Nittany

I picked up the car on Friday night in Middleboro, MA, about halfway between Boston and Cape Cod. The car had a folder of all the work done by the second owner which is helpful establishing a history of maintenance such as transmission service, oil changes, etc. It also had the original window sticker but unfortunately not the owner's portfolio with the signatures. Mechanically it handled the drive home very well (over 600 miles with a few side trips) and the body and paint is in excellent condition, leading me to believe that it has been garage kept and lovingly maintained. Items that the car need include a new convertible top and it seems to have F-14's issue of white powder coming from the top framework, and the antilock brake light is on . . . the previous owner had the Buick dealership quote him $585 to replace the ABS sensor's at both the left and right front wheel but he did not do the work (although he has done struts and sway bar links, front and rear brakes, 4 new tires, alignment, etc in the last 2 years). Looking at all the receipts, I suspect that the car was expensive to "dealer maintain" and he finally got tired of paying $35 to replace a light bulb or two. I've decided that I do like the red interior with the red exterior and overall the car is all I was hoping for. I know that I 'll be putting some money into it over the next year or two but I can do some of the work myself and that actually adds to the enjoyment. In conclusion, the car really put a smile on my face as I drove home. Nittany

Thanx Bob, I appreciate your good wishes as well as the fact that you understood my "joke" about multiple Reatta . . . it seems that many of us here end up with 2, 3, or more. I've not offered alot of posts because there are so many people here with much more knowledge and experience but I've been a faithful reader for a number of years. When an issue comes up I know I'm not the only person to go through it and I look here first for the valuable information that this community shares. I'm picking up the car tomorrow in Massachusetts and plan to drive it back to South Central Pennsylvania this weekend with a few "rest" stops along the way, approximately 425 miles. Should be a great test of the mechanical condition (I'm not too concerned, I agree with you that it has an awesome powertrain), then we'll have a better idea of what we're getting into. Regarding the color combination, yeah I agree it's "different" and I'm not sure that I like it until I see it! Nittany

I'll let you know . . . I rolled the dice on it last night and I'll be picking it up this weekend! I think it looks a little rough but for $6300 I can afford to make some repairs/improvements including a new top. It joins a '91 Burgundy coupe in the garage . . . I used to laugh when I saw other people buying multiple Reatta's, now I've got the same disease!! Nittany

I've bought 2 of these kits and they worked perfectly, instructions are awesome especially for the novice, thanx again Barney!! Nittany

Thanx to Jim and others for the helpful information . . . in my case, cleaning did work, time will tell for how long!

Hi, I've got a '91 with a slightly different problem . . . maybe somebody knows what to do about this issue: The HVAC system seems tired, if you put the front defroster on, the fan doesn't kick on regardless of temperature, if I manually move the fan to the high setting, it still doesn't engage until 10 - 15 minutes after the car has been running . . . makes it pretty difficult to clear the front windshield of fog/frost . . . does anybody have any suggestions? Thanx, Nittany

Sounds really neat!! Any chance of a picture?? Nittany

Others may disagree, but I would consider doing the power flush . . . you'll be amazed at the crap that comes out of all the nooks and crannys of your cooling system which includes the heater core. Plus, it's a great way to insure that previous lapses in maintenance are addressed (before you bought your Reatta, do you really know how well it was maintained?). Finally, don't be afraid to replace any hoses that look like they've been there a while or all of them. P.S. Do all the power flushing with the old thermostat and hoses in place. Once the system is totally clean, then put your new thermostat and new hoses on. Then fill with the proper mixture. As you're going down the road thinking of mechanical systems that can let you down, you will have eliminated the cooling system from the whatif list!! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> Nittany

Welcome!! You've come to the best site for a Reatta owner/caretaker!! After all, we don't really own them, we're just privileged to take care of these wonderful little cars for a period of time. As mentioned above, acquire a final edition service manual specific to your vehicle. More importantly, learn to use the "SEARCH" function on this site. Almost any issue or concern has been previously addressed by someone and often times the solution has already been offered. Hint: if nothing comes up on your first try, think of another name or way to say it. Congratulations on purchasing one of the best Buicks ever manufactured . . . enjoy the ride!!

As suggested here, check for some basic things before searching deeper. Have the air filter, fuel filter and PCV valve been replaced recently? How about spark plugs? If you start the vehicle in a very dark space (nightime, blacked out garage, etc), you may be able to see electrical arc indicating bad plug wires. If the coil is bad, it will also create the symptoms you describe. You could replace everything described above for less than $200, assuming that you provide the labor. Recommend you do these preventative maintenance items and then report back if you're still having problems. Nittany

How is this thread on topic??? Nittany PS: Sorry Curt, nothing personal intended by the title!! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

A GREAT BIG THANK YOU!!! Howard and Mark, Your Herculean efforts to bring this information to the rest of us is greatly appreciated. Nittany

Just my two cents . . . this is the best thread yet!! PLEASE keep it going!! Nittany

Howard, I am another of those who would truly appreciate your efforts to bring us this information. After reading some of the BS that has come through lately, I strongly encourage you to bring REATTA - related info to the forum! Nittany

Just my two cents: Many of us read this forum because we own and/or have an affection for these neat little American made (BUICK) sports cars . . . The forum offers a great opportunity for those involved to share their knowledge and their love of these vehicles. We should focus on the Reatta and not the verbal jousting that has become popular lately. Anybody can read and research the archives to learn more about this subject; I really do think that someone should be willing to register if they have a comment or legitimate concern about their vehicle. Let's not lower ourselves to the level that we seem to be headed towards. Anybody classy enough to appreciate the Reatta and who wants to learn more or share their knowledge is more than willing to register. We also should appreciate that sometimes the internet browser we work with doesn't always remember us as a member (which can be rectifyied by identifying ourselves). Let's keep things going in a POSITIVE direction. WE are the forum . . . what do we want?? It seems as though we should consider asking people to register if they want to add their two cents . . . and then we have to accept that many people don't see things the way that most of us do. Like I've been known to say, " That's why they make Fords, Chevy's, Chryslers, Buicks and others: 'cause not everybody has good taste, but everybody needs a seat to put their A__ in!! Nittany

Was that a reply from the (Senior) Member Wally888??!! Glad to see your stripes were returned!!

Jerry: It's a shame that your black Reatta Convertible doesn't have the tan interior . . . imagine your repaint as the world's only polo green Reatta convertible!!! Hmmmm, of course if your willing to go to the expense of a high quality paint job, what's a couple more grand for the right interior?!! If it costs five or six thousand to create a one of a kind unique car, you might indeed get your money out of it upon selling. Or you might have something so special that you would sell your other cars and keep it! Just a thought . . . Nittany

Thank you Peter!! Give us a week or two to become familiar with all the new features and we'll be like 18 year olds with a new convertible . . . we'll be playing with all the buttons!! Oops, there are a few seventeen year olds on this forum aren't there??!!

I believe you're on the money with the fuel pump . . . On my '88, the original pump was replaced with an aftermarket one (before I bought it) that ran fine but did make the noise described above.

Hoot,<BR>Do you still have the other Reatta?