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Pretty nice history with great drawings of the Craft-Center---Thanks for the share M

in my case we are in vacation season m

I tripped across this and found it interesting; forgive me if its been posted before https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a34761242/tested-1988-buick-reatta-by-the-numbers/ Murray

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it Murray

I have a 90 Convertible with a very few chips in the paint. What is the correct name for the "red" used by Reatta Used too use Dupli-color but surely now out of stock due to age, What else is available? Thanks, Murray

Macs Motors put this one out detailing history and "Life with a Reatta". In general I thought it reasonably on point. One thing I often hear is that the Convertible is very shakable. Maybe I'm numb but on my 90 I have not noticed a lot of cowl shake, in fact it's much better than my 64 Vette. Just my opinion Murray https://www.macsmotorcitygarage.com/reatta-buick-quasi-sporty-two-seater/?fbclid=IwAR0P9cJbLvazLruwARkN3Rm4GoCuaLnEYavBbRqElykkn4remNXtvuEMmwY

Hi Guys, Thanks for all the suggestions; I think i tripped onto another. In Home Depot, they have a magnet section by the screws and nuts. i saw a Latch Magnet kit for cabinets and tried it. you fasten a 5/8 diameter magnet with the furnished small screw inside of the fabric flap so the magnet hits the metal pieces. the little screw sticks out a bit on the flap side that shows; i covered it with a 4-40 thread cap-nut. the magnets are 16 pound pull and the whole thing works great Murray

Hi Guys, Thanks for all the suggestions; I think i tripped onto another. In Home Depot, they have a magnet section by the screws and nuts. i saw a Latch Magnet kit for cabinets and tried it. you fasten a 5/8 diameter magnet with the furnished small screw inside of the fabric flap so the magnet hits the metal pieces. the little screw sticks out a bit on the flap side that shows; i covered it with a 4-40 thread cap-nut. the magnets are 16 pound pull and the whole thing works great Murray

On my 90 Convertible everything runs pretty much as it should so no need for the expert tech people on-site. My issue is just an annoyance. On the Verts there is a flap that simply closes off the airflow to the rear when the top is up and the windows are open. it's secured by Velcro that always seems to lossen up and let the flap , flap. Has anyone in the community had this [problem, where you able to cotrrect it? Murray

If theres a solution, I'm interested Murray

Then State Farm is on top of their game. The gave me agreed value insurance for collector cars at a $15,000 value. My major Antique car insurance company is "American Collectors" and they refused to insure it. Murray

I found this an interesting article that goes into some depth about how our Reatta’s came to market. This except about its naming is interesting, does anyone have any input. Murray https://ateupwithmotor.com/model-histories/buick-reatta-history/ Does anyone remember the three names under consideration for the Reatta, one was Magnum. I recently spoke with David North – Head of GM’s Advanced Design 2 studio during development of the Reatta. He related a story about the reluctance to name it the Reatta. Reuss confused it with Regatta and wanted another name. Although North came up with the name, originally spelled Reata, he needed a little help from a woman that, I believe, worked in Buick marketing that also believed “Reatta” was the best choice. To prove Reatta was best suited for the new Buick, she held a rather unscientific test to see what name was most liked by the general public. She put the three names, up for consideration, above different turnstiles to see which one most people would gravitate to. Most people went through the Reatta turnstile helping to sway others to picking that name. Later, when North asked her how she chose which turnstile got Reatta above it, she told him most people will go through the middle turnstile so that was the one chosen for Reatta. The Buick brass was suckered just a tad. Mr. North also told me about the quality of the Reatta. It had a unique build process with the car on a platform large enough for eight craftsmen performing their tasks instead of the usual assembly line. When the Reatta was completed, it was the only Buick model that scored 100 out of 100 points. Apparently all models were scored at the end with 86 being a minimum passing score. Not a single Reatta had to go back through for any corrections.

I'm lucky enough to be 15 minutes away from a great little Classic / Special Interest car dealer. It's so nice to get in your old iron and drive out there to stroll through three floors of interesting cars. They sales are robust enough that the inventory turns over quite quickly. I would guess that their stuff is about 40% consigned. I have no interest in this business but thought that a place that allows casual walkabouts might be of interest. I did have them cosmetically refresh my Speedster and they did a super job; it looks showroom new. Take a peek if your around Upstate NY or on the net https://www.greatlakesclassiccars.com/ Murray

Hi Guys, My 90 Vert has no problems so let me pose this idea. All my old cars are running with Silicone Brake Fluid; My Chevelle for example hasn't needed any brake work for the 31 years I've owned it. I know you can't run Silicone in anti-lock brakes because it has a different compression. My question, if I didn't give a fig about the Anti-Lock feature could I just rum with Silicone fluid? Would that be better, worse or the same in the Teves system maintaince regimen. Thanks, Murray

II recently had the dreaded "it sometimes works" issue with my 90 Vert, headlights. Contacted Mr. Eaton for a Headlight Motor, Long story short, the entire transaction was done quickly and it couldn't have been more professional. it's easy to forget how lucky we are to have a cadre of great support people furnishing advice and parts. Thanks, Barney Murray

To quote from older post "I have headlight repair KITS.........they include a new STEEL bellcrank, three of the plastic rollers for inside the motor, a plastic nut for the UP-STOP screw, instructions, and shipping for $40 per KIT (need a KIT for each headlight) If the headlight motors have never been opened, you might have one or more of the hex screws snap off.....especially if the car was driven in rust belt winters..... For anyone that has a problem opening the motors, or no shop or tools.........I offer rebuilt motors for $50 exchange (I need your old motor so it can be rebuilt for the next Reatta owner that needs one)" From Ronnie ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have a bad passenger side HL motor that I can send to TX but i need address and price , I e-mailed The address Ronnie has in the Forums fix-it section and no reply, I assume its an older email. Thanks, Murray

Hello, I've been told that the entire Reatta body is fiberglass like the Corvette. I very vaguely remember reading some review years ago that it has a plastic type body, different than fiberglass; is this true? Is the Reatta body repairable BTW ? Thanks, Murray

Well Barney, I guess I am on the other side on this. I also have a flock of cars, 4 collector cars and 3 moderns, but one is in Florida. I simply like driving an old car and unless it’s raining, the Reatta is my choice. It isn’t as flashy as the Chevelle Vert and won’t win an AACA Grand National like the Speedster but it is an easy ride. The Reatta sits in the small 3rd car garage in front; very easy access. It’s been hot and the Air is a huge plus. I bought the car 3 years ago as a reliable Summer-Daily-Driver and that’s how I use and enjoy it. In Upstate NY where I live, I’m in very rural, rolling hill country in less than 5 miles of driving. I often find myself on an errand to a Home Depot 2 miles away taking a 30-mile roundabout “ride” to get there. Of course, the most important Reatta-Plus is that Wifey absolutely loves it. To her it’s the essence of Chic while my much more collector type cars are simply old; She humors me when we use them but never gives me the “eye” when we use the Reatta, go figure. As I write this my new SUV sits in the driveway, unused for the last 10 days. Enjoy the Ride, Murray

On U-tube anyone can say he is an expert. We are in an era when a so called "DR." Phil can play being a therapist.

Funny you should ask Kevin, I also have a 1970 Chevelle and itis also a perfect match on the dash trim Murray

For some reason the chrome color edge on the instrument / radio surround was marked up so it looked chipped. I tried a silver pen and it did not look right, too silver. when I plugged in "chrome paint pen" in google a bunch came up. I purchased the KRYLON SHORT CUT one on Amazon. it's a perfect match, chrome look and really easy to use with a tapered, wide brosh end. It's a little thing but looking at it whenever I got into the car was annoying. For $8 delivered I'm happy. Murray

Reatta Convertible made the list, The Black is just stunning in my opinion Murray https://blog.consumerguide.com/most-expensive-american-cars-of-1990/

Thanks for the post Ron. Inside of this article is a quick-link that takes you to a Motor trend writing from 2006' --- I found this one also interesting Murray https://www.motortrend.com/news/c12-0606-future-classic/SEE AL

I agree with you on everything you said except perhaps the Teves. I have had zero problems with mine but lordy, just looking at the sensors, motors and such that comprise it then comparing it to the simplicity of the standard system makes you think of Rube-Goldberg. More parts to accomplish the same thing isn't consumer friendly and I think a great contributor to the Reatta 's reputation as unreliable. I guess we agree to disagree. Murray

I wrote this for our local Car-Club newsletter, Thought it might be of interest. My Reatta Journey I had considered the possibility of using an Antique car as a “daily-driver” vehicle for quite a while, I’m not a truck person but the “Old car Daily-Driver” idea percolated in the back of my head for a while. My situation is that I spend winters in the South and there my old car fun is replaced with lots of beach time and golf. By the time I return in late April I want nothing more than to get behind the wheel of one of my antique cars. Alas, as you might know, Upstate New York weather isn’t always conducive to driving our shiny, pampered “show” cars hence my search for a “daily” driver. At a Fall Carlisle show I tripped across a car that I saw as a perfect “Daily-Driver” but didn’t quite pull the trigger on it, a Reatta convertible. My last car purchase at Carlisle was my Mid-year Corvette roadster, part of a delayed-onset-midlife-crisis and also a spur of the moment thing. I guess I’m an impulse buyer guy but I needed to spend a bit more time considering my everyday old car idea. As with most things in life you must weigh a number of factors before picking your “daily-driver”. In my case I knew I wanted a presentable car that was different than today’s bland, lookalike new cars; it had to stand out from the sea of sameo-sameo we see on our roads today. Of course, it had to be safe and my minimum criteria was radial tires, seat belts, a dual brake master cylinder and the ability to cruise the Interstates at 70 MPH; keeping up with traffic flow on any tour is a major safety concern in my opinion. While I presently have two GM collector cars it’s no secret that I’m a great admirer of the offerings from the little independent car companies and I was very taken with a friends little Rambler. It was the right size and configuration to fit into today’s driving, fast enough for traffic and just a bit outside of the “popular” collector car market. What you're then faced with is a brand outside of the big-three, kinda commodity cars, I’m good with that because like most antique car guys I’m already a neighborhood curiosity, that odd guy who prefers driving old iron; I’ve had Hudson’s, Austin-Healy’s and presently have a nice Studebaker Speedster. Of course, the economics of driving an antique car every day are important. There is always the economic reality of car ownership. Using an antique car daily avoids the financial tragedy of depreciation. Buying a new car is a major transaction that differs from buying a home; a home is expected to appreciate even while it’s in daily use. A new car though is a rapidly depreciating asset. Using an antique car on a daily basis instead of a new car upends the depreciation scale as you drive a car that is unlikely to depreciate; if you would rather drive an Antique car, this rationale might impress the wife. As I surfed the net one night, I tripped across a 1990 Buick Reatta located at a Dealers showroom in Indiana. It was a red Convertible (I have 2 red cars already) and looked just so “neat”. I pulled the plug and put a deposit on it. A couple of Studebaker Forum buddies were good enough to take it out for a test drive and give it a good inspection. I purchased it on their recommendation; the ultimate “Blind-Date.” The car was a low mileage, one owner car that must have lived its life in a garage; there isn’t even surface rust underneath it. Everything worked and even the pessimist in me couldn’t find a single issue. As I started the research that I should have done before buying the Reatta, a few surprises showed up. I didn’t know that the car was essentially hand built in a makeshift warehouse on wooden pallets, designed as a very upmarket, luxury 2-passanger coupe, that explained the $37K price in 1990. It wasn’t a sales hit as people didn’t see a need for an expensive Buick that could only accommodate 2-people. The running gear was off the shelf GM, tried and true except for the brakes. I wanted a drop-top and the Miata was too small and Mustangs too common. The Reatta sported a way, over-complicated Teves braking unit combined with a very new Anti-Lock brake system. The Teves system uses a pump that pressurizes an accumulator through various switches and sensors; the unit originated in England, think Lucas, what could possibly go wrong? On the AACA Reatta forum I noticed that most questions involved the brakes and lack of replacement parts. I actually reconsidered my purchase, better to admit a mistake than live one. I was used to Chevelle’s and Corvette’s where vendor catalogs were a couple of inches thick and offered every conceivable part you could need; the Reatta wasn’t in this class. Yet, I couldn’t deny that the car was simply a delight to drive, a good looking, air conditioned, antique car. The convertible top needed only a couple of minute drop time, didn’t require an Engineering degree to operate and the braking system worked great. On the Reatta Forum I found that most brake problems were due to high mileage, many over 200K. and that the system was peculiarly prone to fail if one didn’t change the brake fluid every year or so. As for parts the Forum had many very helpful people who had spare parts like brake pumps and switches, for not a lot of money I put together enough parts to pretty much replace anything on the Teves system. After 4 years (9K miles) I haven’t had anything that required repair on the car. I did spring for 1991 style rims only because I liked them. In short, I guess the Buick Designers would have been better served by just staying with a Vacuum Power Brake system, they actually went back to it in 1991, but I suspect that they didn’t plan for the cars to be on the road for 30+ years. I find it funny that my Nephew owns a Buick Dealership and none of his mechanics will touch the Teves braking system. All that being said, I love the car and I’m glad I bought it. When I first registered the car, I just added it to my Antique car policy but I’ve since rethought this and put it on my State-Farm policy. The difference in cost is very slight because we are two drivers that now have four cars insured with them. By the way, there is a very significant price break on car insurance if each car is driven 7500 miles or less. I found that out by receiving an e-mail from my Wife’s new Buick saying, “I’ve noticed you're not driving me much; if you go to your State-Farm agent you’re due a discount.” You have to wonder how my Buick knows I’m insured with State-Farm? I won’t be getting any e-mail hints from my Reatta. My first outing I got caught in the rain and panic set in. Riding in the elements made me reflect on the original owner of the car. These original folks typically owned this car as their daily transport; that means that people drove these cars in the rain and yikes, even in the snow. There was no choice. The rain made me think about causing rust. But then I considered that in 30+ years no sign of rust top or bottom, has yet appeared and I’m personally well into my seventh decade so I resolved to drive it and just enjoy the ride whether in sunshine or rain; that didn’t work as I fell in love with the car and try never to be out in the “weather.” So, there it is, for very small bucks I’m driving a 30- year-old, distinctive, hand-built automobile that transcends the jelly-bean shaped cars of today. In just the few years, I’ve been using the car I cannot believe the amount of interest it has drawn in gas stations and parking lots. It seems that everyone loves a, old car. Drive an interesting old car in good condition and people will stop, look, and engage you in conversation. It’s all for a very good reason, new cars are massively competent, capable, fast, efficient and reliable but many people are coming to the conclusion that they lack a soul, they are a transportation conveyance like an elevator and won't tug your heartstrings like a well-sorted antique car will. There is also a certain joy in driving a car that’s perfectly content to let you have the controls, you're the driver and the car won’t correct you; it’s great to motor along secure in the knowledge that if you pass wind there won’t be an annoying chime to announce it. Yes, It has all been great fun, motor on, relax, and enjoy the ride! Murray