Guest daveagain909 Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 this is what can happen.http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Buick-Rea...SRCHQ3aUSQ3a101 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDirk Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 That is sickening. Restorable? Maybe. Parts car? Most likely. Even then, half the interior trim seems to be missing, and the car has been left open so most electronics are trashed from exposure. The only reason to try saving it is that it is a 'vert. I guess it will go cheap, but there is a reserve (probably unrealistically high being it is on ebay). Looks like the horn buttons are broken too, so that is a major strike against it (note sarcasm). The lesson here boys and girls: don't let this happen to your Reatta! If anyone here decides to bite (for restoration purposes) I have to tip my hat to them. KDirk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Richard D Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Coconut Creek is about 30 miles north of me. I have a friend who fell in lust with my car and wants a convertible. I think I will drive up there and ask a real person what the price is instead of playing games over the phone. What do you folks think it would take to make that car a driver? $2,500.00? I am assuming the drive train is ok.Why the hell can't at least put the top up? I would love to see that car back on the road.Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnemac Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 There probably isn't a top to put up. The bubble wrap gives the impression the seats are being protected instead of just hiding uber thrashed seats.Own your own legacy of hurricane (fill in the blank). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDirk Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Richard,Wow, I am hard pressed to guess at the investment to get it road-worthy again. Off the top of my head, with the limited pics given: new tires, at least 1 new rim (has spare on it now, rim may be in trunk or may be damaged/gone), new top if the old one is missing (or left down because it is ruined) and all the pieces that appear to be missing from the interior (center console, rear quarter trim, others?), unless they are included off the car as part of the sale. Really, it looks to me like someone started to part this car out, and then decided to sell the carcass. There may be cut/damaged harnesses, and all manner of major damage not apparent in the pictures. Yes this is all speculation, but from what I can see I'd be leary of it. An in person inspection may do much to change one's opinion - either for better or worse. I'd think $2500 is a rather optimistic estimate. That is just to get it drivable, if as you say the powertrain is still good. Anyone who lets a car get to that state of disrepair probably didn't take care of the engine, tranny and brakes either, so I'm not sure I'd bank on the mechanical condition being good. Now, to get it truly presentable, figure new interior (carpet, seat covers probably, repair/re-tint of other interior panels) body needs to be repainted, may need some exterior trim to replace damaged pieces. $5000 probably wouldn't get this car back to being clean (and I don't even mean a 9 out of 10) with most of the work done by the owner.I won't say it couldn't be done, but it may not be worth the investment needed to do it. Certainly it has potential as a parts car, if only for the body panels and glass assuming it is all in good condition. Power train parts may be a bonus if they are in good shape. Restoration is a funny thing, I already have well more than what I paid for my 91 coupe invested in repairs, upgrades & preventive maintenance parts replacement. I try not to think about the dollar amount because it will make me probably make me sick. I know I won't get that money back. What I will get is an exceptional car that I can enjoy and be proud of owning. I guess that's enough for me to justify the outlay as I could still spend more than three times the amount I will ultimately have invested (I think) to get a newer luxury coupe that wouldn't need everything I have done to my Reatta. But then it wouldn't be the car I really wanted. If you look at this car in person, please update this thread with the condition and whether you decide to buy it. KDirk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 You would have $2500.00 in a paint job and a new top. The dash is trash, missing parts to the console,IPC and the headlight switch. That right there is another $300.00 plus,minimum. Unless you are real mechanical I would pass. There is a real learning curve to these cars, and until one gains experience [or has an additional same year Reatta to compare to] it is not worth it. A car this far gone may have "wiring upgrades" done by a corner cutter, and when one starts having problems, where do you start looking? This car in my opinion is a parts car at best. Better to spend for a car in good repair with only 1 or 2 prior owners... and they are out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Richard D</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Coconut Creek is about 30 miles north of me. I have a friend who fell in lust with my car and wants a convertible. I think I will drive up there and ask a real person what the price is instead of playing games over the phone. What do you folks think it would take to make that car a driver? $2,500.00? I am assuming the drive train is ok.Why the hell can't at least put the top up? I would love to see that car back on the road.Richard </div></div>Don't waste your money trying to get that car back into running order. The seller knows the car is junk. That is the reason he offers no description. He knows the photos say it all. If it has parts you need then purchase it. If you are going to buy it to restore it will cause you nothing but grief and deplete your bank account. Just because the top goes down and it is dirt cheap doesn't mean it is a good deal!Reattas are a lot more fun when you are sitting behind the steering wheel than they are when you are working on them. Spend your money on something you can enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CL_Reatta Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Well, on the other hand, if your a real DIYer A new top: $500, DIY Paint job $100, complete non-running Reatta parts car $700, new wheels $300.... thats only about $1800 for a convert consider its running... OR this would be a great doner for the 88-89 interior transplant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 $500 maybe in that condition. Nice drivable ones can be found for %5000, would have that much in it before done, and what is the value of being able to enjoy now ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Richard D Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 The seller claims that he has all the parts to put the car back together. It is at a BMW store but I think it belongs to an employee. He wants $1,000.00 for it, however it appears to have been in the weather for some time even though he claims it has been stored in a garage for the last seven years. It has mold growing on some of the visible leather and the door panels are in very bad shape. It is probably not even a good parts car, not having been run in seven years if what he said is true. Truly sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDirk Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 I think that settles the issue. $1000? Dream on. Like Padgett said, maybe $500 tops. Brian raises the 88/89 interior transplant project as a possible use for this, but it probably needs a powertrain with 7 years of sitting unused. So, all you really get in this deal is a convertible body - and a rough one at that. Almost everything else is probably junk if only from lack of use and improper storage. Also, no way that has been garaged the whole time. Note the mold as already pointed out. If it were stored inside, why are the seats mummified in bubble wrap? I have to assume this was a quick and dirty way to try and keep water off the seats. If he is willing to sell for $500, somebody close by should buy it for parts, and could probably make that back on the glass and maybe the body panels that are still usable. Not worth transporting any serious distance though IMHO. I still hate to see one go to the crusher, before anything usable is scavenged. After all, there are only so many of these left to part out before the only ones remaining are in the hands of serious collectors.KDirk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Richard D Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 He refused to remove the bubble wrap off one of the seats, even though you could just pull the seatback wrap straight off. Plus he also said that he keeps it covered, but there were leaves and twigs on the floor and seats. If it was in a garage why did some of the hard plastic parts, like the horn buttons and the grill on the passenger side of the instrument hood fade to almost white and become brittle and crumble? All you would be getting is a body shell that spent it's first eight years in New York. I did not bother looking for rust under the car and he "lost" the keys so I could not open the trunk, hood would not open either. Relase cable rusted? But being so close I had to look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 In my opinion, the answer to most of your "why" questions is he is not being 100% truthful with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Two two questions about rust underneath and top (you can open the tonneau without the key if the two rear "storage compartments are open - is a manual lever in the top of each but must release both) key here is whether the top mechanisn and weather stripping is in good shape. That is worth as much as the rest of the car.I would not let the storage time bother me if there was oil in both, have seen cars you had to pull to free the pistons that ran fine afterwards but "does not run" is a major price point.Even with out a top, a tonneau cover could be made and a fun "nice day" cruiser built for minimum cost if the initial investment is low enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Richard D Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Here is a big surprise, the high bid was $480.00 and it did not meet his reserve of $1,000.00 He even relisted it and did not say he lowered the reserve, meanwhile I would think there is stuff taking up residence in the floor pans. Very sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDirk Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 I suspect two possible outcomes: 1. He [finally] realizes his expected price is too high and comes down to reality. - OR - 2. He can't sell it for what he wants, and sends it to the yard for scrap value, getting even less than the $480 high bid that was offered, just for spite. And yes, I have seen people do this with old cars, if they can't get their asking price (or at least close) they will have it crushed (for much less $$$) just so no one else can get it cheaper than they want to sell for. Especially in this economy, a car like this is not going to get more than a few hundred dollars. Not only sad, but counterproductive. Of course, I would be happy to be proven wrong on this assumption. KDirk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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