Anyone from upstate NEW YORK HERE?

[Guest THEHKP7M13]

Is anyone around a town call TOWANDA, a Suburb of Buffalo, NY? I have spotted a 1991 Reatta up there and would like someone to give it the once over if it is near them. Seems high mileage (in the 160k range) but seems to have a lot of work done to it already.

Thanks.

[Jim]

If you find someone to look at it be sure and have them look underneath. NY like IL and MN have snow and salt issues. The Reattas were made very well and the outsides will look good but the undersides can be rusty. This is not a huge problem but the brake lines, gas lines on the '88-89s, transmission cooling lines, fuel tank and filler pipe for the gas tank can rust out. Ed Farnell and I have been working with a nice lady in the Carolinas who bought a very low mileage Reatta off Ebay from Ohio. When she got it home it was just terrible underneath. The seller strung her along until after the feedback system had run out and then ignored her complaints.

I sell parts but about 50% of my parts come from southern cars I have brought in.

( preemptive note ).

[Guest steveskyhawk]

I wouldn't buy a car from upstate NY. I used to live in upstate NY. It would be cheaper to take a winter vacation and buy a rust free car from the desert southwest than to fix a rustbucket.

[Guest NEMO]

How the car is cared for is what matters. Some people store there cars in the winter.

[Guest THEHKP7M13]

Seller claims no major rust. Brake lines were replaced. I am waiting on pictures of the undercarriage. I am seeking a 1991 only.

[Guest craig hewitt]

I agree with nemo many dog the midwest far to much!!! in the motor city if you see a classic car in the winter its very rare we are not born yesterday these cars are tucked away not driven all year round thus keeps the miles down also. so stop the bad talk sunshiners even my friends with new camaros have 4 wheelers for the winter my 200 hundred dollar taraus has been driven three winters and suburban only gets driven when 4 wheel is needed. only time you see classics on the road there on there way to autorama Craig

[Ronnie]

The problem is the "classic cars" probably were not classics when they were new and may not have been treated as such. The cars like the Reatta are classics to us but may have been daily drivers to the original owners when they bought the cars over 20 years ago.

I'm about half way between the rust belt and the sunshine state. We don't have much snow and very little salt if we do. We use gravel and sand most of the time. If I'm looking for a car from out of state I will be going South , not North to find it.

[Guest steveskyhawk]

I wholeheartedly agree with Ronnie. He is much more diplomatic than I am but nonetheless correct. I contend it is much cheaper, easier to get a rust free car to start with even if it is on the other side of the country. I predict the NY car will need brake lines, fuel lines, fuel tank, fuel filler neck etc and will still be rusty underneath when you are done.

Be careful when the owner says the car has no "major" rust. The bodies are double galvanized on our cars so the bodies hold up well when the underside looks awful.

I regularly find corrosion free Reattas in the wrecking yards. Reattas and Rivieras lasted longer because the bodies are still corrosion free. When I find cars in the wrecking yards here it is sometimes difficult to identify why they are even there. Often times I think that a broken windshield, inop headlights, and an electrical issue will send them to the crusher. it is a shame but it makes parts available anyway.

[Guest NEMO]

Like I said HOW the car is cared for. Where the car is located will not tell you how the owner took care of the car.

[padgett]

a) I have found that a snapshot of the underside of the catalytic converter tells A Lot. Being hot and not great metal, corrosion, particularly from road salt, hits them early (note, there is supposed to be a screen on the bottom, it seems to go first). Replacement usually have a capped tube on the side. Originals dpn't.

the metal body drain plates are also usually unprotected and rust shows up their early.

c) The words "brake lines replaced" scare me because of what else it indicates. Also "replaced" may mean the leak was patched with compression fittings.

d) When I bought the white 'vert, it was in good shape but I still spent several days underneath with a wire brush and cans of Rustoleum (white and black) OTOH the blue car started out in Wisconsin but needed nothing. (Not talking BJ shiny, just clean.)

Edited February 7, 2010 by padgett (see edit history)

[BUICK RACER]

Is anyone around a town call TOWANDA, a Suburb of Buffalo, NY? I have spotted a 1991 Reatta up there and would like someone to give it the once over if it is near them. Seems high mileage (in the 160k range) but seems to have a lot of work done to it already.

Thanks.

First of all, Towanda is in Pennsylvania, Tonawanda is outside of Buffalo, but this car is in Kenmore, NY, also outside of Buffalo!

My Brother, Chris can go look at the car tomorrow, he said, you can email him at cvasilow@aol.com for info.

[NYBobP]

The think the town you are looking for is TONAWANDA, not Towanda.