Bushwack

A friend sent me this listing (in Reno) for a 1990 black/gray convertible. If anyone is interested,.... https://reno.craigslist.org/cto/6202496117.html Looks relatively clean for $3,500.

I'm not looking to sell anyone on a Reatta. The businessman in me says let them all get crushed (maybe that will help these cars appreciate). The realist in me knows these cars will not achieve desirable collectible status for the next many years. My estimate on expenses are based on the depleted funds in my checking account the past few years. Maybe in Small Town, MO (where the OP is from) labor is cheap. But in L.A., labor runs between $115 - $140/hr for an independent shop (my Lexus dealer is at $155/hr for my daily driver and the Benz dealer is at $175 to service my 280SL). And I'm sure parts are significantly more expensive in L.A. (and most major cities) than Small Town, MO. Go ahead and buy parts from Rock Auto or Amazon and have your mechanic install them. Of course, he'll tell you he either buys the parts to install (it is his liability + part of his profit) or take your business elsewhere. BTW, struts, shocks, mounting kits on Amazon is about $315 (probably 30% more as the dealer will want to supply the parts or let you walk). Add 4 hrs of labor and you have your wallet significantly lighter. As for converting to 134A, if the a/c hasn't been turned on (or blowing cold) for a long while (which most have not for peeps who are selling their Reattas), dollar to donuts (as some older gents like to say), a conversion isn't going to help. In fact, I'd bank on my own advice. You'll need a new compressor. Ka-Ching! Speaking of the OP, he doesn't want to work on the car. He wants a Reatta that's "good-to-go". BFD if these cars are "hand built". If that meant anything, they'd be worth 2x or 3x their current selling price. Or, maybe because they are hand built, they are not worth less than what they are selling for (the ying-yang theory). I'm not on Team Reatta. I've regurgitated that long ago (btw, that's liberal thinking I will not be apart of). I'm on the team of value, truth and realism as I've experienced it. And if I can help someone out based on my experiences, that's a good thing. YMMV.

Don't go to a corner auto re-seller. My neighbor's golden retriever knows more about Reattas then they do. Let Craigslist, eBay or AutoTrader be your friend. Buy from a private party. If you can't personally inspect the car, documentation, documentation and more documentation. Make sure it is RUST FREE (get a picture of the under-carriage or look elsewhere). And run the VIN on a car that interests you. Remember: It's just a car. Rare in some areas (very few on the west coast) and relatively plentiful elsewhere (there's about 12-14M running of 21,700+ built). Most likely the Reatta you buy will either drop in value or maintain its value. Appraisals are worth the paper written on. Go by street price. As a loose guideline, whatever the asking price, it will probably sell for 10-15% Most likely its been for sale for some time and the seller wants to move on; happy he's found a sucker willing to take it off his hands. The Reatta you buy will come with problems. Could be the headlight cover won't open (an easy fix) or the a/c isn't working (don't believe it needs only Freon). Yes, it needs Freon...and a $1,200 compressor. ABS warning light stays illuminated. In your case, walk away. If it was an easy fix, the seller would have done it. Door ajar light stays on? Not a mechanical issue. Shocks need replacing??? $1,000. FWIW, when you buy a Reatta (or any used car), make sure your budget includes flush/fill all fluids. Even if the seller shows you a recent Jiffy Lube reciept, I'd still have my trusty mechanic change all the fluids. Find a Reatta you like and ask the forum their opinion if its worthy of ownership. That's what we're here for (and for the free popcorn). We use to have free entertainment, but he was too big for the room and taken off the marquee (conversation for another time).

While the majority of people in this forum are tech/mechanically savvy, *I* am not. I've owned 13 Reattas and with the help of this forum and a good mechanic, when a mechanical repair was needed, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary that couldn't be done on another make/model. I have had the front wheels speed sensors changed, new a/c compressor installed, brake fluid flushed, etc. The one thing I had done "out of the ordinary" (and in hindsight wasn't necessary and an expensive lesson) was have the Teves system replaced. That was done on my first Reatta (and before finding this forum). Any other brake related issues were remedied either with replacing the accumulator or a wheel speed sensor. A mechanically sound, rust free, good body/paint Reatta is a collectible car that you can find for under $5,000. Keep in mind its a "collectible" because its over 25 yrs old. Not because its desirable in the collector car market. Find one. Buy one. Enjoy and when you want to move on to something else, most likely you will get your purchase price returned to you on the sale.

Whereabouts do you call home, stranger?

I know someone wanting to purchase a 1990 Reatta coupe. While partial towards white or red, any color combination would do. It must be rust free (light surface rust acceptable). Odometer reading is secondary as long as it’s a car in very good condition inside and out. If you have an 88 or '89 (or '91) for sale, some arm twisting might be needed to have the buyer consider it. But it surely doesn't hurt to let me know if you have one available. If you have one for sale, please e-mail me directly at Ervin@ReattaRally.com

Not Reatta related (although I could have displayed my car for the paltry sum of a $250 entrance fee), but I attended the 2017 Concourse De'Elegance in Beverly Hills (always held on Father's Day). The city closes off the retail streets of Rodeo Drive (3 blocks plus a couple cross streets) to display cars from the early 1900s (earliest I saw was a 1906 Benz) to the present. There were some older Bugattis, Delahayes, a Tucker, a 1948 Buick convertible, Cadillacs, Rolls Royce, etc. Some of the newer cars were from Ferrari, Lambo, Alfa & McLaren. The link below is a video of about 30-35 of the cars on display. Video is a little jumpy as I used my cell phone (I brought my fancy camera but forgot the battery pack). Enjoy.

Sorry to hear of Don's passing. Never had the chance to meet or speak to him but I heard he was a well respected man of few words. Having read his obituary, it states he worked at Lou Ehlers Buick after he got out of the service. Coincidence, I think not but in Los Angeles from circa 1955-2010, there was a Lou Ehlers Cadillac (also briefly a GMC & Buick dealership in the 1970s), Until the mid 1980s, celebrities and those in a certain tax bracket bought their Cadillac(s) either from Lou Ehlers on Wilshire Blvd (in the ritzy Hancock Park area of L.A.) or Hillcrest Cadillac in Beverly Hills (also on Wilshire Blvd). Hillcrest opened in Beverly Hills in 1927 and closed around 1986 as more people were buying luxury brands from anywhere other than American made (the location has been a Lexus dealership since 1990). Lou Ehlers Cadillac eventually closed in 2007 also as people were buying BMWs, Lexus & MBs and ignoring domestic brands (its closing was first announced in 2005). Buildings on the site were demolished and replaced with a very, VERY large BMW dealership (http://www.bmwofbeverlyhills.com/). On a related note, in a city the size of L.A. (including Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Bel-Air, Culver City, Venice) - portions of the city west of downtown to the ocean (where the average household income is high), there is only one Caddy dealership (Martin Cadillac in West Los Angeles). And Martin Cadillac sales have been abysmal the past few years (per the dealership). Yes, one Caddy dealer serving the westside and mid-Wilshire area with a population of 950,000. ...and Martin Cadillac will be closing its doors this summer to be replaced with multi-story office buildings/business park (land value too much to keep it as a dealership). Went off on a bit of a tangent. Being born, raised and living in Los Angeles, I remain astonished there's only one Caddy dealership serving 950,000. On the flip side, I see more high end BMWs, MBs and Lexus (and even Bentleys) on the westside than I do Cadillacs or Lincolns. Why Caddy doesn't/hasn't made a push for a presence in affluent areas of L.A. remains a mystery. Times of changed (at least here in SoCal).

In 2011, I paid $800 for a new vinyl top and an additional $800 for installation. Recently someone asked me how much a new top (installed) would cost for his Reatta. As I was going to an upholsterer later in the day to get another estimate for another car needing a top, I made the inquiry. $2,400 to install (and supply) a new top. I don't have the material/installation breakdown as previously I bought the (EZ Auto) top separately and had it installed locally. Yes, this is SoCal pricing as just about everything costs significantly more living in Kommunist Kalifornia (I'll save that rant for another time). I know there are some EZ Auto distributors in the forum and I am not asking what you sell a top for. I am making more of a general inquiry (curiosity) as to how much would a similar complete installation cost in any of the other 49 states.

Indeed they do a great job. Used them 2-3 years ago for a burgundy re-cover - but not at $200. Price was $400 excluding shipping (and that was in 2014).

I think if these were easy fixes, Marck would take care of them and sell the car for a greater profit (unless he bought the car for peanuts and the margin is better "as is" vs making repairs). This sounds like a nice father (or grandfather)/son project where expense is secondary (and family bonding time is primary). Whatever it takes to keep kids away from their cell phones, fake news and reality TV is a worthy project. Money put into this car will be greater than its' value.

Do you have a 'comp' to back up that it's a "reasonable" price or is it just a gut feeling (that is around what you would pay for the car)?

For the Door Ajar light (when it comes on), Just curious - is there a sensor that can easily be disconnected so the warning light doesn't come on?

I owned an Allante. But I was focused on it being a Buick part. I though maybe an Electra or Le Sabre. Thanks guys!

I purchased an ECC on eBay and seller mistakenly sent me this part (he doesn't want it returned). Doesn't belong on a Reatta but does anyone have an idea which car (and model years) this part belongs to? I couldn't find any identifying marks (not even a part number) on this module. . . .

It was about 12-15 years ago that a coupe was for sale at BJ. If I recall (from an article I read), it fetched street value. Wasn't much interest in the car.

FWIW, I've had the door ajar light come on in two different Reattas. As part of troubleshooting, the BCM will not accurately tell you which door is in 'trouble'. If after all of what Ronnie posted has been done and still have that warning light on, as was my case, I'd concentrate on the passenger door first. Yes, makes no sense as the driver's door gets more exercise. Nevertheless it was the passenger doors on both cars that were giving off the warning light.

You have no liability selling a used part. Should that be the case, salvage yards wouldn't exist.

Of the Reattas NOT registered, its safe to say most are probably sitting in a lot in Arizona and are good for parts only. The @ 7,600 number is a far drop from the 12,000 I recall being talked about circa 2010. Yet...Reattas still are respected and valued as much as they were 4,400 cars ago.

IMO, better that he controlled fate selling his Reatta than just another old timer who kicks the bucket and we don't know what became of him/her (and the Reatta ends up in the salvage yard). Take care Greg.

Reatta Rally 2016 is scheduled for May 22nd. Going strong heading into the 5th year. More information at http://www.ReattaRally.com

I owned a '93 Allante. I may have been one of the few that had little problems with the car. But as I recall, there are (were) more vendors available for Allante parts then Reatta. Back in the day, if it wasn't for a couple main suppliers - Jim Finn or Steve Scott, where would one get parts for their Reatta (other than a wrecking yard). Jim still has parts available but he has been thinning down his inventory the past few years. Steve Scott is a cheeseburger away from a heart attack (I know Steve is reading this - just kidding big fella). But Steve has narrowed his focus on a few select (and often in demand parts) for the Reatta (and if it wasn't for him being opinionated, he would get the credit he deserves for not only what he sells but for what he distributes for others to sell). There's Kingsley also with his sun visor clips & headlight assembly kit, Ronnie with his site (although I just tried his URL and got a failure to connect - is the site still live?). In comes the next generation, young Marck Barker, who saw a void needing to be filled and has made a living doing so. And I'm sure he realizes the Reatta 'biz' wont last much longer as Reattas fail to appreciate and many owners start considering thier cars as disposable (cost to repair exceeds value). I'd be surprised if Marck hasn't already seen another niche to be filled (IMO someone like Marck would do well as a classic Corvette or Mustang supplier). So..not sure where I was going with the above but it was worth keeping in the post. As I see it is Reatta parts suppliers are decreasing. Soon there will be one retailer & one or two parts supplier.

I'll tick off a few people but... IMO the best year for a coupe is 1989 (for the CRT version). 1990 or '91 is a wash. I don't think the "refinements" for '91 added anything in regards to reliability or performance. But...that it doesn't have the TEVES ABS is a plus. On the downside, much harder to find wheel speed sensors for a 1991 than a 1988-1990. As for being a collectible,...let me pause as I compose myself after a hearty chuckle. OK...IMO I doubt the car will receive respectable collectible status anytime soon. Maybe a generation has to pass (of which many people who participate in this forum will have gone to a better place) before the car gets duly recognized. 99% of those who over spend on a Reatta (i.e. by a vert for more than $9,000) are sentimental for the car. He/she has discretionary funds to spend to relive fond memories of their father or grandfather once having owned a Reatta. Or possibly they recall in their youth it was the car they always wants to own (mine was a 1969 1/2 Trans Am). Buy the best Reatta you can afford. It will NOT be a recognized collectible in your lifetime. Perform routine maintenance, don't make it a money pit and enjoy it for years to come.

First time I've seen/read this article. Good bathroom reading. http://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/vintage-reviews/vintage-road-test-buick-reatta-vs-cadillac-allante/

If the HVAC is off and the noise appears, how would a leak affect it? I would think the opposite - vacuum leak would be a reason for the noise if the HVAC was on.