98spydert
15+ Year Contributor
- 1,916
- 8
- Jan 16, 2004
-
Phoenix,
Arizona
:::EDIT::: Apparently my story violates Blog rules by including accusations and personal complaints and I've been asked to remove them. I left the story the same and just deleted the personal info to comply. The point of this blog was really more to tell the horror story of how I got this car rather than bash the piece of shit who dicked me over. :::EDIT:::
I doubt anyone will read this but here's the story of how I acquired my newest DSM and the drama that ensued. It's long, real long. Fair warning
Approximately 2 years ago, I made a deal with a guy who I considered a friend. He also seemed knowledgeable in DSMs and owned the local automotive enthusiast forum in Spokane, WA which contained a lot of DSMers. His name is **** ****** and goes by the screen names ******* or ***** on basically every popular DSM forum around. He lives in ****** and owns **********.
The deal I made was to purchase a '95 GSX 5 speed he had sitting at his dad's house for $2,000. It was missing it's engine and a few other things. A part of this deal was that he would install my engine into this rolling chassis as a part of the deal because I was living in a townhouse at the time and working about 100 miles from Spokane. I gave him $500 cash down on the car and began assembling an engine I've always wanted to build. I spent about $4,000 total and handed over a huge box of parts to ****, a complete 4G64 factory short block, a complete '96 head, and enough cash for this thing to be assembled by the shop he recommended.
The problems began here. According to him he handed over my parts and engine to a shop in Spokane right away. It took almost 6 months to get just the assembled short block back. I couldn't get any information from **** on why things were taking so long and couldn't get a hold of the guy he supposedly gave $4,000 of my shit to. Eventually the block was finished but the head still hadn't been touched. **** claimed he got the head and parts back and sent them to another guy in Spokane named something-Castle who was reputable and would finish in good time.
At this time, I lose my job! Sucks, but hey it happens. I hated Spokane and figured that rather than move from my town house back to my house in Spokane and look for a new job, I'd move to a city I love. So I pack up my shit to move to Phoenix and talk to **** about the car situation. The plan I had in mind was to fly from Phoenix up to Spokane when the car is done and drive it back down since I already had to worry about moving 3 other vehicles, my ZX6R, and a Uhaul truck full of my belongings. He says that's great, the car wouldn't be done for a few weeks anyways and that would give me time to move and unpack, then come back to pick up the car.
I should have seen this coming but I thought he was at least a decent guy, if not an actual friend of mine. As soon as I leave town **** starts dodging me. He won't answer his phone or respond to e-mails, PMs, or texts. When I start getting nasty with threats he finally responds and says he has my engine complete and assembled but now there's a problem with the car. He makes up some BS story about how the car was payment for a job he was doing for someone that eventually fell through and the car wasn't his to sell. He suggests I either pick up all my shit and get my $500 deposit back or find another car. Kinda hard to just pick up my shit when it's 1400 miles away. I look around and find an auto '95 GSX that has a spun bearing in Spokane. *** goes to look at it, says it's perfect, and they settle on $1,700. The stupidest thing I could have done at this point was to continue this project with *** but for some reason I sent him another $1,200 to buy the car. He buys it, sends pictures and says he's taking it apart to install my engine and it shouldn't be long.
From the time he bought the car to when I actually got the car, approximately 10 months elapsed. The few times that he would speak to me on the phone, he had excuses like he was waiting on parts or that he needed another part I was missing. I didn't have the money or time to fly to Spokane and kill him. I mean... pick up my belongings... Anyways... eventually he says the car is done and I can come get it. We agree on a date and the night before, he stops answering my phone calls again and vanishes. I can't fly into Spokane not knowing where this guy is or where my car is so I cancel the trip and start making phone calls to some friends back in Spokane. They go to his house, his work, and his parents house and start the mafia routine. I call him out on his website as a thief and informed him that I was coming to town and I didn't care what the progress was. I was getting my stuff back, or else... **** calls back a day later! Amazing! He claims he was out of town and that he's not trying to rip me off. **** also claims to have hired a guy that day to finish the car since he's screwed up this entire project and lied about everything. The car would be done! Period! I didn't want the car finished, I just wanted my car, parts, and money back and told him I was renting a truck and trailer to get my stuff back to Arizona.
The night before my flight I talk to him again to make sure he's not going to skip town again and he says that the guy who finished the car wants more money before releasing the car. I tell him that's illegal in WA and if they need to square up, that's between them and I was going to be there regardless. I tell him that if everythings square I'd give him $200 for whatever reason.
When I get to Spokane, the guy finishing the car is named Trevor and has been blasted all over the internet as a thief, a hack job, and a ####ing joke period. The car looks like shit. The windshield is broke, the tail light is broken, the old short block was thrown into the back of the cargo area without even a piece of plastic. Under the hood looks like a toilet exploded but you could see a very new 4G64 short block and head and the car ran very well for as bad as it looked. But it was missing my EPROM w/ DSMLink, Fluidyne radiator, Prothane engine mounts, AFPR, a Snap On valve tool, and some other random stuff and he didn't have the title on him.
**** asks for the $200 (big suprise) and I tell him no because the car is a disaster and I'm missing over $1,000 in parts. He gets pissed and says the parts are at his garage in GarageTown and to follow him over there. He jumps in his truck and flys out of the neighborhood before I can follow him. He won't answer his phone and sends me a childish text saying my shit will be outside when I figure out where the garage is. I call some friends and find out where it is and meet him there before he can bail. He gives me my AFPR and Fluidyne and says that's it. He doesn't know where the rest of the stuff is and doesn't care. He tells me to get out of his garage so he can lock it up and to give him his EPROM ECU and battery that are in my car.
At this point I contemplate pulling the .40 Glock 23 out of my waste band and shooting him in the face, burning the garage down with 4 cars in it and his truck, and driving back to Phoenix in my POS DSM. But I was just beginning a law enforcement career and figured 25 - life wouldn't help my career get off the ground. Instead I sat down in his garage and called the sheriff's department. I told the dispatcher the story and requested an officer for assistance. I know **** kept a gun in his dad's truck and notified the dispatcher of it. **** instantly began to sweat. 3 minutes after I hung up the phone, ****says F it and gives me the title to the car and starts digging through his garage for the rest of my shit. I called the dispatcher back and canceled the call for service.
I really lucked out with that move. It was really a BS move because I had no proof of anything and he had the title in his possession and my name wasn't on it. If a deputy had arrived on scene, I probably would have been worse off than when I began. The fact that he choked and gave up the title was my only good luck in the entire deal.
**** claimed the prothane mounts, Snap on tool, my EPROM and copy of DSMLink, and the left over parts from my OEM overhaul kit were at his dad's house and he would mail them to me the next day and he would square up completely. I tell him I'd send him the $200 and his EPROM ECU from the car if I get all my stuff back. Fat chance, but whatever. At least I got the title.
I'm stuck with a POS DSM that probably isn't road worthy and no where to go now. I have work in two days and can't miss that. WTF? I think out of pure exhaustion I said F it and just hit the road in. I drove to my parents house 350 miles away and didn't have a single problem. The next day I changed the oil and drove the last 1100 miles and made it all the way to Phoenix without a single issue. Another spur of luck in this cluster #### of a deal...
I doubt anyone will read this but here's the story of how I acquired my newest DSM and the drama that ensued. It's long, real long. Fair warning
Approximately 2 years ago, I made a deal with a guy who I considered a friend. He also seemed knowledgeable in DSMs and owned the local automotive enthusiast forum in Spokane, WA which contained a lot of DSMers. His name is **** ****** and goes by the screen names ******* or ***** on basically every popular DSM forum around. He lives in ****** and owns **********.
The deal I made was to purchase a '95 GSX 5 speed he had sitting at his dad's house for $2,000. It was missing it's engine and a few other things. A part of this deal was that he would install my engine into this rolling chassis as a part of the deal because I was living in a townhouse at the time and working about 100 miles from Spokane. I gave him $500 cash down on the car and began assembling an engine I've always wanted to build. I spent about $4,000 total and handed over a huge box of parts to ****, a complete 4G64 factory short block, a complete '96 head, and enough cash for this thing to be assembled by the shop he recommended.
The problems began here. According to him he handed over my parts and engine to a shop in Spokane right away. It took almost 6 months to get just the assembled short block back. I couldn't get any information from **** on why things were taking so long and couldn't get a hold of the guy he supposedly gave $4,000 of my shit to. Eventually the block was finished but the head still hadn't been touched. **** claimed he got the head and parts back and sent them to another guy in Spokane named something-Castle who was reputable and would finish in good time.
At this time, I lose my job! Sucks, but hey it happens. I hated Spokane and figured that rather than move from my town house back to my house in Spokane and look for a new job, I'd move to a city I love. So I pack up my shit to move to Phoenix and talk to **** about the car situation. The plan I had in mind was to fly from Phoenix up to Spokane when the car is done and drive it back down since I already had to worry about moving 3 other vehicles, my ZX6R, and a Uhaul truck full of my belongings. He says that's great, the car wouldn't be done for a few weeks anyways and that would give me time to move and unpack, then come back to pick up the car.
I should have seen this coming but I thought he was at least a decent guy, if not an actual friend of mine. As soon as I leave town **** starts dodging me. He won't answer his phone or respond to e-mails, PMs, or texts. When I start getting nasty with threats he finally responds and says he has my engine complete and assembled but now there's a problem with the car. He makes up some BS story about how the car was payment for a job he was doing for someone that eventually fell through and the car wasn't his to sell. He suggests I either pick up all my shit and get my $500 deposit back or find another car. Kinda hard to just pick up my shit when it's 1400 miles away. I look around and find an auto '95 GSX that has a spun bearing in Spokane. *** goes to look at it, says it's perfect, and they settle on $1,700. The stupidest thing I could have done at this point was to continue this project with *** but for some reason I sent him another $1,200 to buy the car. He buys it, sends pictures and says he's taking it apart to install my engine and it shouldn't be long.
From the time he bought the car to when I actually got the car, approximately 10 months elapsed. The few times that he would speak to me on the phone, he had excuses like he was waiting on parts or that he needed another part I was missing. I didn't have the money or time to fly to Spokane and kill him. I mean... pick up my belongings... Anyways... eventually he says the car is done and I can come get it. We agree on a date and the night before, he stops answering my phone calls again and vanishes. I can't fly into Spokane not knowing where this guy is or where my car is so I cancel the trip and start making phone calls to some friends back in Spokane. They go to his house, his work, and his parents house and start the mafia routine. I call him out on his website as a thief and informed him that I was coming to town and I didn't care what the progress was. I was getting my stuff back, or else... **** calls back a day later! Amazing! He claims he was out of town and that he's not trying to rip me off. **** also claims to have hired a guy that day to finish the car since he's screwed up this entire project and lied about everything. The car would be done! Period! I didn't want the car finished, I just wanted my car, parts, and money back and told him I was renting a truck and trailer to get my stuff back to Arizona.
The night before my flight I talk to him again to make sure he's not going to skip town again and he says that the guy who finished the car wants more money before releasing the car. I tell him that's illegal in WA and if they need to square up, that's between them and I was going to be there regardless. I tell him that if everythings square I'd give him $200 for whatever reason.
When I get to Spokane, the guy finishing the car is named Trevor and has been blasted all over the internet as a thief, a hack job, and a ####ing joke period. The car looks like shit. The windshield is broke, the tail light is broken, the old short block was thrown into the back of the cargo area without even a piece of plastic. Under the hood looks like a toilet exploded but you could see a very new 4G64 short block and head and the car ran very well for as bad as it looked. But it was missing my EPROM w/ DSMLink, Fluidyne radiator, Prothane engine mounts, AFPR, a Snap On valve tool, and some other random stuff and he didn't have the title on him.
**** asks for the $200 (big suprise) and I tell him no because the car is a disaster and I'm missing over $1,000 in parts. He gets pissed and says the parts are at his garage in GarageTown and to follow him over there. He jumps in his truck and flys out of the neighborhood before I can follow him. He won't answer his phone and sends me a childish text saying my shit will be outside when I figure out where the garage is. I call some friends and find out where it is and meet him there before he can bail. He gives me my AFPR and Fluidyne and says that's it. He doesn't know where the rest of the stuff is and doesn't care. He tells me to get out of his garage so he can lock it up and to give him his EPROM ECU and battery that are in my car.
At this point I contemplate pulling the .40 Glock 23 out of my waste band and shooting him in the face, burning the garage down with 4 cars in it and his truck, and driving back to Phoenix in my POS DSM. But I was just beginning a law enforcement career and figured 25 - life wouldn't help my career get off the ground.
Instead I sat down in his garage and called the sheriff's department. I told the dispatcher the story and requested an officer for assistance. I know **** kept a gun in his dad's truck and notified the dispatcher of it. **** instantly began to sweat. 3 minutes after I hung up the phone, ****says F it and gives me the title to the car and starts digging through his garage for the rest of my shit. I called the dispatcher back and canceled the call for service.I really lucked out with that move. It was really a BS move because I had no proof of anything and he had the title in his possession and my name wasn't on it. If a deputy had arrived on scene, I probably would have been worse off than when I began. The fact that he choked and gave up the title was my only good luck in the entire deal.
**** claimed the prothane mounts, Snap on tool, my EPROM and copy of DSMLink, and the left over parts from my OEM overhaul kit were at his dad's house and he would mail them to me the next day and he would square up completely. I tell him I'd send him the $200 and his EPROM ECU from the car if I get all my stuff back. Fat chance, but whatever. At least I got the title.
I'm stuck with a POS DSM that probably isn't road worthy and no where to go now. I have work in two days and can't miss that. WTF? I think out of pure exhaustion I said F it and just hit the road in. I drove to my parents house 350 miles away and didn't have a single problem. The next day I changed the oil and drove the last 1100 miles and made it all the way to Phoenix without a single issue. Another spur of luck in this cluster #### of a deal...
