Smokey And The Bandit Pontiac Trans Ams - Bandit Run

Right after the August issue went to press with our coverage of Year One's new Burt Reynolds-backed Bandit Trans Ams, we got wind of a group of hard-core Smokey and the Bandit devotees preparing to commemorate the anniversary by making the fabled run from Texarkana, Texas, to Atlanta, Georgia. Instead of trying to match Bandit and Snowman and drive it in roughly 14 hours (half of the movie's 28-hour round trip), the idea was a leisurely three-day tour following a hypothetical 665-mile route that kept true to the feel of the movie. And since Coors is now widely available east of the Mississippi, the final stop-rather than the county fair with Big and Little Enos waiting in matching yellow suits for their bootleg beer-was Road Atlanta for a little track time and show-and-shine at the annual Year One Experience. To top it all off, Year One was planning to bring the BAN1 car we featured last month along on the run, then unveil BAN3, the all-out, top-of-the-heap version of the company's Bandit TAs, once everyone arrived at the Year One Experience. It'd be a Pontiac lover's paradise.

We were sold, but since there wasn't time to cobble together our own derelict '79 TA, we had to buy a one-way plane ticket to Texarkana, hoping with any luck to mingle among the Runners, make some friends, and hitchhike our way to Atlanta. Luckily, when we arrived we encountered a friendly bunch who were an eclectic mix of Pontiac and Bandit movie fans from all walks of life, but with one common, unifying desire-to put that hammer down and give it hell with a group of people who share the passion. Will they do it again next year? Who knows, but go to www.motorpia.com/groups/view/id/210/i/bandit_run to lobby for making it an annual deal.

Go to page 3 for a Smokey and the Bandit movie tour and links to some cool promo videos.

To put everyone in the right state of mind, the Runners gathered at the Texarkana Antique Auto Museum to watch Smokey and the Bandit the night before the run. Andrew Ten's '74 SD car in the foreground is a clone of the concept that premiered at the Chicago Auto Show and first bore the black and gold SE colors. He and his sons Paul and Drew drove the entire Bandit Run route in the car.	The Texarkana Antique Auto Museum had this old delivery trailer on hand for an irresistible photo op. We snapped Greg Vassar's recently restored '77 SE, with its fresh set of rear springs that will hopefully settle a bit.	Bandit Runners were greeted by Sheriff Buford T. Justice and Junior (C.C. and Charles Decker Barnette), who insisted upon inspecting every black Trans Am for "Frog" (Sally Field) before it left-though they were kind enough to look away while each Runner was given a can of Coors upon pulling out.
Of course there were plenty of participants living out their Bandit fantasies. Rick Rodriguez of Sarasota, Florida, gave us a ride in his '77 SE with only 68,000 miles on the clock. His car was one of several stockers on the run that reminded us how tight and nice-driving these cars were.	By the second leg of the run we had determined that there is some cosmic connection between TAs and the inability to drive slowly. Out on the open freeways the entire flock stuck together and regularly took the speedos past the 3 o'clock mark.	There's just something about TAs and burnouts. Bubba and Allyson Mize brought their Solar Gold four-speed '78 TA to the stop at the Tupelo Automobile Museum and proceeded to entertain the Runners with a tire-destroying smoke show in an abandoned parking lot - see the video link below to check it out!
Dave hall from RestoreAMusclecar.com. one of the organizers of the Bandit Run, brought along an updated '77 TA that featured silver graphics instead of gold, and also delivered this low-mile original '77 S/E TA to Thomas Parker just outside of Tupelo, MS.	Auto museums are always a great place for a gathering and the Tupelo Automobile Museum welcomed the Bandit Run with a discounted entry to the very eclectic collection. If you're in the area we recommend stopping by.	Once everyone finally made it over to Year One's headquarters in Braselton, GA it had been a while since we'd had tire smoke in our lungs, so Year One set up a burnout pit and offered up a new set of tires for the best roasting. Bill Haley's stock, Mayan Red, 403-powered '79 T/A with 43k original miles took home the honors.