How do I determine how much my Reatta is really worth?

[Guest Dazz]

I bought my 1989 Reatta Coupe about 1 year ago. I am wondering how I go about finding out what my Reatta is really worth in case I decide to sell it and for classic car insurance coverage.

Thanks in advance for any replies

[Ronnie]

Over the years I have found the true value of your car is the amount you are offered, and are willing to accept, after trying to sell it for an extended period.

There are many price guides available such as NADA and Kelly Blue book, as well as some others that are more specifially targeted at vintage and collectable cars. They will give you a general starting point for pricing your car.

Regardless of what any of the price guides say, the the value of your car is determined by your willingness to wait for the top dollar and the current market conditions for the car you are trying to sell.

[Guest CL_Reatta]

As I have said before... I find NADA to be a bit to high for our cars, and KBB a bit to low... so I take the median of the two and that gives me the approx. value of a Reatta... with the exception of extremly low miles, S/60's, and other rare reatta's

[ol' yeller]

There are 2 answers to your question. If you are considering Classic Car Insurance you want the value of your car to be high but reasonable so the premium isn't too much. Please see the posting in this forum about Classic Car Insurance. Most have what they call "Agreed Value" which means if you and the insurance company agree on the value, that is what they will pay upon a total loss. Be sure to ask about restrictions on use, mileage and storage when you have Classic Car Insurance. It is very different from regular car insurance and varies from one provider to another. Another suggestion would be to have the car appraised by a Certified Auto Appraiser. This could run you a few hundred dollars.

As to pricing your car to sell, of course you want to get as much as you can for it, but the objective should be to sell the car. It seems like there are "more than their share" of Reattas in the midwest states, Illinois and Ohio so they are more plentiful which means buyers can be more selective in what they are looking for. This also seems to be the case in Florida, California and Texas but I think the Texas is on the list because Barney Eaton lives there and he just can't pass up a nice Reatta! Anyway, here in Washington they are pretty sparse and when I went looking for my new Reatta I didn't want to spend over $3K for it. I also wanted a 90-91 Maui Blue Coupe with a sunroof and a CD player. I actually found the car right in my same city and only paid $2,700 for it. It is a very nice car in excellent condition but it does have over 146K on the odometer. I was extremely fortunate that it had everything I wanted. I found the NAPA guides and KBB not helpful in computing what the price should be. Owners of Reattas know typically that they are rare, and desirable, expensive when new, and expect to get "Collector Car" prices for them. The general buying public looks at them as interesting, but old used cars. That means it is hard to strike a balance where both parties feel like they got the best possible deal. I looked at a lot of ratty Reattas before I found my gem but I knew what I wanted and stayed true to my desire. The general buying public won't pay a premium to buy the Reatta despite what they sold for new. This may change over the years as there becomes fewer of them but you are selling to a small and select audience. If you want to sell to the general public, the only way to get their attention is with a low price. If you do decide to sell your Reatta, I hope you find a buyer like me.

[JWC]

I find the KBB and NADA are ALWAYS out in left field and NEVER even close to what the market is going for so I go to www.traderonline.com and put the info on what car you are looking for, at the bottom of the page it will tell you high/low ASKING price, I have found this to be the best way to see what any car is going for, just make sure you compare the mileage to yours.......Just my opinion

[Guest steakneggs]

The Steakmobile is sitting on Craigslist right now for $2500 with no bites except for scammers. Roadworthy and inspection waived here in MD. A roadworthy unit probably could be had for as little as $1500 in this economic climate. A nice one will bring more of course, but only to a miniscule market of GMphiles and current Reatta owners. Steak

[Guest Dazz]

Thank you all for the info and advice on determining the value of my Reatta! I really appreciate it and all of you! And next time I purchase a car I will do more research before handing over the cash and putting the title into my name. I had no idea when I bought this car that it was such a rare collectable car with hard to find parts etc.

[Guest steakneggs]

You probably had no idea it was a rare item because of the ease at which you acquired it. The availablity and price of Reattas are out of phase with their status as a somewhat rare, expensive (when new), hand-built, two-seat luxury car with timeless styling and cool gadgetry (touch screen models only). Also, many of the parts are interchangeable with other GM models holding their price down and increasing the availability of used units. Some Reatta-only stuff is available from Jim Finn and also a Reatta salvage yard on Ebay. Windshields remain cost prohibitive. Steak

[Guest steakneggs]

Reatta value update: The Steakmobile sits on Craigslist for a pawtry $2500 for three weeks now without a single inquiry except Nigerians. No negatives in ad, insp waived in MD. Unable to deploy plan B, (drive wheels off) due to crappy gas mileage. Might put on Ebay. Economy better in Nigeria. Steak