Joaquin Arnett
Rather than strip a production vehicle down to its frame rails, as was the fashion in drag racing’s formative years, dry Lake racer Joaquin Arnett of the San Diego Bea Bandits decided to build his “rail job” from scratch. He also elected to feed its carburetor, 275 in.³ Mercury Flathead on nitromethane loads as potent as 80%. The result was the legendary “beam bandit” a 1325-pound, 134-mile-per-hour dragster that set speed records throughout California in 1952. A slightly longer more streamlined “Mark two” addition also made history by winning top eliminator at the first meat ever sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association: The Southern California championship drags on April 11–12 1953. As usual, Arnett’s entry also turned the top speed of the meat at 132.35 mph. This car was subsequently modified to accept a second flathead V-8, and either a dragster or sedan body. Alternating between single and dual engines the beam bandits continued setting records and drag strips and dry lakes throughout the 1950s. The original dragster, restored to racing condition, is on display at the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing.