinkin,' and all-around funnin.' And while Hemmings Nation comes out in force to this event in upstate New York twice a year, a few of you record the day's festivities for us all to en...[Read More]( [POLL: Which is the Cooler Fueler?]( [POLL: Which is the Cooler Fueler?]( Posted by Dan Stoner - Here's a debate that's been raging in backyards and home garages for half-a-century already: Who had the cooler Front-Engine Dragster? Now, there were literally tons of great cars built between the Fifties and Seventies - what we'd consider the Glory Days of front-engine dragsters - but we're gonna narrow it down to two for the sake of argument. For the sake of a great argument, by the way: Ted "The Goat" Gotelli's #19 full-bodied FED or Don "The Snake" Prudhomme's Greer-Black-Prudhomme full-bodied car B...[Read More]( [Denver, 1979, part 4]( [Denver, 1979, part 4]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: 1979 Location: Blake and 16th streets, Denver, Colorado Source: Nathaniel Lieberman, Denver Public Library Digital Collections What do you see here?...[Read More]( [Sponsor]( [This Day in Automotive History] THIS DAY IN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY 5/24/1876: Howard C. Marmon born, Richmond, Indiana 5/24/1883: Brooklyn Bridge opens to traffic 5/24/2010: GM closes down the Hummer division UPCOMING EVENTS [Street Rod Nationals East]( May 31, 2019 - York, PA [Cruisin Friday Nites]( May 31, 2019 - East Berlin, CT [Carlisle Ford Nationals]( May 31, 2019 - Carlisle, PA [Car Chix Grudge Match at NHRA Nationals]( May 31, 2019 - Joliet, IL [Downtown Downers Grove Summer Nights Classic Car Show]( May 31, 2019 - Downers Grove, IL [9th Annual Cruise in for a Cure]( June 1, 2019 - Celina, OH [See All Events]( [Sponsor]( FEATURED CLASSIFIEDS [1941 Plymouth P12]( [1941 Plymouth P12]( [$75,000]( [1940 Packard 110]( [1940 Packard 110]( [$35,000]( [1972 GMC 1500]( [1972 GMC 1500]( [$25,900]( [1976 Lincoln MK 4]( [1976 Lincoln MK 4]( [$13,000]( [1968 Dodge Dart]( [1968 Dodge Dart]( [$24,995]( [1975 Pontiac Trans Am]( [1975 Pontiac Trans Am]( [$35,000]( [1983 Porsche 911SC]( [1983 Porsche 911SC]( [$55,000]( [1966 Ford LTD]( [1966 Ford LTD]( [$14,000]( PROMOTED LISTING [1990 Mazda Miata]( [1990 Mazda Miata]( [$9,750]( PROMOTED LISTING [1987 BMW 325i]( [1987 BMW 325i]( [$27,900]( PROMOTED LISTING [1970 Plymouth Superbird]( [1970 Plymouth Superbird]( [Priced to Sell]( [1956 willys wagon axles.]( [1956 willys wagon axles.]( [$300]( [View All Classifieds]( FEATURED IN THE BLOG [The $114 million barn find (that has yet to be found)]( [The $114 million barn find (that has yet to be found)]( [Seen in the Sibley: 1908 Maxwell LC Tourabout]( [Seen in the Sibley: 1908 Maxwell LC Tourabout]( [See All Featured Blog Posts]( FOLLOW US: [Get RSS Feeds of Hemmings Blog]( [Follow us on Twitter]( [Join us on Facebook]( [View our Flickr pool]( [View Newsletter Archives]( WEEK IN REVIEW Thursday, May 23, 2019 [2019 Hemmings Motor News Concours d'Elegance sneak peek: 1911 Waverley Brougham]( [2019 Hemmings Motor News Concours d'Elegance sneak peek: 1911 Waverley Brougham]( Posted by Matt Litwin - The countdown to our2019 Hemmings Motor News Concours d'Elegancecontinues, and so, too, does our look at some of the automotive history that is scheduled to be on display. In this update, we bring you the car pictured above:a 1911 Waverleyfour-passenger Brougham owned byBill Alley. The Waverley's foray into the automobile market began in 1898 when the Indianapolis-based Indiana Bicycle Company merged with the Chicago-based American Electric Vehicle Company. Operating under the former of the two name...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1947 Ford]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1947 Ford]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - As-raced 1947 Ford coupe for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: This 1947 Ford Coupe was built and raced by a club called the Gu Hun's of the San Fernando Valley and raced from 1957 through 1964. In 1964 it was placed in storage and recently revived. Yes, it runs and drives. The Gu Hun Coupe has a long and well documented history, with known ownership. The facts: The coupe raced C/A, Couple Altered' class at San Fernando, Bakersfield, Santa Ana, and Long Beach. The Gu Hun Coupe was known for wi...[Read More]( [Storm warning: Is now the time to buy a GMC Syclone or Typhoon?]( [Storm warning: Is now the time to buy a GMC Syclone or Typhoon?]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Frito pie. Pizza with pineapple and Canadian bacon. An all-wheel-drive compact pickup capable of out-accelerating a contemporary Corvette (and a Ferrari 348), and a quasi-practical SUV with the same drivetrain. All could be considered acquired tastes, but only the final two specifically the 1991 GMC Syclone pickup and the 1992-'93 GMC Typhoon SUV could be considered collectable. Is now the time to shop for one, both, or neither? The GMC Syclone (misspelling deliberate, since Mercury retained the rights to...[Read More]( [Air-cooled desert luxury]( [Air-cooled desert luxury]( Posted by Jeff Koch - Nothing about Tucson's Franklin Museum was what I expected. Not least of these: It's in Tucson. You might think that a museum for the storied marque might be located near Syracuse, New York, where these air-cooled luxury cars were built between 1902 to 1934. Roughly 150,000 Franklins were built, although thanks to wear, wartime scrap drives, and the inevitable march of technology, just 3,700 remain. You might expect the bulk of these to have remained around New York, or at least in New England; though there mig...[Read More]( [Denver, 1979, part 3]( [Denver, 1979, part 3]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: 1979 Location: West 14th Avenue, Denver, Colorado Source: Nathaniel Lieberman, Denver Public Library Digital Collections What do you see here?...[Read More]( Wednesday, May 22, 2019 [French authorities return seized ute after owner points out it wasn't built for smuggling]( [French authorities return seized ute after owner points out it wasn't built for smuggling]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - A little more than a year after threatening to crush one ute enthusiasts's dream vehicle and throw him in jail for as long as a decade, French Customs authorities instead returned the seized ute after a little automotive history lesson. "I finally got the end of the story that I wanted," Travis McKimmie wrote on Facebook late last month after making an 800-mile round trip to retrieve the faded yellow New Zealand-built 1970 Holden HG ute. "People in the UK don't get it they just think it's a old pick up as the...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1975 Volkswagen Type 2]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1975 Volkswagen Type 2]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Shorty 1975 Volkswagen Type 2 for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: This one-of-a-kind T2 Microbus is the work of Indianapolis artist Jason Rogers, who shortened the wheelbase and turned the remainder of the vehicle into a rolling canvas for his murals. The bus' Grateful Dead theme runs through the exterior and interior of the vehicle with countless unique touches, including a spectacular roof panel commemorating the group's 50th anniversary (one of the shows that the bus attended). The shortened...[Read More]( [Roger Penske named honoree of Silver Anniversary 2020 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance]( [Roger Penske named honoree of Silver Anniversary 2020 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - For six decades, Roger Penske - known as "The Captain" for his lead-from-the-front management style - has defined success as a driver, racing team owner, and businessman. Known for his ability to think outside the box and motivate both employees and competitors alike, Penske will be honored by the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in 2020, the show's 25th anniversary. By the age of 30, Penske had captured four SCCA National Championships, three SCCA President's Cups, a USAC Road Racing Championship and had been n...[Read More]( [The six most cost-effective performance upgrades]( [The six most cost-effective performance upgrades]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - If the first car race happened as soon as two primitive automobiles lined up next to one another, then the first performance modifications came shortly after that very contest. Most of us have been modifying vehicles for years, changing everything from carburetors to exhausts to steering wheels in search of some perceived performance advantage. It's easy to spend money on upgrades, but less so determining which ones generally speaking, of course deliver the most bang for the buck. Below are our top six ...[Read More]( [Denver, 1979, part 2]( [Denver, 1979, part 2]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: 1979 Location: Lincoln Street, Denver, Colorado Source: Nathaniel Lieberman, Denver Public Library Digital Collections What do you see here?...[Read More]( Tuesday, May 21, 2019 [Remembering Niki Lauda, 1949-2019]( [Remembering Niki Lauda, 1949-2019]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Three-time F1 champion and global motorsport icon Niki Lauda died on Monday, May 20, at University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland. The non-executive chairman of the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team had been in failing health since the beginning of the year, when he was treated for pneumonia. In August 2018, Lauda underwent a lung transplant, and in recent days was undergoing kidney dialysis in the Zurich hospital. On August 1, 1976, while driving for Scuderia Ferrari in the German Grand Prix, Niki Lauda's Ferrari 3...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1979 GMC Jimmy K1500 High Sierra]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1979 GMC Jimmy K1500 High Sierra]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: 1979 GMC Jimmy, K5 Jimmy drives as good as it looks. It has been very well preserved and maintained. Documentation supports 60k actual miles. It is original with a few tasteful upgrades. The interior has new dash pad, door panels and carpet. Seat covers have been re-padded and upgraded to Velvet in Carmine Red (burgandy). Interior is beautiful and very very clean. Rear glass and door window lifts work perfectly. Transmission has been rebuilt. Radiator has been upgraded to larger coppe...[Read More]( [What price exclusivity? In Indianapolis, $1.98 million for a '70 Hemi 'Cuda convertible]( [What price exclusivity? In Indianapolis, $1.98 million for a '70 Hemi 'Cuda convertible]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - For the 1970 model year, Plymouth only built 14 Cuda convertibles with the 426-cu.in. Hemi V-8 engine. Of these, nine came bolted to the 727 TorqueFlite automatic transmission, making this a rare and hence desirable example of Mopar E-body muscle. Last weekend in Indiana, a High Impact Lemon Twist yellow 1970 Hemi Cuda convertible sold for a fee-inclusive $1.98 million, landing it a spot in the top-10 at Mecum's Indianapolis sale. Adding to this Cuda's rarity is its history as a Canadian ...[Read More]( [Ask a Hemmings Editor: How many Oldsmobile F-88s did GM make?]( [Ask a Hemmings Editor: How many Oldsmobile F-88s did GM make?]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - The 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 (internal code XP-20) was Oldsmobile's take on the Chevrolet Corvette that featured a V-8 a year prior to its chassis-mate and that had a snowball's chance of ever reaching production. Except it did, in a way, and Charles Dobbins has us looking into just how many F-88s General Motors built. The question came up after Charles sent us these photos of his family (and even 5-month-old Charlie) sitting in an F-88 that his father, Bill Dobbins, the used car manager for Velie Olds in Minneapolis...[Read More]( [Denver, 1979, part 1]( [Denver, 1979, part 1]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: 1979 Location: Lincoln Street, Denver, Colorado Source: Nathaniel Lieberman, Denver Public Library Digital Collections What do you see here?...[Read More]( Monday, May 20, 2019 [EyesOn Design to honor Pininfarina designer Leonardo Fioravanti with lifetime achievement award]( [EyesOn Design to honor Pininfarina designer Leonardo Fioravanti with lifetime achievement award]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - While his name might not be synonymous with the masterpieces he created, Leonardo Fioravanti's work, at least, is familiar to an entire generation of automobile enthusiasts who hung posters of Ferrari's supercars in their rooms to ogle. To celebrate that body of work, which ranges from the mid-Sixties to the modern day, the organizers of the EyesOn Design car show will present Fioravanti with their lifetime achievement award next month. After studying mechanical engineering at the Polytechnic University of Milan,...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1993 Volkswagen Corrado SLC VR6]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1993 Volkswagen Corrado SLC VR6]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: 1993 Volkswagen Corrado SLC VR6 Rare back with black leather interior. One owner, that's me ! Only 12,720 miles as of 04/21/19. Kept garaged and covered. Never driven in snow and only a handful of times in the rain. Absolutely mint interior. No pets, kids, smoking, or food. Still has the new car smell. No UV damage or fading to the dash, leather or carpet. Momo Evolution 4 steering wheel. Original steeing wheel, used only one month, included. LLoyd's custom embroidered floor matts. B...[Read More]( [On its golden anniversary, is now the time to buy a Dodge Charger Daytona?]( [On its golden anniversary, is now the time to buy a Dodge Charger Daytona?]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - It was, perhaps, the most singular-purpose production automobile ever created, designed to add a mere 5 mph in top speed to the existing Mopar aero warrior, the Dodge Charger 500. In its one-model-year production life, the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona achieved that and more, though it failed to realize any "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" bump in showroom activity. The (original) Dodge Charger Daytona celebrates its golden anniversary this year, so is now the right time to shop for one? To go head to head against Fo...[Read More]( [You're all going to humor my inclination to post photochopped cars again]( [You're all going to humor my inclination to post photochopped cars again]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Why? Because my brain parasite from Alpha Centauri demands it, and we don't want to anger Brzzyxxyx. We all remember what happened last time Brzzyxxyx got angry. We all serve Brzzyxxyx. So let's check in on Andy Prieboy first, because Andy's always got the goods. Indeed, we see a suggestion of what might have been had Preston Tucker given French coachbuilding firms like Saoutchik a whack at the Tucker 48. With dual wheels front and rear, the Futurliner just didn't have enough rubber on the road, so IV Tiem...[Read More]( [Las Vegas, 1970]( [Las Vegas, 1970]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: May 1970 Location: Las Vegas, Nevada Source: Vintage Las Vegas What do you see here?...[Read More]( Sunday, May 19, 2019 [From derisive hoots to award-winning technology: How Ferguson and Roy Lunn developed the Eagle for AMC]( [From derisive hoots to award-winning technology: How Ferguson and Roy Lunn developed the Eagle for AMC]( Posted by Hemmings contributor - As we saw in chapter 12, the Senior Jeep models, namely the Wagoneer, Cherokee and J-Series truck were offered from 1973 with Borg Warner's full-time four-wheel drive system, Quadra-Trac. It was expensive to produce and noisy in operation and AMC wanted something cheaper and quieter. However, that replacement would come in a roundabout way. In 1969, Kaiser Industries, Jeep's owner since 1953, put the business up for sale. AMC's Joint CEO, Roy Chapin told his fellow board member Gerald C Meyers to prepare a re...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1963 Mercedes-Benz 190c Kombiwagen]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1963 Mercedes-Benz 190c Kombiwagen]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Binz-bodied 1963 Mercedes-Benz 190c Kombiwagen for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: VIN No. 110.001-10-082221 Motor No. 121.924-10-080003 Binz Karosserie No. 2166 Mercedes Build Date: March 8th, 1964 Binz Build Date: June 8th, 1964 This Mercedes Benz 190c Kombiwagon (built by German coachbuilder Binz & Co. Karosseriefabrik located in Lorch/Wuttemberg Germany) is one of very few surviving examples. The wagon starts, runs, drives and stops with no issues. It is complete with all...[Read More]( [Four-Links - Barbie Dream Hearse, still on the road at 95, Corvette thief outs himself, Donner Pass by car]( [Four-Links - Barbie Dream Hearse, still on the road at 95, Corvette thief outs himself, Donner Pass by car]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Kat of Barbie Dream Hearse fame is our hero not because she drives a hearse but because she turned a play on words into a business. From her FAQ: She's a 1992 Cadillac Brougham Superior hearse with a 5.0 liter V-8 engine, purchased in excellent condition with approximately 40K miles under her belt. What's the mileage like? Actually, most people say, Ugh, I'm sure the mileage is terrible, but I'm rephrasing that ignorant statement as a question for consistency's sake. I get at least 20 mpg, which...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1991 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1991 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Rust-free 1991 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: I purchased it in September 2017 in the Pacific Northwest and drove cross country to Michigan where it has been garaged ever since. My trip was trouble free. This car has zero rust (see floor photos from when I had carpet and seats out for cleaning). Before the trip the in-tank fuel pump was replaced, (adjacent floor area looked factory fresh) also tires, (space saver spare and jack have never been used) battery, serpe...[Read More]( LAST WEEK'S MOST READ [Proto-Porsche: The 1939 Type 64]( [Proto-Porsche: The 1939 Type 64]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Following his work on the development of the Volkswagen Type 1 (then known as the Type 60 or KdF-Wagen), but years before the launch of the Porsche 356, Ferdinand Porsche was responsible for another sports car based upon the "People's Car." The VW Type 60K10 -- commonly referred to as the Porsche Type 64 -- was developed for a prewar race between Berlin and Rome that never happened, but remains the unmistakable link in the chain between Volkswagen and Porsche. Three were built, of which two survive today, and this A...[Read More]( LAST WEEK'S BEST DISCUSSION [Open Diff: Has driving become joyless?]( [Open Diff: Has driving become joyless?]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - There's a certain romantic ideal that comes with owning a convertible sports car. Being part of the environment while enjoying the song of a multi-cam engine combine to create a magical atmosphere, one that makes the suffering of a long winter easily forgotten. That's what drew me to small convertible sports cars in the first place, and it's what has always brought me back to them. For me, twisty-road trips on a temperate spring day were once the stuff dreams (and stress relief) were made of. Not long ago, the ke...[Read More]( Hemmings Motor News will not sell or share your e-mail address with other companies. For more information about this newsletter, email webmaster@hemmings.com or write to: Customer Service, Hemmings Motor News, 222 Main St., Bennington VT 05201. 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