ol' yeller
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Posts posted by ol' yeller
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If no one else previous to me takes the headlight switch, I'll take it. I also need a steering wheel (wheel only) to use while I send mine out to be re-covered. If you are willing to separate it from the column. Color and condition are unimportant. You may PM me at gmpowersfam@comcast.net. Thanks.
Greg
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Much Better. Sorry
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Well that didn't work!!!
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and updating my sig
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The car has sat undisturbed for 8 years in a garage. It is my understanding that if the AC isn't used regularly, seals dry out and the refrigerant leaks out. That is why most of the cars made in the last 20 years use refrigerated air in the defrost (and it is drier air). You can see the track marks of the freon around the clutch on the compressor. You can also see the track marks on the other components. The shop I use is trustworthy and I don't think they were trying to take advantage of me, they just have an overhead they have to cover. The only expensive piece is the compressor. That is why the ones I have seen on ebay intrigues me. I have never been one for a solution to a mechanical solution from a can. I do have to admit however, that Bar Stop Leak did save me a few dollars back about 40 years ago.
I'm thinking that for just under $400 I could get this job done myself and do it when I have the time and the money. I'd still like to hear if anyone has had an experience with the ebay compressors. Thanks for all the advice. You folks are the greatest!
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The mystery of the wheels was solved today. My local Les Schawb identified these as aftermarket Enkies from wayback in the late '80s early '90s. I am still on the hunt for 2 center caps. I'll probably ride with these for a while while I look for something better. I did replace the tires with new TOYO Trovenos (SP?). It sure rides much better.
I got some bad news today from my local AC shop. They want close to $1,000 to fix the AC. They showed me where the leaks were. I need a new compressor, a new receiver drier, a new orifice tube, and a new high pressure schrader valve, and about 3.5# of R12. Now I'm really glad the car came with a sunroof! I am deciding whether or not to install the new parts myself and then have them charge the system. I am a lousy diagnostician on these newer cars but a pretty fair wrench. I can buy a reman compressor locally for about $240. Has anyone bought one of those compressors on ebay? They are running about $140 for a reman plus about $40 for shipping. The rest of the stuff is pretty cheap and readilly available.
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The wheel trim is cheap stick on plastic. As the chrome has peeled off a couple of them, I will probably just remove it. I'll have to check the pic to see what you are saying but the door is in alignment and the pinstripe lines up as it should. I bought the car from the second owner who has had it since it had 6,000 miles on it. He said it had been in 1 minor accident in the front that required the front bumper cover to be repainted and then produced receipts showing that.
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Thanks Barney, You da man, well at least, you da Reatta man. I had a 98 Regal with the chrome wheels and I thought they looked sharp.
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If I did this right, here are some pics of my new purchase. Do those seats look like they have 146,000 miles on them? I wanted a Maui Blue Coupe with a sunroof and CD player. I didn't expect to get them all especially given the scarcity of Reattas here in the Great Northwet. The ugly Corvette wheels were not on my wishlist! The overall condition of this car is fantastic.
Greg
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I don't mean to keep picking brains here but being the proud new owner of my '90 Reatta, I am finding I have a lot of questions. My car has ugly Corvette wheels on it. I'd like to install the chrome Buick wheels that I had on my 98 Regal GS. I am pretty sure they were 16" wheels. Would these work on the Reatta? I think the wheel size for the Reatta is 5X115 from what I saw when I searched this forum. I'm not sure what size the GS wheels are but I suspect they may be the same. What size tires should I install so as to not throw off the Speedo too much? Has anyone installed these wheels on their Reatta? Thanks.
Greg
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Thanks but wheels cost too much to ship especially when the tires are still mounted and you are across the country from me(I'm in WA). I would prefer to buy something locally as I can inspect them prior to paying for shipping and return shipping if I didn't like them.
I will probably put aftermarket wheels on it anyway as I don't really care for the original wheel look myself. I was asking because I had the opportunity to buy some locally but I wasn't sure about tire sizes. Thanks again.
Greg
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Thanks guys, I'll pass on these.
Greg
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I have done a search here and didn't find an answer to my question. I just bought my '90 and I don't even have it home yet. It has ugly Corvette wheels (with no center caps) and the tires are at least 8 years old and probably a lot older. I have an opportunity to pick up some aftermarket wheels with Toyo tires already mounted for a real bargain (I love Toyo tires). The problem is that the tires are 215/75/15. All the posts I found discussing tire sizes are 50, 60, or even 65 for the middle number. I went to calculator that gave the specs for each size but without the car it is impossible for me to determine if they will work. Will a 75 series tire work for the '90 Reatta? These are a really good bargain that I'd hate to pass up but if they won't work I guess they wouldn't be too much of a bargain. Thanks.
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OK you convinced me. I bought the car this morning. I will be picking it up on Tuesday. The tranny shifts very well with no slippage and the fluid was bright colored with no burn smell. If I could get another 50 K with no major expense it will be well worth the effort. After looking at so many trashy Reattas, some high dollar and some lowbuck, this one stands above them all. The only other problem is that someone installed some Corvette wheels (90's?)on it and they are missing the center caps. I will probably put some aftermarket wheels on it but does anyone have an idea what the Vette wheels would sell for on Craig's List? I don't know if they are desirable or not. Thanks everyone for your help.
Greg
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I should have mentioned that this would be my 2nd Reatta. I bought 2 of the service manuals when I had my last Reatta. Unfortunately I think I gave both of them away to fellow Reatta lovers when I sold it. I bought 2 because in my old age dotage, I forgot I had bought one earlier. Such is life... If this pans out tomorrow, I'll be rejoining the Reatta Division and I'll post pics of the new car. Just curious how you knew it was Maui Blue?
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I have an appointment tomorrow AM. My thought was also that mechanical repair is cheaper and easier then body repair and hunting for interior parts made of unobtainium. I am trying to get a feel for how long could I expect from the drivetrain if it is well maintained. You experience is very helpful. I looked at the car this morning and called him back this afternoon. I guess I have made my decision and now I want to feel good about it
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Just a clarification, it isn't a check engine light, it is a "Service AC System" light. Thanks.
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I have been looking for a nice 90-91 Reatta for several months now. Today I found a car that was in my price range, had everything I wanted (sunroof & CD player), is in my preferred color combo and is in very good condition. It passed the brake test with flying colors, the windshield is good, the original paint has some chips but overall is very nice after 18 years. The interior is clean and in very good condition. Even the steering wheel looks good! The only problem is that it has 145K on the car. I know the 3800 is a great motor. It runs, drives, steers and stops as it should. Could I expect to get another 50-60 on the drivetrain? It appears to be well cared for and the current owner has had it since it had 20K on it. They are asking $3K for it. The only problem I could find was the service AC light was on. I can live with that at this price. What do you guys think? All the Reattas I have looked at are really beat even with 40K fewer miles. I am seriously thinking of getting this one.
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Excellent website. I wish I knew of it when I had my Regal GS. Thanks.
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I'm looking for a daily driver so my '99 F250 V10 can rest in the driveway and think about its fuel consuming sins. I've searched the forums here and didn't find much about these newer Rivis. I was considering a Reatta but they are too hard to come up with here in the Great Northwet for a reasonable price in good condition. I know about the supercharged 3800 as I did have a '98 Regal GS that I loved. The only problem I had with that car was the seat heaters wore out very quickly. Anyway I have an opportunity to get a '96 with a little over 100K on it for a song. What should I look out for? I will be having the car checked by a trusted mechanic but I'd like to make sure this is a good one before I spend the money to have it checked. I know how to check brakes, give the sniff test to the ATF and how to check out the engine. Is there anything else that is trouble prone on this model? I guess I'd have to get used to premium gas again but 22-30 MPG is a lot better than 12.
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I'll keep looking. Most of the ones I find have well over 150K on them which is too high for me. They also seem to all want over $6K for them. My first Reatta is for sale right now. It now has 110K on it which isn't too bad. He repainted it and it appears to be a decent job. The interior is getting pretty worn and the car was originally from the Chicago area. It did have some rust issues but I am sure the cosmetic ones were repaired prior to the repaint. It is the noncosmetic rust that has me worried. He is asking $6K for it but I feel that it is probably a $3-3.5K car so we are too far apart. I feel somewhat justified in my pricing as he has had the car for sale for well over a year now with no offers. It is burgandy in color. I would take just about any color except meybe white. I'd love to find a Maui Blue one.
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Well, now I'm pretty disappointed. The car was ridden hard and put away wet. I couldn't justify buying it so I guess I'll have to keep looking. They are pretty hard to find here in the Northwest. At least for a nice car at a good price. I bought my first out of Chicago. It seems they are pretty plentiful there, Ohio and Florida, all too far for me. Oh well.
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Saturday I am going to look at a '90 Coupe. If it is anywhere close to the description, I'll be back among my Reatta brothers. I had a '90 Coupe a couple of years ago so I do know what to look out for. I ran a Carfax and found no issues there. I needed something to get around in that got better mileage than my V10 F250 and yet still has class. When I found this one it seemed like it was meant to be. I will run the brake test and check out the other big Reatta problem areas. The seller claims the A/C needs a charge but I am figuring there are other problems with it as they just don't lose a charge without a leak somewhere. I may have to knock off a couple bucks just in case. The only other problem he stated was a slow passenger window. I replaced the motor in my last Reatta so I know that drill. I also found the VIN number in the data base. If I do buy it, how do I update the info? If it all works out, I'll be sending in my membership dues again. I guess I'm kinda pumped. Thanks for listening.
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OK, this is what I need to know. If $4,500 is too low and $8,500 is too much, what is a fair price for the car given a salvage title. To answer a previous question, I think here in WA you get a "Rebuilt" title when the work is complete and inspected by the State Patrol after the car is "totaled" by the insurance company. The title will say "Rebuilt" but everyone calls it a salvage title. The car has been well repaired cosmetically but I haven't yet gotten close enough to inspect it prior to making an offer. For this exercise, assume the car has been fixed correctly and the only defect it has is the word "Rebuilt" on the title. If I find otherwise, I wouldn't be interested. What is a "Rebuilt" '90 Reatta convertible with 90K miles worth? What is a non salvage similar convertible worth? Again, I am only asking about purchase price today, not future "rare" car appreciation. Thanks.
Need Temporary Steering Wheel
in Buick Reatta
Posted
I'm sending out the wheel in my new '90 Reatta to be recovered. In place of leaving the car sit for the week or so I was wondering if anyone has an old wheel they'd like to sell me (or loan me if you want it back) while mine is being repaired. Color isn't important nor is condition as I will only be using it for a week or so. Anyone?? Thanks.