Rare Reatta being posted on CL, Bay Area, CA

[Fox W.]

1991 Buick Reatta Coupe 2D Green, Power Seats, Low Miles, Nice Condition

Dark green, low miles, 1991. Kiwanis sticker on the back, which from my POV may be a good thing in regards to character reference.. Not likely owned by a gang-banger.

Just thought I'd list it here!

[Bushwack]

FWIW...The car has been available for the past few months.

[Guest steveskyhawk]

That car has been on that lot for a year now. I went to look at it back then. It isn't nearly as nice as it appears. I have never seen a car more sun damaged. Radiator looked like mud inside and the A/C was in-op. Extremely neglected car. I wouldn't drive it over 40 mph because the tires were so bad. On the positive it looked better underneath than on top. Not all that sure it would have made the 500 mile ride home. No corrosion and but it test drove well. There is a reason it has been on the market a long time. The car has potential but it will need everything.

I made a cash offer and they refused it. My only thoughts were that it was a tote the note lot and they were into some other kind of deal. I'm glad they didn't take it because I offered too much! I have a better polo green coupe now. There were only 50 or so made so it is hard to find a nice one.

[Fox W.]

Thanks for letting us know guys! Are you two near the bay-area then? I've been looking for others around here. Also hoping to find a mechanic or auto-body place that appreciates the Reatta. I tend to get a cold attitude of little faith from people.. (They don't take me seriously because the car is a Buick of little value in their eyes.)

[Guest steveskyhawk]

My dad told me that the 55 chevy nomad was not popular because it was a two door wagon. Who would want one of those?

[Bushwack]

I'm in monetarily-deprived Los Angeles - where the Mayor is a union stooge. But I'll save that conversation for another time.

FWIW, here's a convertible that's also been available for a few months (Acme Auto Wholesale - 1990 Buick Reatta Convertible 2D).

[wws944]

Interesting comments, Steve. I had been meaning to go up and look at the car myself. And yeah, it has been sitting on their lot for a while.

Fox: PM me if you want the name of a local mechanic who was factory trained on the Reatta back in the day. (He used to work for the Smythes at the former Stevens Creek dealership, then at their MB dealership across the street.)

[tbenvie]

"My dad told me that the 55 chevy nomad was not popular because it was a two door wagon. Who would want one of those?"

I bought a 69 AMX from a performance lot in 1973 for $995.. Next to it was an AC Cobra with the 289 for $6000. I couldn't believe someone would ever spend that kind of money for a car with no top.

[Jim]

I have a better polo green coupe now. There were only 50 or so made so it is hard to find a nice one.

Many years ago an employee of GM, I think it was Stan Leslie, went through GMs records and did a search of all '91 Reattas built by date. Every '91 is listed. I did a quick count and came up with 116 green '91s so they are not all that rare. I own 3 green '91s and a 4th one I previously owned was a parts car and has been crushed after removing all the good parts.

1446 is the one that has been crushed.

My cars are vin 987, 1393, and I own the last green '91 made 1451. It is my daily driver.

Edited April 11, 2010 by Jim (see edit history)

[Guest steveskyhawk]

Jim,

You are getting your data from Barney's unverified database. He has admitted "assigning" colors to cars that had no color listed. Repeating somthing over and over isn't verification. Barney also quoted a GM exec that had a green Reatta and she said there were around 50. I believe her. This is getting like the X files. The truth is out there!

The number that would really be of value is elusive and that number is how many are KNOWN to exist today.

[reattadudes]

I owned a car dealership for then years, and VIN verification is something you get to be absolutely crazy about. even though brand new cars come from the factory with a Manufacturer's Statement of Origin (MSO) we would still check the VIN on the car against every MSO. we found 3-4 incorrect ones every year.

I leased a new Buick Rendezvous back in 2006. when I called the VIN into my insurance company, they asked me to check it against the VIN on the car. sure enough, all the paperwork (which was taken from the MSO) was wrong.

this now brings me to the database. I normally have no reason to go there to check anything, but yesterday I thought, 'what the heck'. and checked it against one of the 1991's we have here, specifically, VIN 789.

the database shows "red BLK 6K, 1992, Peoria, AZ"

the only thing that's accurate is the color.

we bought the car in 2004 from the original owner in Champaign, Illinois, a retired French teacher. she had special ordered the car in November of 1990. I have all of the service records for the car, and the car didn't have quite 4,000 miles on the odometer in 1992, not the "6K" as the database suggests. it is a 3 option car, and has red moldings, not black. the car had never been out of Illinois until we purchased it.

it is critical that this information is first hand accurate, not second or third hand. many will assume that this database is 100% accurate, and it isn't. inaccuracies can create problems and discrepancies with cars, and these can directly reflect in their value. one digit change, and it's a different (or non-existant) car.

Mike Rukavina

buickreattaparts.com

[Jim]

Mike,

In your expert opinion, in 5 words or less, which number do you think is closer to being accurate for the productions numbers of the green '91s. 50 or 116.

[Guest Kitskaboodle]

Thanks for letting us know guys! Are you two near the bay-area then? I've been looking for others around here. Also hoping to find a mechanic or auto-body place that appreciates the Reatta. I tend to get a cold attitude of little faith from people.. (They don't take me seriously because the car is a Buick of little value in their eyes.)

Mtn View, huh?

I grew up there!

I remember when Rengstorff was a two lane dirt road!!! (in 1964 that is)

There is evidentally a Reatta factory trained mechanic who

owns a gas station in Cupertino off of De Anza Blvd somewhere.

Never met him though although I MIGHT need his services soon.

There is a car show in downtown Mtn. View in mid august called

"Warm Summer Evenings" and is run by a gal named Beverly Stenson.

I brought my Reatta there last year. Excellent show by the way.

Kit

[wws944]

...There is evidentally a Reatta factory trained mechanic who

owns a gas station in Cupertino off of De Anza Blvd somewhere.

Never met him though although I MIGHT need his services soon.

As I said, PM me and I will give you his name. The only thing he has done on my Reatta is change the coolant and brake fluid. But I have used him for my other GM vehicles. (He won't touch the Porsche - even though it is not a very exotic one. )