Any guesses why it left me stranded?

victorofhavoc

Honestly as long as the replacement engine and trans (they're cheaper as a set) run fine, then the swap is very straight forward for any competent mechanic. Look up race shops in your areas and ones sponsored by clubs like NASA, PCA, BMWCCA, etc are usually the better bet on who to contact.

I'm nowhere near you, but my local shop is Porsche specific and I've seen my mechanic drop a newer 911 engine in the morning and be done with it back in by 2pm, including replacing coilovers on one of my cars in the meantime. He's an IMSA crew chief too, and I found him through NASA.

__________________
Had a 2010 WRX- boy was it quick in a straight line, got a 2014 Z- man is she grippy in the corners-- then left the Z and later got a GTI, now back in an 09 racecar Z!