Bucket List Dream:

Racing is the fastest way to turn money into noise is an old saying, which is why having tons of fun on a budget is the sensible thing to strive for.

What started out as a 1985 Pontiac Fiero was modified two decades ago by the late Larry Monreal of "Larry's Old Volks Home" fame.

One of the true LSR pioneers, Larry, a fireman and proprietor of a VW junkyard in San Bernardino, Calif., had raced at Bonneville and El Mirage since the late 1950s and set dozens of speed records with his signal green VW Karmann Ghia, dubbed "The Worlds' Fastest Volkswagen." Incidentally, we were privileged to campaign and restore that iconic race car, about a dozen years ago.

After Larry's passing, the Fiero -- now bright yellow -- went to Dick Martin, another well-known SoCal hotrodder, who spent another decade having fun in the F/GT class, campaigning it as the "Salty Dick's" entry, before hanging up his driving gloves and race helmet for health-related reasons in 2016.

The car was subsequently acquired by another LSR team, the Kraut Bros., with the expressed goal of putting their crew chief, "World Famous" Helmut Haupt, into the driver's seat to -- hopefully -- gain his competition license.

Since the racer had just received a brand new Poncho "Super Duty" bullet, courtesy of Bill Stroppe, and a completely new, rule-book compliant roll cage, just a few weeks of work were needed to make sure it would pass the very stringent Southern California Timing Association inspection. Work performed included installing new batteries, a vacuum pump, repair all gauges, fit a brand new set of 5-point DJ's safety belts, update the fire suppression system and have the the dual fire bottles re-certified. A full set of MOON discs was purchased and installed.

All these documents are included with the sale, of course.

At the last S.C.T.A. dry lakes meet of the season, in November 2017, the car was presented to the prying eyes of the chief car inspector, passed the scrutineering with muster, and was issued a new S.C.T.A. log book. It is now ready for the 2019 El Mirage and Bonneville land speed racing season and also competiton ready for the various 1-to-2-mile pavement LSR events (for example, Texas Mile or ECTA) around the country as well. It's an ideal candidate for someone who wants to gain -- inexpensive -- entry into the exclusive circle of Land Speed racing enthusiasts!

So, you say you're 6'2" and weigh 300lbs? No problem! While the interior may seem cozy, even a heavier, large driver will be able to fit and get in and out of the car with ease.

Racing seat is actually very comfy. Helmut expertly upholstered it with a full hide of exotic reptile skin.

Steering wheel is removable for ease of entry/exit.

All controls and gauges are functional, neatly installed and clearly marked.

Fire system and battery boxes occupy the passenger area. Everything looks neat and clean.

Wiring harness and fuse boxes are professionally installed, with reliabilty in mind.

The Kraut Bros. are members of the S.C.T.A.-affiliated "Gear Grinders" racing club. One needs to be a member in good standing to be able to compete for championship points on the Dry Lake.

According to Salty Dick, he spent $10,000 on this fresh Super Duty mill. The engine features the rare Pontiac Performance Divison alloy cylinder head, very high compression and a set of two dual-throat Weber 48IDA side draft carburettors. All this fury is funnelled through a 5-speed manual trans. Output on the dyno exceeded 300 lively ponies, enough to turn the little Fiero into a serious contender for dry lakes and salt flats glory.

The current, 24-year-old record in the 3-liter F/Grand Touring class at ElMo is 158.950mph, at Bonneville it's 190.759mph, held by an ancient Mercedes Benz 300SL. Dick guesstimates that both records would be fair game for the furious Fiero.

Undercarriage features a smooth belly pan to aid air flow. Beneath the pan, the included lead ingots can safely be mounted to aid with traction and stability.