Seth Rose Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 I just saw this on craigslist. My first thought is it’s a scam. I thought the Northstar reatta was still in the Midwest somewhere. I’m not saying someone else couldn’t have built one but I’m very interested in that body kit and the engine for my reatta as this one has not title https://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/d/1989-buick-reatta-with/6443556625.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 It was listed here for $39000. Most things that seem too good to be true usually are... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 A pretty wide chasm between the two asking $$$$? It does make one cautious about the legitimacy/legality but the parts would be worth the money alone if it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Rose Posted January 6, 2018 Author Share Posted January 6, 2018 I know I thought it was pretty cheap. I can’t currently go look at it as I’m overseas. But if it’s still available when I get home I’ll try to go look at it the guy seemed pretty friendly and gave me his phone number. Idk maybe it is a scam it’s atleast worth following up I think. Thanks guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handmedownreatta Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 more importantly where can i get that body kit?ive always thought that the caddy front cradle with the northstar and trans might bolt into the reatta.or maybe a 4.9 caddy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Eaton Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 The ad with the 39K price is from sometime around 2013 based on the first comment. The fact that it does not have a title makes one wonder what has happened to the car in the last 5 years. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Rose Posted January 6, 2018 Author Share Posted January 6, 2018 I thought that as well like maybe it has switched hands a few times and the title got lost and so forth. The steering wheel is the craigslist pictures look a little bit dirtier than the other post indicating some wear maybe. Idk I think it’s worth a shot if it’s still around at the end of the month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 Did he give you the same phone number that's listed in the CL ad? That number seems to be for a motorcycle shop that doesn't appear to be in business anymore. Maybe the number has been re-issued to someone else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Rose Posted January 6, 2018 Author Share Posted January 6, 2018 Nope it’s a different number she gave me. I may try to call her tomorrow if I have time. Yea I think it’s a girl who put the add up by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 7 minutes ago, Seth Rose said: Nope it’s a different number she gave me. I may try to call her tomorrow if I have time. Yea I think it’s a girl who put the add up by the way. It's worth checking on but from what you're saying you might be getting right in the middle of a divorce. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 And just remember, in most states the person who owns the title owns the car. I got summons to court for buying a Fiero with a blown engine even though I had a clear title in hand from the seller. Apparently a son had forged the name of his mother to get a lien off the title so he could sell it. I got to keep the car but I was worried for a while until I got a notice saying I no longer needed to appear in court. I would never buy a car without a title no matter how good the deal is. jmho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Rose Posted January 6, 2018 Author Share Posted January 6, 2018 So it is a motorcycle shop/Ebay seller. And idk anything about the title part of it I’ll ask her for sure so I don’t get screwed. But it’s legit I found it on google and the pictures of the drive and the garage match the ones on the add. I’ll keep you guys updated for sure. Now I kinda can’t wait to get back to the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Rose Posted January 6, 2018 Author Share Posted January 6, 2018 Also I’m not really interested in the car just the parts from it to use in mine, and I can strip a car pretty darn quick ? I’m joking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOTT's 90's Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 If she starts talking about sending her money or transfers I would run away as fast as you can...Just some advise. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDirk Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 The title issue and the bargain basement price gives me pause. Considering what someone had in this build, even if it was resold in the interim, something seems off on this deal. If someone can buy it and be certain they won't get burned later on by a title issue tha invalidates the sale (i.e., receiving stolen property or the like) you could swap the body kit and powertrain if you really wanted to. Personally I'd avoid a Northstar due to the well known reliability problems and cost to repair when (not so much If) the heads pull. The extra HP would be nice, but a S/C 3800 would be a better option for that IMHO, and would fully integrate with the existing electronics and instrumentation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Rose Posted January 7, 2018 Author Share Posted January 7, 2018 (edited) Your right on the sc 3800 but the rarity of that car and the sound of the V8. Don’t get me wrong I love the 3800 it’s a bulletproof engine. But a v8 reatta man I’ve dreamt of this car for a while ever since I saw it 4 years ago. Plus if I can get a bonded title for it then my other one could get a sc3800. I’ll talk to her face to face when I get home and if it’s still available. Maybe it’s to good to be true but there is only one way to find out. Edited January 7, 2018 by Seth Rose (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDirk Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 True enough. I'd point out that I'm not accusing the seller of this car of anything shady, but due diligence is in order. They have stated in the ad they don't have the title. Why not? Kind of hard to "lose" a title. The rightful owner can apply for a replacement title in most instances. I bought a parts car this way, the owner had mislaid the title. Some paperwork to the state DOR and a fee paid, and a few days later they had a fresh copy of the title. I wasn't giving them money or taking posession the car until they had it. Anyway, if they are the rightful owner they should be able to procure a replacement title. If they aren't, about the only way I can see them properly having the car with no title is if they received it as part of the settlement of an estate from a deceased friend or relative. Even then, there should be a process for getting a copy of the title from the last state in which it was titled, if the car was given to them via a properly executed will by the [former] rightful owner. Then too, there is the low price. Even with the title missing, unless it is unrecoverable (and I'm not sure I'd touch it under those circumstances) someone spent a lot for the build out on this car. If the previously known asking price was over $30k (and I do remember seeing that) that's a big drop in price to the present offer. More than can be justified by a title issue, I think. Finally, I understand the appeal of a big 8. But, beware those Northstars. I have two family members who had them go south in (fairly) low mile well maintained and unabused Cadillacs. One was repaired and failed again a year later (heads pulled/warped a second time) the other was promptly traded in to avoid having to deal with it. Lots of (expensive) horror stories on this engine, and GM revised the head bolt length and thread pitch a number of times during production to try and combat the problem. Unfortunately, an aluminum block engine is prone to such failures and they never solved it 100% despite numerous running changes. Personally, I have no interest in a Northstar powered car, I consider it too risky to want to deal with. If the 3800 is bullet proof, the Northstar is the probably anti-3800. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handmedownreatta Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 7 hours ago, KDirk said: True enough. I'd point out that I'm not accusing the seller of this car of anything shady, but due diligence is in order. They have stated in the ad they don't have the title. Why not? Kind of hard to "lose" a title. The rightful owner can apply for a replacement title in most instances. I bought a parts car this way, the owner had mislaid the title. Some paperwork to the state DOR and a fee paid, and a few days later they had a fresh copy of the title. I wasn't giving them money or taking posession the car until they had it. Anyway, if they are the rightful owner they should be able to procure a replacement title. If they aren't, about the only way I can see them properly having the car with no title is if they received it as part of the settlement of an estate from a deceased friend or relative. Even then, there should be a process for getting a copy of the title from the last state in which it was titled, if the car was given to them via a properly executed will by the [former] rightful owner. Then too, there is the low price. Even with the title missing, unless it is unrecoverable (and I'm not sure I'd touch it under those circumstances) someone spent a lot for the build out on this car. If the previously known asking price was over $30k (and I do remember seeing that) that's a big drop in price to the present offer. More than can be justified by a title issue, I think. Finally, I understand the appeal of a big 8. But, beware those Northstars. I have two family members who had them go south in (fairly) low mile well maintained and unabused Cadillacs. One was repaired and failed again a year later (heads pulled/warped a second time) the other was promptly traded in to avoid having to deal with it. Lots of (expensive) horror stories on this engine, and GM revised the head bolt length and thread pitch a number of times during production to try and combat the problem. Unfortunately, an aluminum block engine is prone to such failures and they never solved it 100% despite numerous running changes. Personally, I have no interest in a Northstar powered car, I consider it too risky to want to deal with. If the 3800 is bullet proof, the Northstar is the probably anti-3800. i watched one of those saturday morning shows where they they modified a northstar using a kit that was supposed to fix that.wouldn't using a northstar let us use a better transmission? http://www.northstarperformance.com/sgstuds.php do your own research on how well this kit works.as i said i saw it on tv and it looked promising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDirk Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 I'll have to find time to watch that. The official GM fix was to drill the stripped head bolt holes, re-tap and install time-serts to an exact torque spec, after which the engine was reassembled. Most times it worked, but the rate of failure reoccurring after this repair was not insubstantial, hence my reluctance to have anything to do with it. I have seen/heard of to many failures after repair for it to interest me. The linked rebuild process may be better, but dont think I could ever have 100% confidence in one. The Northstar was typically mated to the 4T80E in most Cadillac applications. I believe the XLR had the 4L80E as the powertrain was oriented longitudally. This transmission could handle the heat the Northstar was capable of throwing. Would require a fair amount of custom fabrication to use in a Reatta as the cradle/mounts and CV axles are all different from the 4T60 plus requires a PCM to control it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nittany Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 I have used the kit from Northstar Performance and my son drove the car (1999 Cadillac STS) for three more years, including from Rhode Island to the state of Washington before trading the car in for a 2005 Cadillac CTS-V!! That car turned out to be even more fun as it came with 400 HP V-8 and 6-speed manual transmission that he drove from Washington back to the East Coast. The Northstar engine was improved in 2004-05 such that head gasket issues are no longer a concern. Can they still occur? Yes and they do but no more than any other engine unlike earlier model years. They were found in front wheel drive Cadillac DTS and higher end Buick Lucerne's, specifically those with the CXS and Super designations. Cadillac also used the Northstar engines with some rear wheel drive applications such as the STS and XLR, including the V Series with Supercharged Northstars!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 I've got a friend that has a Cadillac with a Northstar that was parked because of the head bolt problem. He has hinted that I could have it if I wanted to repair the engine and install it in my Reatta. In my later years I like driving better than twisting wrenches so I don't see a Northstar in my future. I have offered to assist him in trying to fix it but he's not interested for fear that it might not last long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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