Grave Digger 1 (also nicknamed "Grandma") is the first Grave Digger chassis built by Dennis Anderson.
History[]
1951 Ford pickup (Mud truck)[]
The first Grave Digger was originally built in 1982 from an old 1951 Ford pickup truck. The name was coined when, in response to trash talk about the age of the truck, Anderson said "I'll take this old truck and dig you a grave". Before painting the truck with the well-known red primer paint, the truck was a mix of weathered grey paint and rust. Anderson would paint the words "Grave Digger" in black spray paint on the truck. After the conversion to the red primer paint scheme, the name was updated to yellow lettering on the door and 'Dennis' was added on the driver-side door.
In 2010, the truck was re-created in a make-shift fashion for the Monster Jam World Finals XI encore and was driven by Ryan Anderson. It was run on Grave Digger 14.
In 2012, for Grave Digger's 30th anniversary, a replica of the original 1951 Ford mud truck was built using parts saved from the original truck. Its lettering would be hand-painted by Krysten Anderson. It later reappeared at the Monster Jam World Finals XXI for Grave Digger's 40th anniversary encore and was driven by Weston Anderson. This encore truck would be run on a standard Feld CRD chassis.
The replica is now on display at the Rust in Peace Museum at Digger's Dungeon in North Carolina. The truck's formal numbering has been hotly debated amongst historians as to whether or not it should be considered "Grave Digger 0" or "Grave Digger 1", since the official Grave Digger 1 would be a completely new body and chassis than the classic mud truck.
Blue and silver paint scheme (1951 Ford Panel Van)[]
In 1984, Anderson rebuilt Grave Digger 1 as a true monster truck, featuring a blue and silver 1951 Ford Panel Van and 66-inch tires. This paint scheme was used as the inspiration for the truck, Grave Digger the Legend, which ran in competition from 2011-2015.
This version would run in two encores:
- The first being in 2010, at Monster Jam World Finals XI under Adam Anderson. The original encore body would be a 1951 Chevrolet mold, painted blue/silver with the features and wording of the original truck. The body was reused for Tony Farrell's Grave Digger the Legend.
- The second was in 2017 in an encore was at Monster Jam World Finals XVIII for Grave Digger's 35th Anniversary, again under Adam. By this point, Grave Digger the Legend had debuted many years prior and it would use the 1951 Ford panel van mold. However, it would not read "the Legend" under the Grave Digger logo to pay homage to the original truck it was meant to portray.
In 2022, the truck would again return at Monster Jam World Finals XXI under Brandon Vinson and return to the 1950 Chevrolet Panel Van mold and reprise the full Grave Digger the Legend name.
Like the original red pickup, replica of the original truck was built in 2022 and is now on display at the Rust in Peace Museum at Digger's Dungeon in North Carolina.
"Spooky" paint scheme (1951 Ford Panel Van)[]
In 1986, Grave Digger 1 was repainted with the first version of the iconic spooky paint scheme by Fred Bumann, which would become the basis for all future Grave Digger schemes. After Anderson built Grave Digger 2, his brother Les Anderson took over Grave Digger 1, driving it until 1990.
In 2012, the body style would be recreated on the Grave Digger the Legend mold for the Grave Digger 30th Anniversary encore at Monster Jam World Finals XIII and would be driven by Charlie Pauken on Grave Digger 22.
In 2017, the same body would make another appearance for the Grave Digger 35th Anniversary encore at Monster Jam World Finals XVIII, under Krysten Anderson on Grave Digger 34. It would return again at the Grave Digger 40th Anniversary encore at Monster Jam World Finals XXI, this time driven by Tyler Menninga.
Post-retirement[]
After retirement, the truck would be put on display outside Digger's Dungeon for many years.
In 2022, the chassis was restored similarly to Grave Digger 2's restoration 6 years prior, during this process, it received a new engine as the time spent in the weather had begun to severely degrade the truck. the body however was not restored likely due to the truck's original painter Fred Bumann having passed away since.
In 2023, the truck has been recently moved into the Rust in Peace Museum at Digger's Dungeon in North Carolina.
Video game appearances[]
Gallery[]
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