Patrick Motorsports "Big Laguna", My new big 6! Options

[eric9144]

So a couple weeks back a car came up on the Samba and was linked over here in the classifieds. Whole thing looked really fishy, ad was a single picture that was lifted from the Patrick Motorsports site, the wording was broken and the seller had only signed up to the Samba the day of the listing (thread here)
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=343405



Patrick Motorsports build link:
https://patrickmotorsports.com/blogs/news/9...-915-big-laguna

I'd been looking for the right car for quite a while and finding that there are a lot of scammers out on the internet, but I figured I'd try and contact the seller anyway because, hey, you never know. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

Sent off an email, days go by, maybe even a week, no reply, definitely seems like a scam. Started chalking it up to "when things are too good to be true..."
Finally, I get an email from the seller, brief, didn't really say much, didn't try to answer questions from my initial email or anything, seemed like an odd generic response but hey at least there's a response, still seems like a scam. Still figuring I'd try to at least have fun with the scammer, I asked about the history etc on the car and why they'd be selling as surely this was a very special car to someone at one point. A few more days go by...now I"ve mentally moved on, it's fake.

Five days after the 1st email and nearly two week in, I get a big long response from the seller, wow, this might be real. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) The original owner and guy who had the car commissioned to be built by Patrick Motorsports, had passed away about 5-6yrs ago and this is his brother, whom he left the car to. I get a dialog going with him via email and try to pin down a viewing of the car. I'm in San Diego so if it's in Victorville CA, I'm all in (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif) After two weeks I finally get him to agree to let me see the car on a Saturday morning. Still thinking it could be a big fake or bait and switch, at this point I'm out of my mind that it could also be the real deal and holy crap the guy finally sent me an address and phone number Thursday night before the Saturday viewing (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

I got a buddy to agree to ride shotgun in my daily driver so we could drive up to VIctorville to see this thing, we're both still 50/50 on whether or not we're going to get clubbed over the heads when we get there by someone who thinks we're carrying cash or something. Oh great, forcast is RAIN after a solid week of sunny soCal weather, rain, you've got to be kidding me.

We get to the house meet the guy and he leads us into the garage (IMG:style_emoticons/default/w00t.gif)

There it is, just like on the Patrick Motorsports website, holy crap it's REAL (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

I'm a little, well, a LOT awestruck now, he pops the front and rear hoods and opens it up, OH YEAH, its the Big Laguna car, holy cow! I take a peek outside, weather is still holding, at this point I just want to hear it run because I have already made up my mind (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) Can't believe it's real, peek into the engine bay, whoa! twin plug 993 motor, underneath the car, it's clean enough to eat off of, see the ceramic coated big headers and the stainless exhaust boxed trailing arms, 10/10ths, everything.

He grabs the keys and I ask him to drive me around the neighborhood, it runs like a Swiss watch, everything is as it should be. He lets me drive, I can't believe it still.

He had all the paperwork, build docs and the history of the car, we made a deal and went to the bank, it was a bit overcast but the weather seemed to be holding out, I'm operating in a temporary state of shock, holy crap this car is about to be mine (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)

We come back to the house, load up some spares, weather is holding out, it took us just over 2 hours to get up there, lets hope it's an easy trip back, first off, gas! Its getting darker outside, clouds are getting pretty thick...deal is done and now it's just the ride home I have to get through, oh yeah, the car has no seat belts in it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon8.gif)

Fill up and hit the freeway, trying hard to learn the car as I go. We get down Cajon pass and the rain starts. Not terrible rain, just the kind that makes the roads super slick and here I am driving a big 6 I've never driven before...the roads were a total mess. The wipers worked but the blade on the drivers side was crap so my visibility sucked. Stop and go traffic through Riverside county, accidents all the way, dumping rain through the next hour of driving as I tailed my buddy in my SUV, it took us 3 1/2 hours to get back...with no seat belts

[eric9144]

Here are some of the pictures so far, I"m still going through things but this is the 1st picture I took when we arrived after the drive back

[eric9144]

The car is crazy, they did everything, Chassis stiffening, boxed arms, roll cage, bracing between the suspension pick ups, the level and quality of work are pretty impressive:

[eric9144]

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PMS data plate:

[Craigers17]

Absolutely awesome 914! Congrats!

[eric9144]

I've started to check the little detail things that need to be sorted, like the left and right wipers were on backwards, there's a couple of small rubber trim items that could be swapped out and it needs lighting upgrades for sure.

And OH YEAH, it needs freaking seat belts in it!! I ordered harnesses the Monday after getting the car and put them in yesterday, there were literally never belts in the car as I had to make the holes in the carpet to get the bolts in:

[eric9144]

Harnesses in, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/first.gif)

[eric9144]

I keep finding details on it that are just mind blowing. 993 Twin turbo brakes and rotors, 7 and 9x16 turbo wheels, the 993 3.8 RS spec motor and WEVO 915 are amazing and seamless, Recaro Pole Position seats with custom brackets that leverage the factory seat rails, it just goes on and on (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[R1200rider]

Harnesses in, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/first.gif)

Outstanding. Great story, nice car. I’m about to embark on a similar journey to Wisconsin, very exciting.

[pete000]

Wow a story for VINwiki for sure !

I remember this car very well, but last time I saw it was at the VW Classic when it was last held down in Irvine. Sad the orig owner passed.

[eric9144]

After getting the harnesses done yesterday including subs, I figured I'd re-embrace the original owners concourse weenie ways and give her a good washing. It was clear by the lack of ever having seatbelts that the former owner was just jumping from from PCA white glove concourse to the next

[eric9144]

Wow a story for VINwiki for sure !

I remember this car very well, but last time I saw it was at the VW Classic when it was last held down in Irvine. Sad the orig owner passed.

It was an adventure for sure! Sad the original owner passed but I definitely feel that he'd be happy it ended up in the hands of a 914 die hard (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif)

[eric9144]

The seller gave me two binders of stuff with the car one of which was a Patrick Motorsports binder full of receipts. I added up the big 4 that were easy to pick out and just those totaled out to ~$143k

[eric9144]

Another of the new belts:

[Maltese Falcon]

Totally great hunting on your part and a worthy catch ! Patrick's open-checkbook builds are amazing. Enjoy the G forces ¡!
Marty

[mepstein]

It’s a lot of car for sure. I drove an 911T with a 964 engine and that car was a beast. Yours must be a whole ‘nother level of fast. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)