Jim

And we all drank green beer on St. Patricks day.

Maybe I should buy it for my daughter. My wife is driving a polo green, both my sons have polo greens, and I have a green parts car. Only my daughter doesn't have one in our family.

About 2 weeks ago I repainted the wheels and center caps on my '91. I went to an automotive paint store and they looked up in the paint book the correct paint code for the 91 wheels. I sanded the wheels and completely removed all the paint from the center caps. I used a base coat and a urethane clear and they came out very nice. Tape over the center emblem and then using your finger nail cut around the center emblem to remove the excess masking tape. Same on the clear coated aluminum edges of the wheels. I am away from home for a week so I can't tell you the exact paint code right now but it was in the PPG code book.

inthespot, It looks like I am going to leave Duluth and go to the Pittsburgh area on my way to Columbia/Charlotte. I can go through Nashville or Knoxville on my way home. I will be driving my pick up so I can bring a windshield with me. I would be passing through your area on about April 8th or 9th.

Usually I go down to Bloomington/Normal and try to avoid Chicago and their exhorbitant toll roads but can do. I don't mind traveling 80 MPH bumper to bumper but stopped dead on Chicago freeways drives me crazy and the fact that they charge for the pleasure makes me take a second blood pressure pill. As it turns out I think I am going to go via Pittsburgh anyway so through Chicago is the shortest way. Send me an email and I will respond. Jim

I have several good used windshields but will not ship one because they are so fragile. I going to be driving from Duluth MN to Columbia South Carolina leaving here on about April 3rd and can bring one with or drop one off somewhere along basically a straight route between here and there. I will be going to the swap meet in Charlotte NC the following weekend. If someone can meet me along this route and needs a windshield I can be reached at jfinn@cpinternet.com

If the window goes up and down all the way and is quiet but slow the motor/regulator is probably good and all you need to do is lubricate all the tracks that the window slides in. This means taking off the door panel. On the '88-89s it could also be a bad window switch. Sometimes, because the switch is located on the console, dirt gets into the switch and it doesn't work properly. The switch can be taken apart and cleaned. If the window goes up and down but stops, usually on the way up, and starts moving the window again after a minute or so, the the motor is bad and overheating and cutting out. Dirty and unlubricated tracks also can compound a weak motor. If the window makes noises going up or down or if it stops in the same place going down then the regulator is bad. Motors can be replaced but are riveted to the regulator and there is also a large spring involved. I have several Reatta parts cars and have good motor/regulator units available. I can be reached at jfinn@cppinternet.com

It starts the next day on April 6th thru the 9th. The whole race track is full cars for sale and there is another lot outside with hundreds more for sale. The infield is all swap meet.

Thanks guys, I wish I was in Hawaii. I will be going to the big car show/swapmeet at Lowe's Motor Speedway in a couple of weeks and it is reported there will be a very nice Maui blue '90 Reatta convertible there for sale. I will now try and put out the fire.

When the IPCs go bad they work and then don't and then work again and then don't. 99% of the time it is a bad IPC. I am sure you will get to use the one you bought on eBay.

I just got an email from Toni Hunt telling me that the '91 convertible he sold finally arrived in New Zealand. A quote from the new owners "We are really thrilled with the Reatta it was just as it was represented". The new owners went on to say the car will be converted to right hand drive per government regulations and also the car had to be steam cleaned just to enter the country. Another quote from them "Its been a pleasure to deal with totally honest people" My thoughts---------- Toni has always done a first class job describing the conditon of his cars and has always been a credit to our little Reatta group.

The most common item to go bad in the '90-91 Reattas is the IPC ( instrument panel cluster)and when it goes bad you get the symptoms exactly as you describe. It is very easy to replace it and the only tool you would need is a #15 torx driver. This is the same size as the screws that hold the bezels around the headlights. You simply remove the trim panel in front of the IPC and then the the 4 screws that hold the IPC in place. If you still can't do it yourself ask the neighbor rather than pay the GM dealer. It's about a 10 minute job. I have good used IPCs and can be reached at jfinn@cpinternet.com If you are interested include your Postal Code for shipping costs.

Jon, In a couple of minutes I will email you some pictures of the inside of a '90 headlight switch. I have found when taking these apart it is always a good idea to have the headlight switch in the operated (on) position. If it is in the off position it can all fall apart when taking off the outer cover. Same thing when reassembling it, leave the headlight switch in the ON position before replacing the main cover with the buttons in it. Jim

I received the following email from a person wanting to sell his Reatta. I have a 1988 Buick Reatta red that I bought new in 1988 it has 37,000 miles on it. It has been garage stored and covered for the last 10 years it is in excellent cond. I need to sell it and I am asking $ 20,000 for it. e-mail me at marvin62@earthlink.net I live in S.L.C. Utah

Pressing and holding the OFF and temp UP button will put you into the diagnostic mode. The codes will read out digitally in the area where the odometer is normally. You can scroll through the EC, BC etc codes by using the fan up and down switch. Yes up No down. When you are done you can either turn off the key or press the first button to the right of the fan switch. If your IPC is going black and you are getting an electrical problem detected you have a bad IPC. This is the most common part to go bad in the '90 and newer Reattas. You will need to replace it. I have some good ones and can be reached at jfinn@cpinternet.com

George, you have too much time on your hands. I am going to send you some projects. Carole, the post was typed so nicely, you need to send George to typing school so he can do his own.

I would like to buy one of those new Cadillac XLRs or what ever they are called. I will go as high as $ 2000.

Bob, I cannot tell you what the original looked like and am pretty sure an exact duplicate is no longer available but I do know for judging at a BCA meet all that is required is to have a Delco battery in the car.

On the '88-89s the inverter in the upper corner of the dash only iluminates the background lights on the switch modules on either side of the IPC. The inverter in the console lights up the window switch, mirror switch and the shift panel. The '90-91s do not use an inverter but light up individually. If your IPC (tach, speedometer odometer etc ) does not light up, the IPC has gone bad and will need to be replaced. I have good ones and can be reached at jfinn@cpinternet.com

If you want to stay with original parts one of my '91 parts cars has a very nice muffler and pipe on it. I can be reached at jfinn@cpinternet.com Between the time of my original post and now, the email address I provided was incorrect. It is now correct.

I have several Reatta parts cars and have the trim strip you need. I can be reached at jfinn@cpinternet.com

Thanks guys for the recommendation. I do have several Reatta parts cars and can be reached at jfinn@cpinternet.com

I have several Reatta parts cars and have some good used harmonic balancers. I can be reached at jfinn@cpinternet.com

As the cars get older some of the parts naturally deteriorate and the parking light lenses and the chrome housings are one of those parts. I will have to double check but I am sure I have some nice appearing parking light assemblies. I can be reached at jfinn@cpinternet.com

The most common part to go bad in the '88-89 Reattas is the CRT/touch screen and the most common problem with it is the screen will go black. From my experience it is not a loose connection but one of the internal chips on the circuit board. I have several Reatta parts cars and have good working CRT/touch screens available. I can be reached at jfinn@cpinternet.com