Makes you feel old

[Bonehead]

I recently got interested in finding an old rig that I built years ago. In about 83-84, I built a monster truck for a Jeep dealership in Oklahoma. The internet is a wonderful tool for finding information. After about an hour I found what I was looking for. A monstertruck forum. I signed up so I could ask a guy who had made reference to the truck if he knew where it was.
He told me who bought the truck, what color they painted it, what the name was changed to.... and on and on. He told me that there was big interest in "old school" monster trucks. (thats where I felt a little old). He asked me to post pictures I might have. Shoot, I have thousands. I got to thinking about it, and it would to us hot rodders, like a guy who raced with Garrlets, or worked with Grabowsky, or ..something like that, coming on to the site.
I also got to thinking about those shoeboxes full of pictures I have, going to waste. Better to share them with guys who appreciate them, and have the interest. So after an 11 page introduction, I'll probably drop in over there from time to time. Mostly young people there, but very nice.
Here is the link if you want to see it:
http://www.monstermayhem.org/forums/showthread.php?t=6030

 

[Tripper]

Years ago!

Bonehead,
Here's one I took 20 something years ago in the Astrodome. My son loved monster trucks & especially Grave Digger so I snapped this when were were there! Grave Digger vs Awesome Kong!!!

BoB

 

[hotrodron]

Thats really cool Bonehead. I just read the whole thread. Looks like you had a lot of fun with that stuff. So which one is the "High Risk?" The blue jeep or the orange minivan? Or is it just the frame from High Risk under the minivan?

 

[Bonehead]

The blue one is just High risk re-painted, Then years later, the body was replaced with a van body, for a ride truck. In monster trucks the "ride truck" is a pre-retirement gig.

 

[Bonehead]

Here is a picture for this thread

 

[Bonehead]

Bonehead,
Here's one I took 20 something years ago in the Astrodome. My son loved monster trucks & especially Grave Digger so I snapped this when were were there! Grave Digger vs Awesome Kong!!!

BoB

BoB, that was what we called "skinny kong" it was about the 5th truck from the Dane brothers, in Kileen (sp) Texas. See I know too much about "old school" monster trucks.

 

[hotrodron]

The blue one is just High risk re-painted, Then years later, the body was replaced with a van body, for a ride truck. In monster trucks the "ride truck" is a pre-retirement gig.

Gotcha. Thanks.

 

[donsrods]

Your posting those probably made those guys day. I was just watching monster truck races last night on the Speed Channel. Always amazes me how they can go up on their side and still recover to set back down on all fours. Can you imagine the jolts their bodies take bouncing around like that?

Don

 

[Bonehead]

The early trucks lacked the safety gear they have now. Alot of guys came away with bad backs.

 

[Willowbilly3]

The early trucks lacked the safety gear they have now. Alot of guys came away with bad backs.

And suspension!! You guys were getting the big air with basically nothing but tires to soften the landing. I remember wondering "Why doesn't someone put suspension under these things?" I think USA1 was one of the first to and almost immediatly there was a split so the old bouncy trucks could do some state fairs and stuff but were really not competative anymore.
All kids love Dennis Anderson because he always wrecks. Anyone remember the first grave digger was a 51 Ford panel and all he had to do was park on top of a car and the crown went wild? Those were the days.

 

[Bonehead]

Yep that was us. Just drive up and crush the cars, we hardley ever got tires off the ground. Then came the wheelie phase. Pull up to the cars, and romp it till the front end jumped up. Once they started jumping the cars ours was way outdated. They get expensive to build with $1000 shocks, that you break pretty often. Now Maximum Destruction gets 30 feet in the air.

 

[Gastrick]

I'm enjoying this thread. I checked out the link to the monster truck site and found it to be very interesting and enjoyed seeing the trucks I hadn't seen for a while. Very cool and impressive stuff Bonehead.

In my area back in the early 80's, you were not really cool unless you could cram a set of 44" monster mudder tires under your truck. They were the biggest tire people were using around here on street driven trucks at the time. I was the only guy that could weld in my group of friends so I ended up fabbing up a lot of gadgets to change leaf spring mounting locations and such. Man those guys blew a lot of u-joints. One of those trucks that was named "No Problem" eventually became a monster truck. I had nothing to do with that though.

On a side note, my son and his friends were talking about "old school" skateboards tonight. I asked him what he considered "old school". He said from way back in the 90's.

 

[Bonehead]

On a side note, my son and his friends were talking about "old school" skateboards tonight. I asked him what he considered "old school". He said from way back in the 90's.

Talk about making you feel old.

 

[tnrodder]

Yea guys, my son is into the "old school" skateboard thing to,but the funny thing is they are really into classic rock. The " IN " thing now is to own an old console stereo and collect albums from WAY back(their words) in the early 80's. I still have all of mine so they are always asking me...What was it like back then? I dug up an old AC/DC 8 track the other day and I thought they were going to pass out.

 

[22dodge]

Some What Older.....

Great pictures Bonehead, you really got their attention on the monster tuck site.
Your involvement with "things on wheels" is amazing.....

The photo below of the truck on the right brings back some memories for me.
I had a 1941 Chevy military 4x4 (1 1/2 ton) that I bought in 1974.
It came from the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, CA. and was actually built in April 1941.
It was meant to go to France via Lend-Lease program.
Had a commercial cab and dash, the rest military pattern.
Cut 24" out of the frame because of damage, 121" wheel base (from 145").
Picture is of truck just after shortening, brother Steve on the back.
It went on to get a 6' stepside bed, rearched springs, and a 396 Chevy with turbo 400.
Never could afford to get the tires and wheels that I wanted, but did run duel tires front and
rear occasionally off road.
My daughters still remember being driven around town in that truck..
All over the Long Beach / Los Angeles area.
Sold it in the mid 80's ...

 

[Willowbilly3]

Here was a local mud bogger in Texas, twin blown 429s. I don't look like much but nothing could touch it.

 

[dmw56]

I dug up an old AC/DC 8 track the other day and I thought they were going to pass out.

I still have the factory original 8-track players in 2 of my cars. It's suprising just how many kids see them and know what they are. The adults get a big kick out of them too. I remember those!! Yeah, I remember how many tapes those things ate!