[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

I'm of course sorry for your troubles too, but you bought something not even over the phone, you bought it over the computer, forgodsakes. I deal for all my big-ticket purchases with a highly regarded Porsche high-performance guy who lives 2,500 miles away from me. All the way across the country. Have I been to his shop? Hell yes. I've been to his house, even. I know him, I trust him, I like him. Somebody could offer me a rebuilt 930 engine for $500, and if it didn't come through Steve Weiner, I ain't touching it.

And why on earth would you imagine that the person's presence on Pelican gives him any repute? There are 14-year-olds on this forum, I suspect, whose signatures are bigswinginturbo and rsrman, or whatever. Their only connection with a Porsche is through their Gameboy. There are people here who have owned their first 911 for two weeks and are dispensing authoritative maintenance advice. There are peoiple who think I'm some kind of Porsche authority, and little do they actually know who I am or what I know. (I try to be careful with whatever I post, but you never know...)

I've never heard of this guy, which means nothing. He's some poor schlub in Germany who meant well and took your money, sent you a motor some guy _he_ trusted had rebuilt, and paid his mortgage and bought some groceries with his $1,000 profit. Maybe he bought it from Motormesiter. It's not like he has a warehouse full of engines and is riffling through his wad of deutschmarks. He's stuck too.

And I think so are you. Fix it. Shouldn't be that hard, it's just an engine.

Stephan