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MINT condition parts! 246 miles on this car.


Guest doefin

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Guest doefin

I have a 1990 Reatta convertable. It is white with maroon interior. I can't sell the car whole because it cannot be titled (donation from GM in the early 90's). It has 246 miles on it. No typo, 246! It has been stored inside almost it's entire life. This car is in mint condition and it is a shame to part it out. If anyone is interested in any piece of this car, email me and we can work something out.

I am in northern Illinois. I can ship smaller pieces, but prefer pickup for the larger ones. I can send pictures if need be. scott@driveabilityguys.com

Please send any questions to my email because I don't normally visit this forum.

Later!

Edited by Rawja (see edit history)
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If the car has a vin, it could be titled in a new owners name. Most states have whats called a mechanics lien.

I've done this many times when I get a car with no title, and the origional owner can't be found (auction of a 'parts car').

A form is obtained from the DMV, filled out, and the car is transported (not driven) to a state police facility where they check for stolen cars. If ok, they sign off on it and a title and registration can be issued.

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Guest mongeonman

just buy a very cheap reatta for parts that is still registered and use this title,d ont forget to change the serial number in the windsheild,its better than parting it out,thats is what a lot of us do,its just a car its not murder.

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Guest Richard D

PLEASE DO NOT MURDER THIS CAR! There are plenty of 1990 parts cars but yours is the lowest mileage and I assume it is together. There are ways to legaly title it. First check for a VIN.

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Are several southern states that I understand will title a car just with a BOS. Florida is not one and has become downright militant about clean and proper titles.

Have mixed emotions. Legally the car does not exist. Have heard of people having the same problem with cars from the GM collection that appear at auction. Have also heard of them being on the street.

Do suspect that if it has a VIN, there is a way.

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Agree with the above sentiments. Even if GM stipulated that it could not be sold, who cares. The GM (General Motors Corporation) that said that doesn't exist as a corporate entity anymore, their shares and corporate charter have been invalidated. The current GM (post gov't takeover) is General Motors Company, so I say the stipulation should be invalidated as the restriction came from a source that no longer has any means to enforce it.

Besides, unless it has no VIN, or some strange prototype/partial VIN, there are ways to title it, as has been stated above. If nothing else, buy a $600 1990 beater, switch the VINS out and dump the beater. Yes this is fraud - and so what? The car is not a wreck or salvage situation [presumably], so it is not a lemon being passed of with a clean VIN. Of course, if there is some underlying problem with the car that changes the situation, but I am assuming it is a normal complete production vehicle.

This is a situation where some "massaging of the system" is not out of line IMO. Please try to keep this car complete. Or, sell it complete for "parts" with a wink and a nod. I have to imagine that there would be any number of willing buyers for this car who would be willing to work around the titling issue without loosing any sleep.

KDirk

Edited by KDirk (see edit history)
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Guys,

Don't want to burst anyone's bubble here, but The car has already been utilized for parts and we're being offered what wasn't already used or taken off.

Besides as I understand it the cars GM sent to trade schools were the ones that couldn't be made acceptable in terms of cowl shake so while the car could be made into an exceptionally original 400-point show car, it would be of limited utility as an actual car.

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Guest Richard D

What if I avoid all train tracks? How bad can the cowl shake be? Not as bad as a 2002 FoRD Thunderbird, AKA the flexmobile.:(

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Two things to add here:

First, the initial posting indicates the car is "in mint condition", so to me that means it is complete. By Rawja's post, it sounds like it has been partially parted already. I am not seeing that from what Doefin posted, just that it was being offered for parts only. Maybe I missed something in the interim (have reviewed this thread in it's entirety), but if this car is in the condition described with nothing missing, then it is a crime to part it out. Even if some minor items are missing, it could be put back together and saved.

As far as cowl shake, I would think someone with engineering knowledge could improve upon the issue. I know GM did a lot of work on this at the time, but what was so wrong with the units that were grade "C" that they could not be resolved? I find it hard to believe that they are beyond the point of being corrected, and maybe GM just decided in the face of disappointing Reatta sales to not put in the cost & effort needed for the cars with the worst shake.

For the record, I am not in the market to buy this car. I just hate to see a mint 'vert in the condition described get dismembered before someone has a chance to look at alternative dispositions of the vehicle.

KDirk

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From the research I have done on the donated cars, GM holds a Michigan Scrap title to the cars. Technically, they could take the car, but they don't want it...... they would just make your life miserable with lawyers.

I would remove the post and go underground.

Based on information you have already given, I guess the last numbers of the vin are 907555

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Guest doefin

Hey all.

I am starting a new post regarding the mint 90 Reatta parts from a few days ago. I would like it to be known that this car is most likely going to be dismantled. Not only because of title issues, but who actually owns the car. I have no choice in the matter and it will be a shame to see it come apart.

Also, a member of this forum will be inspecting this car on Thursday. Hopefully they will be able to provide all of you with more details as I am not a Reatta expert.

Anyway, here are a few pictures I took after I pulled it out of storage last night, ran a hose over it, and used 1 armour all wipe on each seat.

OK. I'm having trouble uploading images to this forum, so they can be found here:

www.driveabilityguys.com/uploads/Reatta.zip

and

www.driveabilityguys.com/uploads/Reatta2.zip

22 photos total I think.

Any questions email: scott@driveabilityguys.com

Hope this can help some of you out!

post-67741-143138211622_thumb.jpg

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Guest doefin

Hey all.

I am starting a new post regarding the mint 90 Reatta parts from a few days ago. I would like it to be known that this car is most likely going to be dismantled. Not only because of title issues, but who actually owns the car. I have no choice in the matter and it will be a shame to see it come apart.

Also, a member of this forum will be inspecting this car on Thursday. Hopefully they will be able to provide all of you with more details as I am not a Reatta expert.

Anyway, here are a few pictures I took after I pulled it out of storage last night, ran a hose over it, and used 1 armour all wipe on each seat.

OK. I'm having trouble uploading images to this forum. I got 2 posted but there are alot more... so they can be found here:

www.driveabilityguys.com/uploads/Reatta.zip

and

www.driveabilityguys.com/uploads/Reatta2.zip

22 photos total I think.

Any questions email: scott@driveabilityguys.com

Hope this can help some of you out!

post-67741-143138211627_thumb.jpg

post-67741-143138211633_thumb.jpg

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Guest doefin

It is located in Illinois (in the DeKalb area). I don't mind shipping smaller pieces. But larger ones I prefer pick up do to the hassle and cost of shipping.

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Guest doefin

If you are referring to the seats... I have an offer for $450 for the pair but I need to ship them 2000 miles. On the larger pieces I prefer not to have to ship them due to hassle and costs. But if they are of significant enough value and the buyer is prepared to pay for the shipping I might be able to find suitable boxes.

Thanks for the interest.

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Doefin,

I know I have already stated disappointment at dismantling this car this in the previous thread. That said, if you haven't already, you may wish to "suggest" to the owners of the vehicle that they explore an alternate disposition of the car. Parting this out, even with the title issue is, at least in my mind, a terrible waste. Hard to say what the "whole" value is since it does have a title issue, but I would think more could be realized (by he right buyer) than by selling it off piecemeal.

As Barney suggested, it may make more sense to keep this car off the radar, and try to sell it whole, as long as a buyer with the proper funds is available and willing to buy it despite the title problem.

Not really any of my business, since I am not in a position to buy, nor do I have any other interest in the car other than wishing to see it preserved. It's just a shame to put a fork in this one.

The owner of course is free to do as they wish, but it may be useful to ask them to reconsider.

KDirk

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Barney is exactly right. I wouldn't be talking too much in a public forum about this.

we had a customer in Washington see one of these trade school cars (1991 convertible) go by on a flatbed, on it's way to a wrecking yard. he followed the car and bought it for $1,000.

he mentioned it to a local Buick dealer, and in the next week got a nasty FedEx from GM lawyers, demanding he return the car to the trade school. this was in 2007.

Kevin makes a good point that the "old GM", along with all it's liabilities, is now long gone after the bankruptcy. their legal claims and liabilities over these cars should also be gone, but I would still be very careful.

we have the first Reatta convertible prototype here, and this was another case of a trade school car that was supposed to be destroyed but wasn't. however, we have no intention of ever registering the car.

I would first run a CarFax or AutoCheck on the VIN, and see what comes back. I'd give it a 99% chance nothing will.

I was told years ago that all of the cars donated to trade schools had their engines disabled in some way. I'm not going to elaborate much here :), but let's just say that this is not entirely true. we've had some calls recently about a few of these cars that have surfaced, and they all run fine. most are amazingly complete, with less than 100 miles.

most trade schools exist to teach current technology, and let's face it; the Reatta is (at this time) quaint Fred Flintstone technology in comparison to a new car.

Mike Rukavina

buickreattaparts.com

Edited by reattadudes (see edit history)
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Guest doefin
Based on information you have already given, I guess the last numbers of the vin are 907555

It is thousands less than that.

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Guest tomt

I got a call asking if I was the forum member looking at this car. I am not, but I do live in DeKalb. If dofins' forum member who was going to look at it comes great, but if he doesn't come and you want somebody with Reatta knowledge who doesn't want the car but is willing to look at it Doefin can PM me.

Tom T

DeKalb IL

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Guest wayne2reattas

If you haven't started to part this car and it is still "complete" please call me 724-504-0501. Thanks

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Just out of curiousity, would you put a price on a complete set of all the parts with local pick up ?

Out of curiosity, I thought it was only '91s that were donated due to shake. I notice considerable with both of mine but is not particularly annoying. Cocktail shakers might cure.

ps picture 10 shows a double button inside the driver's behind seat compartment. One says "tonneau release" and the other says "release top pull down". What '90s had that ?

Edited by padgett (see edit history)
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Guest steveskyhawk

Padgett,

I noticed the same thing on the convertible top buttons. There were all kinds of variations apparently. This is why I object to "Ralph Naders" making up information for the unofficial unverified database. I'm glad the vin was not disclosed.

Lets hope sombody gets the car and manages to get a clear title for it. The GM that donated that car long ago is gone.

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I disagree. My work requires use of a lot of sources and I find the database very useful in the macro e.g. generating statistics and expectedly less so in the micro.

Obviously the car itself with the SPI sticker is a prime source. The database is a secondary source and would need corroberation if there is a dispute since virtually all data is second hand and rarely traceable to a prime source. Still, if I wanted to know the proportion of white 89 coupes with blue interiors and 16 ways, it would be a good source.

Someday, like for Pontiacs, we may have the complete billing record. This rarely has errors (though have seen some in transcription). If not we use what we have understanding that it is not completely accurate, researchers do this all of the time.

Personally, I forward to Barney all information that I find that is not already in the DB.

The hard part right now is the slipstreamed changes that were made during the model year. Things like the 88 change from the black horn button to the gold. When was the first suunroof car. The '90 switch from the manual rear vert top latch to the pull down.

Or even little stuff: on my 88 I can open the hood by leaning in the drivers window, on the 90 I cannot. The lever feels shorter. Never tried on an 89. Someday the database will tell us.

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  • 1 month later...

Just rereading past posts, and came across this one. Anyone know what happened with this beautiful car? Made me sick to think it had to be parted out. wow. Hope someone was able to get it and take care of the title issue

and keep her all together.

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I was wondering the same thing. If the seller took the advice of myself and several others who posted to this thread, they sold the car whole but not in a public forum such as this. If sold "on the down low" it would keep GM's lawyers at bay so one would not have been hassled over the original factory proscription against selling the car.

I too hope that the car did not get parted, but we may never know since if it was sold complete the seller would like to avoid leaving themselves open to trouble from the General's legal department by revealing that here.

KDirk

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  • 2 weeks later...

The 1990 Reattas that were donated were not donated because of cowl shake. While this cars might be retitled, GM held a Michigan Salvage title on these cars and I would think that whatever GM is called today all assets would still be theirs. If they know about the car and choose to take action they could reposses it at will.

The real facts are that GM has written off the cars and wants no part of them. But the lawyers would want the car destroyed if it got out of the "system"

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these cars were considered liabilities for two reasons:

1) safety issues.

2) if they were put back on the road, they would need to covered by any recall issues now and in the future.

they were also written off, and applied to GM corporate taxes as write-offs way back in 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991, depending on what year the cars were.

any liabilities were thrown into the "bad GM" (Motors Holding Corp.) as the bankruptcy progressed, and the "new" GM is no longer responsible for them. any of these cars would fall into this category now.

we have two 1991 convertibles here that we either purchased from trade schools, or from people who purchased them from trade schools.

both cars have less than 500 miles, and are in excellent original condition. we also have clear Arizona titles for both. the state did (obviously) a thorough title search, and no salvage (or title of any kind) was found in their history.

..and before anyone asks, we are not going to part them out.

we also have the first Reatta prototype convertible here (it has a 1988 serial number), which was originally also sent to a trade school. it has never had a title of any kind, salvage or otherwise.

were these cars a liability for GM before the bankrupcy, enough to send GM lawyers into a tizzy?

yes.

now?

no tizzy, no interest. that's why we bought the two we recently purchased.

Mike Rukavina

buickreattaparts.com

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Mike,

Good to hear you have managed to rescue a couple of these "disgraced children" of GM and kept them intact. Even better to hear that they are apparently free from meddling by corporate attorneys who need to justify their retainer. As long as they are road worthy, they could at least see occasional parade use or some such with dealer plates on them.

KDirk

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  • 4 weeks later...

I just ran accross this thread, does'nt look like anyone ever showed-up to examine your parts?car.

I'd be glad to make the trip down from lower Cheezeland, as I'd like to meet up with my BCA sponsor (TomT), while in your town.

Black Beauty has'nt been more than 50 miles from home since the BCA Nats/GM 100th parade thru downtown Flint, MI. We feel a need to get back In the Wind.

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Guest ReattaRobert

Well, that isn't true. My Lady friend and I stopped at the Tech School and looked at it, took pictures, made the GM Corp vs GM Company pitch, and left a written offer ($5k) with the instructor. He was to take it to the Administrator. Have heard NOTHING either from school or this forum.

I suspect paranoia (on their part) has caused its breakup. I further suspect some of the people here 'know the rest of the story':rolleyes:

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