Bob H

Jim: Thanks for the info, we may ask for contact info on IPC rebuilders after we get back around July 1. We found two 1990 cars in auto wrecking yards close to our travel route that are potential parts donors. Could be a solution. Bob H and Liz

Thanks all for sharing your experiences. With so little time before we leave my plan is to check-clean-service all the pertinent connections and hope to get lucky. I'll have to wait until we get back search for parts or diagnostic and repair services. Thanks also for the kind words. The car is just as we bought in August, didn't know what the wheels were until another Reatta owner told us. Yes, chrome tips on the exhaust, it came that way. Thanks again to all and keep the comments coming, Bob H

Greetings all: Took our 34,000 mile 1990 Reatta convertible on a 100 mile shakedown cruise in preparation for a June 13 departure on a 3, 000 mile plus road trip. Three miles from home, after performing flawlessly, the instrument cluster went blank except for the word "ERROR" where the odometer would be, an "SES" warning and an "ELECTRICAL PROBLEM DETECTED" alert. The car kept running fine so we continued home. Upon arriving I shut the ignition switch off and restarted the car, much like rebooting a computer and everything was back to normal. This is the third or fourth occurrence of this blank cluster fault and recovery. Don't want to start on a long trip with the potential for a major failure lurking. Checked the codes and got EO47h, b334h, b335h, b336h, and b337h. Have any of you had similar experiences and how did you deal with it? Really must have it fixed before we leave or sadly take our granny SUV. I have studied the shop manual and have a plan but electrical problems often take a long time to solve. Hoping someone might provide some insight other than throwing a bunch of parts at it that we don't have. Thanks, Bob H

Both MrEarl and MCHinson responded to my plea for help with my non-working PM Reply feature. When I open both your PM's my activity history opens rather than the form to enter text. At least this time someone has tried to help. When this problem first came up two years ago I got no assistance. Thank-you, Bob H

Not working. Changed it's story to no-reply@aaca.org. Thanks, Bob H

I am a Buick club member since 2013. Having problems with the Reply feature to a PM. When another Buick club member sends me a PM I unable to reply because the TO: line says noreply@invisioncloudcommunity.com. Why, and how do I fix it? Thanks, Bob H

Allan: My father was stationed in Australia early in WW2 and I have always wanted to visit. Maybe the stream boards could be checked baggage? Yes, my project has stream boards, the car was born with them. Thanks for the note, good to hear from you. Bob H Dynaflash8: I'll send you a note about the parts you have via a PM that I started awhile back about a radio. Is there a chance you might have any really nice hubcaps that fit Special. I have "drivers" but need something better for Sunday cruising. Sharp eyes, those are indeed 15 inch wheels and tires. I have a set of trued and balanced original 16 inch for the car that will be painted body color with the three pinstripes. Didn't want to buy 16 inch tires and have them die of old age waiting for the car to get finished. Picked up a set of 15 inch rags at the local auto wrecker's. The red 15 inch wheels will become part of my surplus parts pile. Just couldn't put rusty old parts on the new chassis so I powder coated them red to stimulate conversation. Thanks for the reply, Bob H

Probably the most complete set of 1939 stream boards available. The boards are in great condition except for a narrow sheet metal strip on the inside that holds weatherstripping. They are straight and rust free as they were dip-stripped with the rest of my project's sheet metal. The support brackets are included, now powder coated black. All six pieces of stainless trim are there, in decent shape but need straightening and polishing. The rear fender stone guards are included but need straightening and new rubber covering, not easily repaired. Don't have a picture but I also have the rear fenders with mounting holes for the stone guards, intact and rust free, also dip-stripped but need sheet metal work as you might expect from almost eighty year old parts. The retainers for the wide stainless trim piece on the outer edge of the boards are in rough shape and will need replacement, either fabrication or an adaptation of universal retainers. The previously mentioned weather strip retainers need to be fabricated and replaced, an easy repair. The fenders need some body work and straightening, and the trim needs refinishing. The pieces are all there and most are in better than average condition. $1500 for everything, available now in Rainier, Oregon. Unusual delivery option: we are leaving March 27 on a road trip to Virginia and could take the parts with us for pick up on or near our travel route. We will close this offer Sunday evening March 25 since we will be gone until the third week in April. Would consider some 1939 Special parts as part payment, a new throttle cable, a NOS headlight switch, the medallion that goes on the nose of the car, left and right vent window regulators, and an original lug wrench. Let me know what you might have. I am winding down my 1939 46C restoration project and have tons or surplus parts to dispose of, including two parts cars. Living in Rainier, Oregon makes shipping prohibitively expensive for large bulky parts . I am working on an inventory and when it's complete will offer the entire lot for sale. If you are now a parts vendor this might be worth your while, more later. Thanks, Bob H

Thanks to all for your suggestions and ideas. First, the end play on the right hand assembly is 0.080+ inches. My working career as a cartographer involved a lot of measuring in both metric and US systems. Whichever tool I pick first is what gets used, sorry. Went back and checked end play on the left hand driven shaft and even that seems excessive at 0.040". I have found the shop manual to be nearly useless for technical details and realize that the experience of others is the best source of information. We are getting the Reatta ready for a trip to Virginia from Oregon and back leaving in late March. Even though the recently acquired Reatta has only 34,000 miles I am trying to catch up on the high maintenance items the experts here have described. Headlight motors and floorboard wire splices are examples, other suggestions are appreciated. We repainted the rear panel where the Trump sticker was removed along with the paint, no political statement intended. Who has headlight motor parts? I think that the distorted gear cover is contributing at least partly to the end play in the right hand opener assembly and that it should be replaced. The two ball end links have some slop in them and need to replacing. There was a larger bellcrank retaining nut available and would like to replace the smaller one , the left hand mechanism has the larger nut already. A couple of cover gaskets would be nice if they are available and eight or ten extra shims. Thanks again, Bob H

Greetings all: Trying to upgrade the headlight door opening mechanisms on my recently acquired 1990 Reatta convertible and ran into a couple of problems or questions. First, how much end play should the short gear shaft have? On the right hand motor there are more than 2mm which seems excessive. Based my experience with the driver's side all the parts look to be there. Also, didn't check end play as closely on the driver's side but it wasn't that much. When I pulled the cover off the gear case the outer bushing and an O-ring were detached from their places in the housing. Nothing looks damaged. Do the bushing and O-ring look correct for the application (see photo)? Additionally, the cover was not down tight to the housing. It looks like someone really over tightened the cover screws and distorted the ears preventing the cover itself from pulling down tight and allowing the excessive end play. Tried to make a picture but as you can see didn't do real well. Is the gear housing cover malleable enough to let me straighten the ears or are they going break (I expect)? Anticipating the worst, who would I go to for another cover? As a point of interest, the gears were not the "white plastic" described in technical posts on this site but metal, see photo. Is this an aftermarket upgrade or a feature of the 1990 cars? Another difference was the tear down procedure on the right hand motor. The help bulletins describe the right hand motor as problematic but this one is exactly like the drivers side only a mirror image and no problem at all to tear down. Th mounting lugs are on the other side of course. Shortly after I bought my Reatta an ad for a lot of new mostly chassis parts was posted locally on CraigsList and I bought them. Attached a photo of what more parts than one needs for a 34,000 mile car looks like. Not sure whether to make the available to others or wait until I need them. Thanks, Bob H

I believe all 1939 convertibles had the windshield trim, others too. I have a short frame 46S that has it and sold a Special sedan that had it. Could it have been a dealer option? Bob H

White Post in Virginia sleeved all the brake cylinders for my 1939. They met all expectations for estimated cost, quality and delivery time. A bit spendy but guaranteed for life. I would use them again. Bob H

Ron: Great looking car! Thanks for the info on the wooden top bow supplier, I'll contact them. And yes, my car has the same piece of metal attached to the rear side of the wooden bow. It was installed as a sturdy support for the rear center top panel that has the back glass. The original window is thick and heavy. I made mine out of single pane tempered glass to cut down on the weight but retained the original design in the interest of authenticity. I have attached a few pictures that show construction details. The interior photo with the rear window panel lowered was taken at a museum nearby. The car is a 1939 Century. Bob H

Ron: You are correct, the extra wooden top bow you have won't work on my car. Is whoever made your wooden bow still making them? I was going to tackle it myself but having one made would be a lot quicker. Did you ever get the windshield reveal molding solved? I have recently found a craftsman in Portland, Oregon who can weld stainless steel trim and had him repair a piece for me. Looks great! Bob H

Ron: We have been gone for a few days and just got a chance to check your reply out. The irons are different but the wooden bow might be close, I'll do some checking but it's probably too good to be true. Did you get the top bow situation on your car sorted out? Thanks, Bob H

Ron: Sounds like you have more bows than you need and might have an extra one that I need, the wooden one. Sent a couple more pictures that should clear things up for you. After the header there are three bows, a tubular steel one above the rear door post, a second tubular steel one, and the rear which is made up of two flat steel straps attached to a wooden tack bow. I would be interested in purchasing the rear wooden bow if you have an extra. Slipped in an extra picture of my project taken today. Bob H

Ron: It looks like you are almost there. Just slip the tubular bow over the threaded end of the shoulder bolt and put install a nut. You have the flat (slat Iron) part of the rear bow in it's correct position. I'll attach a photo of mine prior to tear down. Bob H

Greetings: A couple of years ago I bought a set of used hubcaps for my 1939 Special. When they arrived they didn't fit my car even though the seller said they were for 1939 Buick. I suspect they were for the larger series cars. I can dig them out and send you pictures if you think they might fit your car. I would describe them as better than average for their age. Bob H

First, collect about two garden wheelbarrows full of money and spread it around. Actually, someone else here came up with measuring restoration costs by the wheelbarrows full of dollars. Landmark: today we set the completed chassis on the ground for the first time. Loaded it on the trailer and tomorrow it goes to the restoration shop to have the body, which is undercoated and painted on the bottom, installed. Bob H

Not sure of your intent but if you are trying to disable the air bag simply remove the airbag fuse. Bob H

Just want to confirm that the firewall data tag on a 1939 Special is painted body color. My new reproduction tag is bright and shiny aluminum. Thanks, Bob H

Richard Gumm, 740 374 8169. Bob H

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences. Two weeks ago I had only a vague idea what a Reatta is and had never sat in one. Today I (we) own one. On the trip home we searched many times through the car's pristine owner's manual and obviously didn't find all the answers. My request was for help filling in the gaps and most of your answers have been right on. I have the feeling that I might have offended some gremlin fans and apologize for that. To me, "gremlins" caused problems that had no other clear and understandable explanation. As I remember they were especially common in World War 2 aircraft. Great advice on the shop manual, have one coming. The "Headlights Recommended" notice was happening in the middle of a bright sunny 105 degree day in the Arizona desert. The blocked photocell suggestion is spot on. Haven't taken much time to chase the continually running fuel pump, unless that is a state of the art 1990 feature, but we swapped the fuel pump relay with the fog light relay and the pump stopped running. Curiously, the fog lights work correctly with the fuel pump relay. More work to do. Those of you who explained the delayed shut-off of electrical system components cleared up a number of questions. Answered my own my own parts interchangeability question. The Craigslist seller I mentioned had an incredible amount of brand new Reatta parts, mostly chassis and suspension, I bought the entire lot. Intended to post an update but didn't get a good picture of the stuff. I'll try to do that tomorrow. Again, thanks! Bob H

Hello all: I have been a BCA member for a few years hanging out mostly on the prewar forum with help requests and advice in return for my 1939 Special convertible nut and bolt restoration. Got a little panicked over the calendar and decided to buy a running and driving later model special interest convertible. Picked up a nice 32k (now 34K) mile 1990 Reatta convertible off the Phoenix, AZ Craigslist and drove it 1500 miles cold turkey back home to Oregon. I am a lifelong motor sport enthusiast, an expert mechanic, and experienced with body structural repair via a 21 year hobby-business buying insurance company "totals", repairing and selling them, nearly 200 to be approximate. Electricity doesn't scare me. Automatic transmissions are farmed out to experts. First off I would like a recommendation and source for a comprehensive shop manual (or manuals) covering all phases of mechanical repairs, body and trim, and electrical circuits. A few gremlins showed up on the trip home that maybe someone else has experienced. It almost seems like the ignition switch isn't turning clear off, the fuel pump keeps running and the radio plays with the switch off and the key removed. We stopped at an auto parts house, bought a battery terminal wrench, and disconnected the battery on long stops. The only tool we used on the entire trip. A warning light, for lack of better words, pops up from time to time on the instrument cluster, "Headlights Recommended", what does that mean? With the the battery connected and the car left standing for awhile the odometer shows up on the cluster, while the key is off. Any suggestions for tackling these problems? Thanks for your support, Bob H

Greetings: Thought I would put a little cap on this story. Last Tuesday, August 8, my bride and I flew to Phoenix, bought this car and drove it home north of Portland, Oregon, nearly 1500 miles. The one hitch that developed seems to be that the ignition switch isn't turning everything clear off. The radio stays on and the fuel pump keeps running after the switch is off and the key removed. Otherwise the car performed flawlessly. We stopped at an auto parts store, bought a battery post wrench and disconnected the battery at long stops. Our only tool the entire trip. We sort of felt sympathy for Scrapper who obviously had time and money invested and passed on the car. We probably owe him a thank you since the owner had substantially lowered his asking price. Felt especially bad for the knocks he got on the car by a local automotive service shop, none of which have proven yet to be true. The temperature on the first leg of the trip westerly across Arizona, into the California desert averaged well over 100 degrees with a high of 113, the AC performed flawlessly. Steering is precise with no slop, tight spots or fluid loss from the rack. Miles of stop and go traffic in the urban areas gave the brakes a thorough workout. They performed well. Don't quite haul the car down like I expected from four wheel discs but well up to the task. The faults pointed out by the pre-purchase inspection don't make any sense to me. The shop must have had a motive. We relied on our own examination, interview and test drive to reach our purchase decision. The biggest single plus being the really low miles (32K). When buying a used car the most important item is the unused miles and this car has lots of them. I will concede other flaws because the low mileage adds so much. The car also had a current oil change sticker. We found a couple of cosmetic flaws. The bumper cover on the left front is pushed back about 2 inches from a slight bump. Not into the tire but it's really close. Without making a political statement, the owner had removed a TRUMP sticker which took the paint with it. At least a $500 fix. I intend to make another post with questions about the car and sources of information, the first being a shop manual and electrical diagrams.