For those who don’t have a shop lift like myself, I’ve seen Fieros atop stacked cinder blocks or by similar means, or engines being pulled or dropped from the topside. My take on making this particular marriage of car and engine come apart was easy once I found something to latch onto: the back bumper. The rear bumper skin comes off in 10 minutes using body panel plug pullers, a pair of pliers and a screwdriver. Beneath the skin and tail lights is a structural bumper capable of lifting the car.

I extended the engine hoist boom to 1 TON, lowered it close to the bumper and secured it with a chain. With little effort, I could lift the back of the car to the ceiling if I needed to. The mechanicals were rolled under the car using a shipping palette on casters. Positioning and connections were made by nudging the car a little if needed and/or using leverage on the 800 lb. Ingoing assembly with a solid steel pole wedged under the palette.

Overall, unconventional and more than a little sketchy, but it worked! Stay tuned for updates.

-by Mike Garrett

This vehicle is one of two GM built concept vehicles. The Piranha features an L850 2.2 Liter supercharged L4 engine that cranks out 212hp and 204lb/ft of torque. The supercharger is a polished GM Performance belt drive unit used for high performance and low maintenance. A 4-speed automatic transmission was used with a steering wheel mounted Tiptonic system. All four corners have independent suspension.

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