Here’s a video the RideTech crew put together on Velocity, an incredible Camaro project car they built and have raced across the country for a few years. It recently sold at the Barrett Jackson for more than $150,000 and they only transport it with Mac’s Custom Tie-Downs.

When the planning team from the Holley LS Fest first contacted Mac’s about the planned “Engine Swap Challenge”, we were intrigued. The challenge consisted of two four-man teams given identical LS3 engines and asked to compete against each other to see who could swap out their car’s engine first, and replace it with the new engine, all with hand tools. We knew exactly how we could help.

Teams had to supply their own vehicle, fluids, drain pans, hand tools, and everything they would need to pull their old engines. As soon as the original engine was out, they were presented with a brand new LS complete with a Mac’s Pivot Plate and LS adaptor. The Pivot Plate made the install much easier than the “chain and hook method” teams used for removal!

Once the swap was complete, the first team to get the car to the starting line and make a pass down the quarter mile would be determined the winner. The winning team got to keep the brand new engine.

We expected the event to take an hour and a half or more, but the team from The Hot Rod Barn in Williamsburg, Iowa must have been studying their Smokey Yunick rule book. The guys arrived with an Oldsmobile Cutlass fitted with a lift-off front end, with the fenders, grill, core support and nose all tied together. If there’s no rule against it….

Thanks to their clever preparation, and the Mac’s Pivot Plate, the Hot Rod Barn team completed the swap in just 35 minutes, from removal to running and driving. The beauty of the pivot plate is that you can control the engine and transmission with the turn of a ratchet, allowing the engine to glide right in.

The opposing team from Keisler Automotive had a rough time, and just as they were ready to lower the new LS engine in their Camaro, they discovered a crack due to some overzealous fitment hammering. The Hot Rod Barn mechanics simply fired up the Cutlass and were declared the winners.We’d like to congratulate both teams for their hard work. We can’t wait to see how quick next year’s teams will be!

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Click Here to check out the Trail D-Vise as a Featured Product in the June 2010 issue of Peterson’s 4Wheel & Off-Road Magazine.

Click Here to check out the Trail D-Vise as a Gear Guide Featured Product in the 2010 Overland Journal.