DAVES89

This will be my first summer running my Reatta. When I went over my car this past winter, one of the things I replaced was my thermostat. I replaced mine with the factory spec.195 superstant. My old thermostat wouldn't let my car get warm[about 155]. Very seldom here in Wi. do we get above 90 and very seldom do I have to sit in traffic, so I feel comfortable staying stock. As a matter of fact on a warm day when we hit 75 I purposely idiled the car to see what would happen and the car got to 211 and the fans turned on and took me back down to 197. Once the thermostat completely opens[whether it be 180 or 195] the coolant will flow unrestricted powered by the water pump. The thermostat will only start to close when the water temp goes below the 180 or 195 degree rating[not likely in the summer].It is the fans or outside air [as well as an unrestricted radiator]that will cool the coolant down to keep your car from overheating. I believe that is why Padgett talks so much about reprogramming his fans to come on at a lower temp. But the thermostat is only a part of a total cooling system that must be maintained to deliver maximum cooling.

Check your starter.

Lucky me <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> When I got home and checked the mail, I found that one of my suppliers had sent me a $30.00 gas card. Paid for my trip,thank you very much! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

No parts for you? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> And now I really want to order parts!?! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> And here I thought he was a transplanted Packer fan. But that must make him a [dare I say it?] viking fan. The only team to lose 4 super bowls. The team most able to do the least with the most amount of talent. The team that should have gone to the super bowl again in '99, but could only say "I thought this was our year" Yeh our good friends the Vikings.

Cesspool of green and yellow? That's green and GOLD. Also sounds like the smart ones in your family live in Wi. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

There is an '89 Riv. in the local u-pick yard. When you say plumbing what parts do I need exactly? This Riv does not have the Teves brake system. Also if anyone out there has the long console piece from a Riv. with the burled wood look I would be interested in talking to you. I have all the other parts.

Just got back from the Cinco de Mayo Spring Fling. I got there about 11:00 am and stayed till about 5:30. Many pics taken and better then 6 hours of Reatta talk and some quick service work by Randy. DeDE and Randy were gracious hosts as well as there trained welcoming team of 2 dogs and a cat. Very good time was had. I would encourage you to consider one in your area. Looking forward to next year!

I have never been to the Iola car show. Always wanted to go but timing was never right. If I go I will look for the '61 Comet. Back to the Red Reatta that I saw. I have been driving mine quite a bit and actually thought it was just me and 2 seater. And that his was red as that was the only other one I saw. Hopefully there are even more,and we find 'em.

Looks like another Reatta in town. We have 2seater somewhere in Appleton and just now I pulled up and spoke to a gentleman driving a red/tanwblack stripe. I no longer feel like Robinson Carusoe. I found him on Friday just like the book <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />. He rolled down his window and I told him about Reatta.net. Hopefully he will go there and find us.

Wow! and you are only 17. Wait until you are 50. It looks worse from there. But to brighten your day <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I went to the local u-pick salvage yard and got 1 ea light and wiper pods. They work,just don't light. Yours if you want them. Also picked up that thing on top of the heater blower fan,an instrument cluster, an air filter box[mine was broke], and from a Riveria, the trim panels for in the dash[the previous owner hacked up the cassette surround and console].The shifter plate is good. They are burled wood looking.I have not decided if I like them, but installed them for the spring fling tomorrow. Let everyone tell me what they think! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

If you are coming to Manikmikanik's Spring Fling and are interested in selling items, please bring them along. Of particular interest to my '89 [tan] is a very good steering wheel, passenger inner door, and dash panel. Also could use the passenger side cover on the upper portion of the seat belt retractor[behind passengers head. If not you may hear some serious begging as Manikmekanik has them on a car he is going to restore. Mine work just want to dress her up a little. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Manikmikanic has cars for sale and is interested in looking at another. Why don't you save yourself a lot of heartache and headache and buy one of his rebuilders? This way you are starting with a good base and you will have 2 parts cars. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I ran it all day[or after it reached 60 degrees outside] and never got a warning. I am in ebay right now trying to get additional cans of r-12. Looks like I will be good to go. Thanks again forum! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />

That's what the prior owner told me as well. I still have 1 can left. I will wait until after this weekend as it promises to be 80. If the low freon light comes on,in it goes. I don't think I have a leak, because if I did the system would not go from "disengage low freon" to "warning low freon". Besides the system was rebuilt 2 years ago with new compessor,etc...

r-12 is not available to Wi. residents. I have 1 can left and 3 cars that still use it. If someone would ship me some at a price I could help Tammy out this weekend being held at Manikmekanik's Spring Fling this weekend. Please pm me. Thanks!

Being Wi.residents we cannot purchase r-12. We did get a temporary chance to buy r-134. But that ended 12/31/2007. I have a friend who works at a dealership and has the appropiate license if anyone wants to pm me with r-12 freon for sale.

If your system is r-12 you don't need any additional fittings. You do however need a special hose. One end has a needle valve end with a clamp and the other end has a screw on fitting. This will end will go on the silver accumulater located near the radiator. We put the freon can in hot tap water, open the valve and the freon flows into the accumulater. There is no metering like you have with r134. Be sure to have your car set on a/c max air. This is just an idea to how to do it. I assume no liability.

They are discontinued from Buick. I got the same thing from a Plymouth Voyager.[Only it is a screwdriver head not wingnut like G.M.]. It is used to hold the trim piece that is located under the steering wheel. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Manik,don't know who you are pulling parts for , but part of this could be a swap meet. Why don't we bring parts we don't want/need and do swaps? I will be there when you open at 9:00 to help with any last minute items. Looking forward to it! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I live in WI. when I drove to N.C. my a/c started acting up. I went to 2 shops. One had it, one did not. You just have to call around. [i would recommend going in personally. Most shops I have tried dealing with act like their selling a "hot" item, they are not.]My buddy who works at a Dodge dealership says they have it and refills cars often. Hs encouraged me to stay with r-12 as my system is designed for r-12 not r-134. I would also say try your local Buick garage. What they will do is excavate your refrigerant, add a leak indicator and refill. This is good as you will be able to see where your system is leaking. Some guys on the forum have been lucky enough to get it off the internet or rummage sales if you are looking to fill on your own. A local shop will not sell to you direct.

Earlier this spring my screen informed that I went from low freon to "will not engage compressor due to low freon". Later this spring after clearing the memory it once again would work but warn me about low freon. Just last week I added 1 can of r-12 and the light went out. Now the low freon light warning is back[1 week later]. How many ounces have to be in the system to not get a low freon warning?

I just told my brother in law that I couldn't go fishing as I wanted to do the Spring Fling in Kenosha. Any word from Manilmekanik?

While you are at it put in a tranny cooler. Probably the worst enemy to transmissions is heat. You should at least drain your tranny and refill with new fluid as the old fluid being 31/2 quarts low may have gotten hot. Should be red not brownish.

I'm glad I joined late and missed the reunion in '06 and that the next one is in Seattle so I won't go. This forum has been good to me and I hope that doesn't change. I pay $33.00 a year to the BCA to pay $10.00 to be a Reatta member. I have benefited from the input from the other members of this forum and for that I am thankful. However I don't see how anyone can make enough off the other members to be a trailer queen as Greg is insinuating with his post. I think Greg that you should stop going after Barney[i don't know Barney]. Who is your beef with? The Reatta Division or the BCA? I think that while you are on the mend with your hip, plan your stategy and first become a board member of the Reatta Division and work towards a seperate classification and then after you have proven yourself there, then get on the board of the BCA and fix them. Until you step up to work for change that change will not happen. You have passion for a seperate judging system, why not apply that passion? You are,from the way it looks to me, holding 10 votes you may or may not have, hostage to try to make Barney do what he is probably either not interested in or what he knows makes no difference to the rest of us daily drivers, and certainly not the trailer queens you referred to. Which I think is why he has not responded. I also think you should have sent a PM to Barney first before starting this all off. This would have given him a chance to respond to you directly.

I think they look different cause he glossed them up for the pic. However it does look like the wells need to be filled in with more wheel/tire. I think those wheels look great! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />