Alberto Keel talks about the history of the Vari-Lift rocker system
Hello and welcome to my website.
I’d like to briefly introduce myself: My name is Alberto Keel. I was born on April 2, 1968, in Chur, a small town in Switzerland. I grew up there and completed an apprenticeship as a mechanic. After graduating, I moved to Grabs for professional reasons, where I lived for 28 years and worked in various areas of mechanical engineering.
A milestone in my life was the invention of a variable valve control system for the traditional American V8 engine, which I had protected by U.S. Patent No. 7171930 in 2002.
Since the invention was ignored by the American automotive industry and also the aftermarket industry, I decided to develop it myself to market readiness. This led to the creation of the Vari-Lift rocker arm system, a unique bolt-on retrofit kit that I initially adapted for Edelbrock cylinder heads on Pontiac engines, but which I intended to gradually adapt to other engine types as well. My goal was to give the American V8 engine variable valve timing comparable to Honda’s VTEC system.
Although the Vari-Lift rocker arm system was an incredibly fascinating product, I wasn’t able to sell a single set of rocker arms. The advantages of the switchable valve lift and its impact on valve timing were often misunderstood or questioned. There was a lack of trust in the product, and the retail price of $2,200 for a set of rocker arms acted as a deterrent. Perhaps it all just sounded too far-fetched.
It all came to an end in 2007. Depleted funds, the lack of success, and the lack of motivation to continue led me to take my invention off the market. In November 2007, I gave up my self-employment and took a job as a plant technician again.
I had to learn to accept that I couldn’t make my invention the success I’d hoped for. The U.S., the land of the V8 engine, was either unwilling or unable to get excited about my invention.
But the Vari-Lift rocker arm system was ingenious, and I still believe that to this day. My initial frustration over the fact that this product couldn’t be marketed, turned into a deep realization that, precisely because of that, one day I would be the only person in the world driving around with this invention. Suddenly, I could laugh again and say, “If the Americans don’t want my invention, then they’re the ones who’ve missed out—not me.”
Driven by this thought, I began my new project: my own Pontiac, equipped with my own invention.
The purchase of this Pontiac LeMans Sport Convertible in July 2008 marked the start of the project. The vehicle was completely disassembled, meticulously and lovingly restored, and then fitted with the 407 cui Vari-Lift prototype engine. Over a period of two and a half years, this beautiful, one-of-a-kind gem was created.
The Vari-Lift rocker arm system had always operated unnoticed in this vehicle. The Department of Motor Vehicles did not detect the system during the vehicle’s initial inspection in 2010. The system also went undetected during subsequent periodic inspections in 2012 and 2014. This allowed me, over time, to test the variable valve timing on the road in various combinations, with different camshafts, compression ratios, and performance upgrades. Each time, a little more and a little more extreme. Over the first six years, the Vari-Lift rocker arm system proved its performance potential in a high-performance engine that, on the one hand, could be driven completely unobtrusively on the road, but at 3,500 RPM transformed into a beast that could rev up to 7,500 RPM with ease.
Looking back, it was no surprise that I was shut down by the Department of Motor Vehicles in 2016. Due to suspicions of excessive engine power, the Department of Motor Vehicles revoked the vehicle’s operating permit. Fortunately, however, the rocker arm system remained undetected even back then.
After I reinstalled the original engine in 2017 and was able to re-register the vehicle—this time even with classic car status—I decided to reinstall the Vari-Lift rocker arm system. This time, however, I didn’t tune it for high performance, but rather to optimize fuel economy and improve power delivery and drivability, especially at low RPMs. <break time="0.5s" />
I adapted the rocker arm system—which was originally designed for Edelbrock cylinder heads—to the original cylinder heads of the original matching-numbers Pontiac engine.
Today, the Vari-Lift rocker arm system proves its effectiveness in the original engine—and especially in the operating conditions where the vehicle is driven 98% of the time. Should the engine nevertheless exceed 3,000 RPM, the rocker arm ratio switches from 1.18 to 1.67. The engine then operates at full valve lift and can thus deliver maximum power unhindered.
And last but not least, the icing on the cake: Average fuel consumption has been reduced by 15 to 20%. That’s why I still wonder today how General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler could have ignored this invention.
All good things must come to an end. For me, the time has now come to finally bring this incredible project to a close. The vehicle offered for sale here—and the invention hidden within it—can be viewed as an overlooked and little-known chapter in automotive history. I believe this unique story should not be withheld from the public. I would be very happy to find a suitable, technically savvy, and worthy owner for this unique vehicle. The new owner should preserve this beautiful vehicle and cherish, maintain, enjoy, and experience the invention hidden within it with the same joy that I did.
Thank you very much for your interest, and I hope you continue to enjoy this website.