Towing?

Can the Reatta safely be used to tow anything?

Soitainly,just not much.

I would certainly recommend a tranny cooler before doing any towing. The 440T-4 isn't the strongest tranny in the world.

Speaking of which - does the (88-93) Riviera tranny cooler and bracketry "bolt in" to the Reatta? It looks like there are a couple of holes drilled for the purpose. Same question on the hoses. Are the bends and lengths the same?

Just wondering if it would be worthwhile to pull the setp from a Pick N Pull. The PNP pricing, with hoses, is around $35. Not that much less than getting a new kit. But I do like things to look "like they came from the factory that way". So getting Riv parts, if compatible, has its own appeal.

I tow a utility trailer with my coupe now and then, however never long distance. Would like to know it the Rivi stuff would work as well ????

Would be a worthy tutorial....

I'd say a stock reatta is good to about 1-2k pounds, just take at easy on the shifts since 4T60's don't like a lot of stress lol, this was my project before it was completed with my test tows, if a miata can pull 1k pounds okay, then a reatta sure can. Just remember, Americanized tow ratings are bit over protective (my encouragement throughout my miata trailer project)

Towing a Reatta? No problem.

the hard part is finding a hitch.i went to the trailer hitch store.they checked all thier catalogs including uhaul and told me i would have to have a hitch made.

Towing a Reatta? No problem.

The front of your truck seems to be a little high, perhaps some air shocks in the rear?

No, that is my wife's truck pulling a U-haul trailer. Problem is that the car is too far forward on the trailer and the way they have it set up it has to go there to be tied down. I only had about 80 miles to go.

Might mention that the stock LN3/440T4 powertrain was also used in the 6300 lb Vixen SE (class A motorhome) and I have not heard of an abby-normal level of trans replacement & many have over 100K miles.

My '92 TranSport (also 3800/4T60) is rated to tow 3,000 lbs but it has a full frame.

The issue is more of what to attach it to. Would a Riviera hitch work ?

BTW most GM vehicles of the time included auto levelling (air lift shocks) with the trailer packages. The Reatta never had one. Will observe that the short wheelbase should make backing easy.

So towing another vehicle is out of the question. Got it.

Just pulled a Fiero convertible from myrtle beach to dc over the weekend with a toyota tacoma 4 cyl. No fun.

Those Fiero convertibles are pretty hard to come by aren't they?

One of none 8*). There were some conversions done but they required a new subframe. I'd rather have an 87 T-top GT with a 5 speed (but will settle for my 86 GT 4spd sunroof)

Of course I do not have any 4cyl vehicles so is not an issue. I do have a 460 lb camping trailer (MGR's 2nd bedroom and trunk). 3800 TranSport tows very well.

padgett is correct. After having my 85 v6 4sp notchie and my 87 v6 5sp fastback, I found this properly converted 84 for a price I could just not pass up. turning it into a proper roadster and will be putting in either a 3800 sc or a n* 4.9

BTW there was at least one Fiero convertibled for the factory by ASC (recall seeing it alongside the Trans Am "estate" with the Kamm back.)

And no reason the Reatta could not tow another car, just depends on the car (Honda S-600 for example).

While on the subject, what is a Reatta convertible (seem to be getting infested with them) ? Strictly speaking it could be called a Roadster since it does not have roll-up windows (quibble). Jaquar 150s were "drop heads" if the top was exposed when folded and "roadsters" if the top was under a tonneau.

My first car was a white Jag XK-150S roadster, maybe that is one reason I was drawn to the white Reatta. It had 6.00x16 Dunlop RS5s. Could be why I am compelled to put 16s on all Reattas (have a new set of 225x60x16 Michelins but need a set of wheels to put them on, have many just not four of any one kind).

A member here by the name of Estaver bought a Reatta with a "homemade" but well engineered hitch. He had someone make a diagram of it. He emailed me a diagram and I had one made by my high school classmates that were taking welding. It bolts in 3 spots...to the bottom of the trunk beside the spare tire well and to the rear suspension. I've towed a utility trailer with two quads on it before which is the most I've done with it, and not for much distance. I added a big transmission cooler and was running Mobil 1 ATF. I pulled a utility trailer with a small John Deere front mower and my Amphicat 6x6 though before. Always seemed stable and not too much rear suspension sag.

Due to the short wheelbase and the hitch not mounting to a "frame", plus the somewhat weak E body structure, I wouldn't like tow another car or anything more than maybe 1500 pounds at the most. If Teves decided to fail...

FWIW, a few days ago I asked:

... Speaking of which - does the (88-93) Riviera tranny cooler and bracketry "bolt in" to the Reatta?

I went to a local PNP and pulled the tranny cooler brackets from a Riv. (They didn't charge me for them. Guess it was because I bought some other things too.)

On the Riv, there are two brackets holding the cooler. One has a right angle on it and fits just below the hood latch. It sits between the PS cooler and the radiator, and is attached to the car body with two bolts. On the Reatta, the lower bolt hole is there, but the upper hole is not drilled. Looks like there is a raised boss for it, just not drilled. The holes on the side that attaches to the car are 235 mm apart, and the cooler holes are 140 mm apart.

The other bracket is a simple strip of metal, 1"x8", with a hole on either end - 185 mm apart. On the Riv, the bracket attaches just under the headlight bucket. On the Reatta, there is a hole that might be for the purpose - but a thick piece of plastic runs between there and where the cooler would mount.

Interestingly, there was a '92 Seville with the same cooler on it. It was only attached with one bolt - on its upper left corner. A big block of rubber held it in place along the bottom edge to stabilize it.