Gotta love that "in your face, no apologies" latino style, all the while accompanied by a smile and a gleam in the eye. Vato, chollo, chicano, whatever, all good people. Thanks Ryan, I wouldn't have been aware that the club was still around without that story, Viva la Hamb!
What a legendary club. I had heard of them in conversation but never researched them. Now that I know a little more about them, consider me a fan. Thanks Ryan.
The old Bandits holed a piston in a flathead powered streamlinner on fuel at the salt one year. Joaquin gas welded the hole shut, held the rod between his knees and hand filed the top of the piston. I dont rememebr the speed, but the car ran good! He was an amazing artist with metal.
I too have long admired the Bean Bandits. They set records and won top eliminator with all kinds of cars and engines. They ran flatheads, Arduns, Buicks, Desotos, Chryslers, and even a blown Studebaker. Front-engined cars (including the first motorcycle front wheels I saw), rear-engined roadsters, a twin-flathead dragster (which also had a '29 Ford sedan body that they sometimes ran on it), and lots more. They ran drags, Bonneville, and the lakes. In my book, they rank among the top hot rod pioneers of all time.
These guys are for real! I've had the pleasure of meeting many of the old timers of the club and I know many of the the younger guys and they have definitely taken the torch and are running with it! These guys are serious about racing and are an all-around great group of folks! Fabien, Tom and Diane, and Rene especially!
Do they still have their burrito cook-out/picnic at Bonneville? Had a great time at that the first time I went to Bonneville in 1999. Great food, people and margaritas! I don't even think they ran a car that year, can't remember and can't find any pics, sad. I bought one of their t-shirts and wore it til it fell apart.
I met the first and second generation Bean Bandits at one of the early NHRA California Hot Rod Reunions. What nice guys! I was saddened a few years later to hear of the tragic Bonneville crash.
i also got to meet the original group of bandits. great guys . saw them at the 07 cali hot rod reunion. sat with them two different times over the week end. really enjoyed hearing the stories. they told me about racing in indiana,back years ago. they said they didnt know how we lived there! to dam cold! we had a good laugh. they have got some great stories. would love to go back this year!
I listened to a story at the CHRR in 06 from one of the elder members that he had converted six 97's with hidden injectors without anyone knowing and kicked some butt.
You gotta love a group that has been so committed for so long. I hope I meet some of them one day. Maybe they'll show up at the hambdrags and I'll get the chance.
I remember the first time i saw the 'Bean Bandits' at Colton in the 50's, and my buddy said 'watch this car' as a bunch of loco Mexican Americans' from San Diego pushed this old rat trap model A sedan up to the line we all were amused at the antics of this bunch They looked like they were having fun, but when it fired all got quiet. This thing sounded serious, and when it took off it was serious, and blew away the competition time and again. They named themselves with pride and, in fun, with reference to the nickname 'Beaners' with 'in yer face confidence' that they were contenders with all the rest. It broke the ice, and by their performance they showed they were 'for real Hot Rodders'! I will never forget one time at Colton, they broke an axle and it was sticking out the right side of the car looked like 2 feet! It just cracked us up, but they rode out in thier old pushtruck and pulled it back to run again later.I got to talk to Joaquin a few years ago at Del Mar and he told me in exact details, his build of that 'shrunk' 34 ford coupe, which I had seen at a car show, I am glad to have been able to talk with him one of the legends of rodding.
Thanks Ryan for sharing the website and the history behind the Bean Bandits My team manger for Independent trucks always talks about the club and the racing they do every year at El Mirage and Bonneville, he's wasn't kidding! It's cool to see that Indy is one of their sponsors on their website... too cool. I loved reading the History of the club and all their accomplishments, awesome! Perseverance always pays of in the end and looks like they are a very dedicated group of individuals that love going fast Grace and peace† cab
I've seen old photos of a Model A sedan they raced, then lifted off the body to expose a twin engined railjob! Great bunch of guys!
I liked the little pedal car they built back in the fifties, it was in Hot Rod I think, maybe somebody has a pic.
Yes, theys still do the cook out at the KOA campground in Wendover during Speedweek. If you find yourself at B'ville for Speedweek, you gotta go to this gig. Marguritas, beer, carne asada, and the best bunch of crazy gearheads ever, this deal is always a major hoot!
Unkamort wonders if the Bandits were the first to use Nitro. I can't answer that particular question, but a couple years ago I was fortunate enough to meet and hang out a bit with Joaquin Arnett (absolutely one of the true "legends" of drag racing - and a super-cool dude to boot), after the Friday night NHRA bash at the CHRR. When asked what he attibuted to the Bandit's consistant win record back in the early days (we were thinking maybe Hydrazine), he told us straight out, "It was nothing that exotic". He said he got some chemical (a type of acid) from a friend who was into developing his own photos. Of course, I can't remember the name of the stuff, but it was readily available to the general public. Arnett had the foresight to try mixing it with their current fuel and the results were spectacular to say the least. He said it took several years for other racers to find out about the stuff.
What a treat it was to spend time with Fabian and the Bandits on the Salt in '08. As a charter member of "Just Us" car club here in the midwest it was truely a total gas to visit with the OG's in the Bean Bandit camp. I have located a belly tank and have been figuring out how to get back to the Salt to make a pass. I want to be like the Bandits!!
The Bean Bandits just did it for fun...that's what it's all about. It' just so happened that they weren't scared to try different things, and they kicked ass all the while!
Very cool read thanks for posting it Ryan.I seen some of them at last year's roundup but never got the chance to talk to them.Definetly a car club with a strong history in racing!
The Jalopy Journal
