U-Pull-It Chicago Reatta W/Windshield

[Jim]

There is a U-Pull-It type junk yard at the intersection of Washington and US 41 in Gurnee/Waukegan just north of Chicago.

There is a Reatta in this yard with a good windshild. They want $ 50 for it. I tried three different glass installers to have it pulled out but no one wanted to do it in the cold weather.

The grey/grey '89 has been picked over but the headliner is good and the hood is good. The rear bumper looked good and the front bumper looks nice but does have a slight twist in the RH side. I think this could be straightened out. The ABS, CRTC, wheels and many other parts are also still there. The locks are on the wheels. It has 16Way seats but someone tore the back rest trying to get the air bag.

[Guest Reatta1]

Jim, What would my final cost be if or when you could get someone to pull it?

[juddev]

Too bad about the seat, I am still looking for a 16 way in dark gray.

[DAVES89]

I think Reatta1, he is saying the cost is $50.00. You get to find someone to pull it. He tried three shops and is washing his hands of the deal.

[DAVES89]

If anyone is looking, at the local u-pick there are a PAIR of Riv. 16 way cloth seats in the color gray. I would buy them but my interior is tan.

[Jim]

Dave is correct. I live 450 miles away. I have some good windshields now but will not ship one and also because of the cold weather do not want to pull one of mine right not.

Dave,

I bought that black '89 in Lake Mills.

[DAVES89]

Jim,

I wanted that car in the worst way, but my wife wanted a different car...

Glad you bought it

As of today we are sitting on 4 cars for 2 drivers. Our boat is in storage elsewhere. We have a one car driveway, a 2 car extra deep garage, and no place to go. [The Reatta is on blocks crossways along the back]. As a matter of fact the Roadmaster is going.

That car runs too good for a parts car. The interior [tan] is immaculate! But if you go that way, how much for the working tape player in that car?

Either PM me or e-mail me lemke1044@aol.com if interested.

[matthewlawe]

Jim,

I’m curious, why would you not prefer to pull a windshield

during cold weather? Would it be because the windshield

is more fragile than the back glass? Let me explain…..

Two days ago I happened upon a well-established glass place

with a beautiful showroom and friendly and knowledgeable

staff. I spoke with the installer and this is what I learned.

<span style="text-decoration: underline">If </span>my rear glass weather-stripping had deteriorated enough

to allow leaking, they could pull it, clean the edging, add

polyurethane and put it back in for a charge of $65. And

it would come with a life-time guarantee. It would take

no more than a couple of hours and they did offer a mobile

service. Same with the windshield. However, he indicated

that there was always the possibility that the windshield

could flex or break because the glass is not tempered as

the back glass is. I was frankly surprised to learn of the

low cost and apparent ease to pull the glass.

I also asked about availability and we went to the computer.

None for the windshield but he did find two for the rear glass –

one in Tennessee and one in Utah. Brand new of course.

Cost of a windshield, if found - $1900. I failed to ask the

cost of the rear glass. Darn.

Interestingly he recognized my Reatta immediately and

had, in the past, replaced both the windshield and rear

glass in years gone by.

Regards,

matthewlawe

89 White/Blue

[ossenfort]

I had a windshield shop remove my windshield from my Reatta last month for $75 and it came out perfect (he also made sure that he did not damage the rubber surrounding the windshield. The temperature was around 40 degrees...not too cold.

[JalopyBob]

At the time that Jim posted this the weather here in the Chicago area ranged from -6 to 3 above with with 30mph winds. I know that I would not want to be working on a car in those conditions. That kind of cold makes things much more brittle than normal. Right now that Reatta is buried under a minimum of 12-14 inches of snow. Sounds like fun huh?

[DAVES89]

I don't think the rest of the country is paying close enough attention to the weather we are experiencing here in duh upper midwest. In Appleton [25 miles south of Green Bay] we typically get an average of 8 inches of snow in Dec. To date we have gotten 33" with another 3-5" today. Then when it is not snowing the wind chill goes to -20 or so with windchill. That dries the snow out so it is just like getting more snow, as it blows back into the driveways.

I typically use 3 gallons of gas to do my driveway, and the neighbors, for the entire year and already I have gone thru 2 gallons. [i don't care about how much gas I use, it's just for referance].

Going to u-pick yards right now is virtually impossible because you can't identify what cars you want, much less want to take parts off and be exposed to the weather.

[charlie1]

ZZZ

Edited August 2, 2009 by CHAS1 (see edit history)

[matthewlawe]

OK. Well there ya go.

I made an note earlier of the humidity

being a bit high at a sunny 81 degrees here.

Quoting Mark Twain.....

"If the thermometer had been an inch longer,

we would have all frozen to death."

Regards

matthewlawe

89White/Blue

[Jim]

The problem with cutting out a windshield in cold weather is that only way to remove one is to use a wire and pull/saw it through the rubber sealant/gasket. The factory urethane is very stiff when it is cold and very hard to pull the wire through this material when cold. It cuts much easier when warm.

[matthewlawe]

Very Good. Thanks

Regards

matthewlawe

89 White/Blue

[Guest Reatta1]

Jim, the thinking behind my question was, if you found someone to pull it, pack it and ship it, plus the $50 part price, what could I rexpect for getting it to Oregon. After it warms up of course.

Jim

[jonlabree]

Jim; What is the name of the yard where the Reatta is?

I will call them and see if they will keep it for a while.

[DonL]

At the U-Pull-It places I go they usually know someone who will pull the parts for you at a price.

Ask the people at the desk or people walking around the yard they will probably know.

Or you might look on craigslist.com for someone.

Don't have to worry about the weather at junk yard here in South Florida!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jim]

I don't know the name of the yard only the location. The guy behind the counter gave me a name of someone to pull it and I called them and they said no. In the adjoining yard, part of this upullit, was a fellow pulling a windshield for a glass company. I asked him if he would come over and do it but, surprise surprise he couldn't speak much english but did say he couldn't go over there. I called the number on the side of his van and the folks said they couldn't/wouldn't do it at the upullit. As I was leaving I told the guy running the place that he had a valuable windshield and he couldn't have cared less. I am sure he will not save it but crush the car in a month or so. As I was leaving I noticed a glass company two doors down so I stopped in and asked if they would pull it. NO. I asked how much if they would and they said $ 40 to $ 80. I told them I would double that amount and they said NO.

[jonlabree]

Because it was too cold or was there another reason?

[Jim]

I have given up on that one.

I do have some here in Duluth and will pull them out this spring but will not ship one because you need a special box and even then they are so fragile they can get easily broken. Because they are so big they have to go by truck and trucking companies do not pay claims very well.

I did ship one to Seattle once but I boxed it up and took it to the Amtrak station in Minneapolis, turned it over to the guy working there who personally put it on the train and sent it to Seattle where the fellow who wanted the glass was working for Amtrak and personally took it off the train.

[charlie1]

ZZZ

Edited August 2, 2009 by CHAS1 (see edit history)

[ProSource]

In case anyone needs a new back window ( depending on option) there are some available that we can offer in the 600-750 range in case anyone was contemplating replacing one. They're new old stock, about 1/2 dozen available. Richard

[ProSource]

Jim:

Hi, we use toown Lo-Can Glass years ago, I remember dealing with you for some Reatta vent windows.. anyways, the best thing to do is try to get the windshield crates from one of the wholesalers in your area (if you are in Minnesota probably Dakotaland, PPG or Pilkington). What we have been doing for years is put the windshield in one of the pallet crates (the distributors usually just break them up and put in a large dumpster or they return them for recycle) and band it inside in 2-3 places. We staple the crates up with just a hand hel carton stapler. It works 99% of the time. I have probably shipped 100 Reatta windshields back when the cars were only a few years old. They won't make it as well in a regular windshield carton because of the top corners. Hope this helps.

Richard

[Guest Richard D]

Hi Don, I have found only one U-pick auto yards here in Miami on NW 74 ST. Do you know of any others?

Richard

[Guest Bobby Valines]

Don are you talking about the one in Hollywood? There are two next door to each other in west Palm Beach last I checked neither had a reatta. If you find one in a yard please let me know.

[padgett]

U-pullit in Orlando had 2 Reattae but crushed both, only has a 95 Riviera now.

Remarkably cool weather for April in Orlando, only a couple of days over 80 even. Cool days and low humidity. Of course May usually spikes but we will see. Hurricanes are heat engines.

One of the thing you have to do, usually with a thin wire, is to cut the bond between the windshield and the car. Colder it is, the harder it is to make the cut and you really to not want to use a lot of force.

[Guest 89 red reatta]

hey, what of the car, I started reading but cut right to the end. Is it in someones possession now or at the salvage yard? I need a ignition module. Mine just went. So car is sitting till I replace it.