Hot Rod Magazine’s penchant for taking the almighty sawzall might have earned ire with the Caddy-Hack and Ponti-Hack stories from 1987 and 1997, but the one that really got people wound up was Vette-Hack. The 1985 Chevrolet Corvette had been used, abused, flooded and left for dead when the destructive dream team of Freiburger, Finnegan (in his first starring role at the magazine) and our own Chad Reynolds went to town ripping the Corvette apart. Then it sat, and sat, and finally, like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, we saw it next as the glorious VetteKart. Since then, there have been stories of people duplicating that build, and good for them. But to see it done to a Fiero…well, that is certainly unexpected.

Which is not to say bad. Shedding weight off of the 2,500 lb. sports car is already a decent start but getting rid of nearly every body panel and saving only the door beam seems extreme. The 2.8L V6 is still sitting mid-ship, ready to play. At least with the open body, there shouldn’t be any worry about an engine fire.

The only disappointment is the automatic transmission, but that’s minor. Think of it as a low-slung Jeep, or any kind of dune buggy. It certainly would get attention, and other than aesthetic changes for individual tastes, we don’t see much to improve on. Sand dunes, here we come!