Seven-minute 800-HP LS2 Build Is Poetry in Motion

By Daud Gonzalez - February 28, 2020

LS2 gets prepped with some wicked internals for Pro-Am competition drifting.

If we could rule the world, we’d place a high-powered LS vehicle in every family’s driveway. Yes, it is obviously a pipe dream. We know. So for now, we will live vicariously through Josh Mason, a Pro-Am drifter participating in the The Drift League series as he does a wildly-beautiful LS2 build. This video from his YouTube channel is a short cinematic that outlines the time it took for him to build his competition LS2 for his 2010 Ford Mustang.

According to this description of the video, this is the second engine that he has ever built. The first was a turbo 5.3-liter LS-based motor, which ended up making a healthy 650 HP. However, this time Mason has decided it’s time to go big or go home. For this one he has followed the motto “no replacement for displacement” and started with an LS2 powerplant. Thanks to his YouTube channel, we get to see this bad-ass small-block V8 come to life.

For those wondering, Mason is man of many skills. He not only drives competitively but builds and fabricates “100 percent of the vehicles he competes with,” too. His reputation as builder began with his 1968 Chevy Camaro restoration project. Mason wanted to build a clean classic muscle car that stood out. Thus, he built an all-in-one show, track and drift car.

While the Camaro’s chassis was undoubtedly fun, Mason sought to improve his skill set. Thus, he began the build of this 2010 Mustang. With the Mustang, Mason earned his Formula Drift Pro2 license and he finished his first year of actual competition.

This video features the LS2 that powered his Mustang all throughout the Pro-Am season. As you’ll see in the process, he cut no corners, and as with most engine builds, Mason begins with the bottom end. He puts the pistons in place after lubricating them, where they then settle in the engine block. After manually turning the crank to make sure everything looks smooth, he places the camshaft into the block. Finally, he puts the timing kit on.

Now, Mason flips the engine upside down to install the crank girdle. He stacks a baffled oiling system on top, subsequently placing the oil pan on the engine thereafter. Afterwords, he puts some accessories on the timing side of the engine. The engine is just getting to about the point where the head gaskets can be placed along with the heads. With the valvetrain already installed and waiting to be torqued to spec, this engine is starting to come to life. With the head studs installed, Mason finally puts on the beautiful gold aluminum roller rocker arms. Definitely one of the prettiest pieces on this LS.

However, we can’t just forget about those polished aluminum valve covers that match so well. At this point, this is where we start to go big. The cast intake plenum is connected to the intake ports and the Holley Hi-Ram EFI intake manifold is complete! If you would like to see what this engine sounds like check out Mason’s Instagram for more content.