Tags: big  digger  grave  monster  tires  truck  trucks  
Channel: Autos & Vehicles
Uploaded: December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm
Author: XboobtubeX
Length: 02:54
Rating: 4.50
Views: 4932
Grave Digger is the world's best known monster truck. Creator, Dennis Anderson and Digger continue to pull further ahead of the competition with every race. With it's high-speed racing, insane freestyle, and awe-inspiring crashes, Grave Digger guarantees to keep fans on the edge of their seats.Back in 1981, in an old garage in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, Dennis Anderson created a monster, that has grown into a modern day legend. Originally, Anderson pieced together his machine from old parts of discarded vehicles. The original "mud-bogging" truck was supported by the corroded chassis of a 1951 Ford pickup and ran on the innards of a high-performance Chevy engine. Although his competitors had the advantage of high-tech equipment, Anderson boasted to them "I'll take this junk and i'll dig you a grave." With these words the legend of Grave Digger was born.The most recent Grave Digger, Grave Digger XIX, is a colossal improvement on the original monster. Bearing the ghostly image created by painter Fred Bumann, it is a machine to be reckoned with. To help Grave Digger absorb the landing after a 100-foot jump, it has nitrogen shock absorbers, creating a massive 26 inches of travel. In order to take flight, Grave Digger has a 540 cubic inch blown alcohol injected Chevrolet Big Block engine, which produces approximately 1500 horsepower. This engine is the same that you would see in the top NHRA drag racing vehicles. The drive train is also composed of a custom built transmission that is literally bulletproof. The 10,000-pound monster crushes cars like ants with 66 inch Goodyear "Terra Tires."To maintain a truck like this is no easy task, especially if you have seen Grave Digger in action. The cost of one truck is nearly $250,000 including over $100,000 in spare parts such as engines and transmissions. The engine alone costs $50,000. The sport of monster truck racing is brutal on the trucks and demands constant repairs, which keeps the Grave Digger team working around the clock.Grave Digger is the most popular truck in monster truck racing history. Grave Digger will race in roughly 70 cities, and travel to many more for promotional appearances. To see Grave Digger live in action, head down to the next U.S. Hot Rod Monster Jam at an arena or stadium near you.