ol' yeller
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Posts posted by ol' yeller
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Pardon a dumb question from a boy from the suburbs but how do you get it to stick to the cow?
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Barney, that remark made me chuckle out loud.
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Whoa, chill. I was defending people I see attacked one sided here. I was very careful not to call anyone a liar. I merely stated that here are 2 sides to every story and the truth is usually in between. We have only heard one side. It is clear that AWBE is frustrated and has given up trying to resolve this problem. I volunteered to talk to Buick World to help him resolve the problem as I think that there is a reason why this has gotten to this point. It may not even be a good reason but I don't know that, nor does anyone else, but I was willing to help mediate the situation. It is apparrent to me that AWBE is getting his $85 worth of satisfaction by his complaint he registered here. Therefore he has gotten his money's worth in my opinion and I wash my hands of it. Geesh, ya try to help some people...I will not be posting further on this topic.
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John,<P>Just because something is stated doesn't make it a fact. I will reserve judgement until I hear Buick World's side. They probably aren't even aware this discussion is taking place, much less have an opportunity to respond. One sided b****ing doesn't make a coherant argument in my opinion.
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AWBE, I understand your anger, I'd be upset too if what you claim is happening is actually happening. There are always 2 sides to every story and the truth is usually somewhere between the 2. Trashing someone's reputation here in this forum where they probably aren't even aware it is taking place is just plain unfair. I know these guys personally and what you claim just doesn't jibe with what I know about them. I am going out there today and I will talk to Jim about your rant. I have no personal stake in their business, I just see 3 guys trying to make a go at providing nice Buick parts to us hobbists. They definately seem to be very interested in customer service. I like others posting here have bought from them since they bought out The Buick Specialist's stock and have come away perfectly happy. No business is going to have 100% happy customers. My suggestion to give them a break and a try was directed to other readers of this forum. Obviously you have made up your mind.<P>AK Buickman, these guys bought out the stock of Buick Specialist. They are not Buick Specialist. This company is under new management so any complaints you had with Buick Specialist is moot.
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I hate to see someone get trashed like this. Buick World does have a large inventory. I have seem about half of it. It is mostly used parts. If you think anyone keeps an inventory of all the rubber for all Buicks you are not aware how the industry works. Everyone buys from a few suppliers. The guys have sorted through 20 storage sites and have another 18 yet to unload & inventory. It is a huge task. The previous management left them a big mess to sort through. That doesn't excuse them from not refunding promptly. That being said, I know Jim, Gibb & Richard, and I don't believe that they are pocketing money and not taking care of business. Once they have sorted out what they have, you will be amazed at the treasure trove of nice old Buick parts. If you drive them out of business before they get their feet under them, most of these parts will probably be lost forever to a dump somewhere. These guys have a huge financial reason to make this work. Give them a break and also a try.
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Thanks Barney, that's what I needed to know. I am not an electronics specialist but I do understand how to open a circuit and isolate components. It sure helps to know where the componets are and what color wire I am tracing at those locations. I knew you folks would come through. I'll let you know what I find.
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Ductune, I think you are right as I didn't see the resistor in the schematic drawing for the cornering lights. It appears that I must either have an open in the harness somewhere or a defective switch. Adefective switch is hard to believe as the left side works great. Maybe the previous owner lived somewhere he could only make right turns...I will have to have the column taken apart anyway as it has the dreaded tilt wheel sloppyness so maybe I'll take it in and have both problems fixed at once. I really don't want to disassemble the tilt column, too many spring loaded little pieces.
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I don't have power on the orange wire at the harness with the lights on. I used a test light so the condition of the bulb doesn't matter. I do have a ground. All the other lamps in that harness work as they are supposed to. I noticed in my manual schematic something called the the cornering/turn signal resistor on the core support. Could this be the problem? It appears that there is only one for both sides. If not a broken wire in the harness somewhere, could it be the switch or the flasher? I would think the flasher would effect all lights however. Finally is the turn signal switch and the cornering light switch one and the same as I suspect it is? It looks like it will be a bugger to replace the turn signal switch.
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Yes, according to the manual, they only come on with either the headlights or parking lights. That is how the left one works. The right one just doesn't work at all, no power to harness.???
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On my 90 I had a devil of a time this weekend trying to fix a lamp that has been out on my car since I bought it. It is the right cornering lamp. I spent 2 hours Sunday disassembling the front end to get the whole assembly out to check the bulbs (big hands, small spaces, hidden fasteners). Anyway, after finding a burned out bulb I went to the parts house and got a replacement ($10 Ouch!) plugged it in and it wouldn't light. All the other lights in the assembly work but the halogen cornering lamp won't. I have no power to the harness plug for the assembly. I do have a ground. In my somewhat worthless New Product Manual I found a schematic that doesn't show separate fuses for each side. I should also mention that my dash turn indicators always start flashing with the outside lights and then begin to miss a turn or two or several. This happens for both sides although the left cornering lamp works fine. Also, this car was in a front end wreck before I bought it so it is possible there may be some harness damage somewhere. Any suggestions where to start? Thanks in advance.
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Congrats on your purchase. I was in your shoes about this time last year. I bought my 1990 coupe in Chicago and drove it home to Seattle with bad struts. It was so bad I almost regretted making the purchase. When I got home I took my car to Les Schwab, a west coast tire store, and had them replace all the struts, replace all the brakes and put new top of the line Toyo tires and aftermarket wheels on it. They complained a little bit about how rusted some of the fasteners were but they did a good job. I'm glad I didn't tackle that big a job first thing myself or it may have soured me on the car altogether. Good luck with your Reatta. I hope you enjoy yours at least half as much as I enjoy mine.
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I did it! Man it looks great! If I had the correct tools (a Torx bit in a socket rather than a Torx screwdriver) it would have gone faster. There isn't much clearance there. I was more than a little nervous while handling the airbag and on restart after assembly, but nothing blew-up in my face. <P>My understanding is that when the ECM loses power, it goes to default values there it stays until it "relearns" how you drive and how that particular engine functions. This is a relatively short period but someone with greater electronic skills than I would have to say how long(or even if I know what I am talking about). I would think that it would idle though. Mine restarted great. Thanks everyone for your advice.
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Thanks Barney, Last night I looked up in my somewhat worthless New Product manual and found the procedure. They also recommend that you disconnect the battery for at least 10 minutes before you begin. I will put the new wheel on today.<P>I am very pleased with these guys as they build the new wheels for some new car manufacturers. When I get to that point, I will send them the wheel for my '69 Riv to pad and cover in leather for a sharp different kind of look. It ain't cheap but little worth having is.
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The one ugly thing on my 1990 coupe was the ratty, shredded leather steering wheel. I did a search on this forum and found American Stitches recommended by Barney. They did a fantastic job on a spare wheel I located at a wrecking yard with only a 5 day turnaround (not counting shipping). They have a discount for Reatta BCA members too. I can't wait to put the new wheel on my car but I need to search here for instructions on dealing with an airbag (a new experience for me). I know I have seen postings here in the past. If there are any gotchas that you want to share, please let me know. It would be a shame to have a beautiful steering wheel with a blown airbag!
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Reattadudes, Mine is AWD. if it was 2wd I couldn't sell it here in the Northwest. As for my pricing, I checked Kelly Blue Book, Edmunds and NADA and all say my price is in the ballpark if not low. If I can't get what I want, I'll keep it. You can only get what the other guy is willing to pay. Conversely, a seller won't sell if he doesn't get what he needs as well. The Firestone thing has caused some reluctance but here in the Northwest the SUV is still king of the market and the Explorer/Mountaineer is the best seller of the SUVs. My comments were sort of echoing yours as I agree the dealer does have more expenses to sell a trade-in and there are costs that you assume if you want to sell it yourself. I rate a dealer as good to deal with if they are honest and upfront with you. When they play games with invoices and trade-in values and monthly payments, I walk. I have never expected to win on both ends of the deal when I buy a new car. I deal honestly with them and once they discover that I am an informed buyer, they usually make the deal at $100-200 over dealer invoice. They make enough money from that deal to pay everyone concerned and meet their overhead, considering the dealer holdback.
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I have had both good and bad dealings with new car dealers. The best defense is to be informed. I always research the invoice price on edmunds.com before I begin any negotiation for a new car. Make sure you find and calculate into the equation any rebates for the buyer and the dealer which are subtracted from my bottom line. While you may find some dealers won't sell at that price (usually $100-200 over invoice) you will always find one who will (hot selling models excepted). NEVER buy a new car based upon what the monthly payment is! As to trade-ins, reattadude is right, all you can expect is the wholesale or trade-in book value. Know what the payoff amount is if you still owe money on it. Most dealers make more money in the used car lot than the new car lot for that reason. What you have to weigh when thinking about trading-in is what it would take for you to sell your car yourself. Factor in that the used car market is flooded right now with all the trade-ins dealers took with their 0% interest frenzy and that all the rental agencys are depleting their fleets so you don't have very good leverage right now as the supply is greater than the demand. Add to that having the great unwashed treking to your door, driving your car and your time to deal with this and maybe wholesale value doesn't look too bad to you. That being said I am currently trying to sell my 1999 Mountaineer with only 35K miles privately for $18,500. It is completely loaded and perfect as well as having 1,000 miles left on the factory warranty. I have gotten 1 call and no one has looked at it. In the Northwest these SUVs used to sell like hotcakes. Education is the key to keeping as much of your money as you can in these deals. Go to the library and check out some of the books written about how to negotiate for a new car.
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Our chapter toured to the new location of Buick World on last Saturday. These guys do have a ton of Buick stuff. They have sorted and identified about half of what they have. There are still 18 warehouses to unload and catalog. I wouldn't hold my breath for a cataloged website as they have their hands full for the next several months just identifying and storing what they have. Also they are not the old Buick Specialist. True, many of those who worked for the old Buick Specialist are working or are now owners of Buick World and the inventory was purchased from the old Buick Specialist, but the management has changed. With the change is a great new attitude of customer service and the drive to make the enterprise a success. I have no financial tie to them so this post is completely unsolicited. As a hobby, we need to support people who stock the stuff we need for our old Buicks or soon all this stuff will end up in a landfill somewhere and we can't get the parts we need to keep our cars on the road. Give them a try.
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Does anyone have the plastic piece that covers the area from the front of the car to over the radiator. This piece is under the hood. Mine is a 1990 if that makes a difference. I don't have another Reatta to verify that this piece is missing but it sure looks like there should be something there. My car was in a front end wreck in the past so I think they just left this piece off. As a reference, when you look down you can see the power steering cooler. I hope I explained this well enough.<P>Greg
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Alan I too am a little confused as to what you mean by rear shelf area. Do you mean the floor area behind the seats that have the 2 storage hatches in it? I would be very interested in a complete carpet set (both front & rear) and the elusive leather seat upholstery. I don't need either now but I am willing to buy it now just to have it when I will need it. BTW mine is the standard interior. I understand the basic rule of supply and demand however. Thanks for your interest in our needs.<P>Greg
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Be glad you don't have a Chrysler product. I bought one of their miserable minivans brand new in 1992. I went through 3 transmissions before 80,000 miles. I never had that high a failure rate in any car I owned. Fortunately the first 2 were replaced under warranty, the third bit me for over $2,000. My wife loved her Voyager but i found their engineering to be pretty poor. It is for that reason and their abysmal dealer support, I will never buy another Chrysler product again.<P>Greg
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Jerry,<P>There is a 12 step program and you are already on step 4! Congrats on your new purchase. When you reach step 12, you become the curator of the Reatta convertible Museum.<P>Greg
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This is further proof that education is expensive but no education is even more expensive. I bought one of these manuals some time ago (on ebay) and stuck it away figuring I had gotten one of those elusive manuals that the oldtimers here constantly refer to. Now my bubble is burst when I discover mine is the "New Product Manual". Oh well, at least I was able to recently score a Parts and Illustration Book on ebay as well. Is there some source other than ebay for these complete manuals?
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You're right, rust is not the problem here it is in other parts of the country. On the mid to late 60's GM cars they do rust out around the front & rear windshields as the rain will pool there and eventually eat through. Floorpans too tend to be rusted as the constant dampness from wet feet on unpainted metal encourages the development of the tinworm. You seldom find one that the rear quarters are eaten. <P>I too found an '89 with 75,000 miles and a trashed interior for $5,200 in Puyallup recently. The body & paint were great, dark blue with a tan interior. Padgett, if you ever find yourself on the west side of the mountains let me know and I'll buy you a drink!<P>Greg
Front license bracket needed
in Buick Reatta
Posted
When I got my '90 it didn't have a front plate. There were two start holes in the rubber strip on the front bumper but you had to really look to see them. When I discovered that the bracket was NLA from GM and the used ones I saw (on Ebay) were going for $30+ I asked my local GM dealer If I could go through his bin of front license plate holders. I found one that works very well with a little trimming with an exacto knife. It is from a Grand AM and the part number is 22551295 bracket-F 7.800. It lists for $15.50. It has two outriggers that fit between the grille and the lower fascia so you can drill 2 unseen holes to mount it. I found it easier to remove the grille. A little plastic material needs to be removed from the holder so it will slide between the grille and the fascia and the upper mounting holes need to be redrilled in the plastic bracket. It looks like it was a factory installation although I agree a front license plate messes up the car's beautiful lines. I have mentioned this fix a few times in this forum and every time someone else seconds the recommendation. I'm not smart enough to figure out the mapping of a BCM but this is something I can contribute here. If you are intent on originality, then used is the only way to go.