1990 Reatta Available for Parts

[Guest TwoDoorBuickMan]

I bought my wife a Reatta for Christmas in 1990. It was red with a saddle interior. She put 110000 enjoyable miles on it and then gave it to our Grandaughter when she turned 18 (last year). She moved to Jacksonville NC and has totally enjoyed the car. She was at work and the car got hit in the parking lot. There is damage to one side and both bumpers. It was totaled by the insurance company. She can keep the car for $1200. She is still driving it, but it needs to go.

If anyone is interested, please contact me. She will decide which deal to take from the insurance company within the next 2 days.

The car was always garaged while we owned it. The AC was not working, and the dash was recently removed when it started smoking.

I have tried to attach a picture of the car before she left, but I am technically challenged and it may not be there.

Edited April 21, 2010 by Rawja (see edit history)

[NCReatta]

where in NC do you live? I'm just outside of Raleigh.

[Guest TwoDoorBuickMan]

I live in Hickory, but my Grandaughter and the car are in Jacksonville. If you have any interest, I will try to put you in touch with her, or find out where it went if she has already settled.

[Guest daveagain909]

Your daughter did not get enough for the car if she only got $1200 from the insurance company maybe someone on the forum can help.

[NCReatta]

Would you be willing to sell it in pieces? I could be interested in the motor. How many miles does it have on it now? I might know somebody who might be interested in the whole car.

And yes, $1200 is very low for this car.

[Guest TwoDoorBuickMan]

$1200 was the difference in the settlement if she wanted to keep the car. I actually thought it was pretty high for salvage value. The car ran good and probably had 125000 miles on it. She has some sentimental attachment to the car and hates to get rid of it, but she needs a dependable car that has not been wrecked to drive.

It would have to be sold whole not parted out.

I will try to find out where it goes when she settles and post it.

[Guest TwoDoorBuickMan]

Ashlee turned the car in to Geico in Jacksonville NC yesterday 5/19/2010. I don't know what they will do with it, but it will probably go up for auction somewhere in that area. It was a good running car with many parts that would be useful to someone with a similar Reatta.

[Jim]

To keep the car, $ 1200 was too high considering both ends were damaged. I usually am able to buy parts cars with no damage in the $ 400-$700 range.

Edited May 20, 2010 by Jim (see edit history)

[Guest steveskyhawk]

Assuming the car is drivable you should experience no transportation expense. (towing) The headlight switch alone is worth from $200- $400 depending on visual condition and is free of tampering or a backyard rebuild. The Portfolio if complete is worth about $350. After all the most sale able parts are removed the rest can be sold to a U-Pull it yard for about $500. There is hardly a part on that car that has no value. Hang in there. If you get another Reatta you will already have your parts car!

[padgett]

Agree, $1200 was way high to keep a totalled car, $200-$400 is more like it . Ins. co has already written it off & does not want it.

Maybe the adjuster wanted one...

[Jim]

[quote=steveskyhawk) The headlight switch alone is worth from $200- $400 depending on visual condition and is free of tampering or a backyard rebuild.

I tried but my efforts fell on deaf ears.

$ 200 to $ 400 for a headlight switch is only if you buy one from a rip off artist and there are a few of them selling parts.

I have good '90 headlight switches available for $ 55 exchange and I guarantee them.

Steve refers to my switches as back yard rebuilds but these are simple switches that can be reassembled using good parts from other switches. Inside them are two metal rocker contact pieces that sometimes get pitted and some plastic parts.

I am not sure why he continually tries to put down my parts but I stand behind everything I sell and I sell at reasonable prices. I sell almost ALL parts not just bling.

Edited May 20, 2010 by Jim (see edit history)

[padgett]

I'd buy a '90 headlight switch from Jim. Agree that at the moment parts are still plentiful even as NOS. Cansidering the complexity of some, when they dry up, they will be gone. There will become a market (if it does not already exist) for polished and re-inked headlight switches.

My Judge has some like that and some specials will become lost in antiquity like the 1969 Judge 4 speed shift knob. All 4speed Judges had Hurst T-handles with the shift pattern on the top. Look in a parts book and the replacement is a 9794532 for all three years.

Forgotten is that while the -4532 has an open "4", the original 69 knob had a closed "4" like this font, something you will not find in any restoration guide and why I gave up judging. Eventually the Reatta will be same-same...

BTW, U-Pull-Its in LaLa land must pay a lot better than here. At the local, $150-$200 is more the norm.

Edited May 20, 2010 by padgett (see edit history)

[Jim]

Padgett,

Thanks for the nice words referring to the headlight switches.

I agree that $ 500 is high. The U Pull It in Minneapolis got in a Riv last week and I went down there and got quite a few of the electronic parts from it. Talking to the employees they only pay up to $ 100 for cars that are destined for the U Pull It. They are associated with a yard with newer cars and the better ones go there. Scrap prices here are up to about $ 125 per ton, I know, I just brought a Reatta to the crusher. When the U Pull It gets one in they have all the overhead involved in processing it so to pay more than that they loose money in the long run.

I also deleted my other post in a different thread.

Jim

[johnemac]

Yeah, give Jim a break. Supplying quality, inexpensive parts, without trying to dogpile cost by jacked up shipping charges. Jim is probably the #1 asset to the Reatta community. AND he does it thru Duluth winters!!!:eek::eek::eek:

[Guest Richard D]

I have never received any part from Jim that was not better than described and at a very reasonable price. Several times he has diagnosed my problem over the phone and that cost him a sale. Thank Goodness that there are folks like him who help us keep our cars on the road. Badmouthing other sellers does not help you sell more parts. Just my 2 cents.

[DAVES89]

I have met Jim in person at the u pick yard I frequent. He showed me how to remove parts and to look at other makes of cars for parts that are compatible to the Reatta. He even teased me about not pulling parts to sell to others.

Jim is one of the most honest people around and would be my first choice for parts if I would need them. I don't usually need parts from others as I am willing to pull what I need and build inventory for what I need and when I need it.

The body parts he sells are from southern state cars and are rust free. The interior parts are from cars from around the country as what difference does that make as THEY ARE INTERIOR PARTS and not subject to any of the outside elements. So selling from the rust belt does not matter.

Jim is a cornerstone of the Reatta division and is worthy of all the support we can give him...

[reattadudes]

just a few observations here:

1) why would anyone care how much the salvage value of a car is? there are many factors involved, and it seems every single one was ignored by those who had to put in their "two cents worth " in a very negative fashion.

did the insurance company give a fair valuation (in this case, $7,000-$8,000)? did they add additonal money for any work done in the last year? by law, they must also include applicable tax and license for the amount of the settlement. I've seen salvage values go over $2,500 (if the insured wanted to buy the salvage back from the insurance company), yet NEVER felt the need to tell someone else "that's too high".

2) for those who don't know, scrap values at recyclers vary greatly by region. right now in my area, a Reatta would bring between $430 and $450 for scrap. again, I'm never in any position to instruct others in other parts of the country about values there; I only deal with those in my immediate area.

3) well, Jim, I certainly am a "ripoff artist". this is what I do for a living, and it is not a sideline to give me something to do in my retirement. I work 16 hours a day, seven days a week selling Reatta parts. I've done this every day since our first advertisement broke in Hemmings Motor News in April of 2002. I had my first six customers the first day the ad started, and today we are just shy of 5,000.

if you'd like to talk about that 1990 headlight switch, I'm up for it. most things here is priced in relation to what it's final list price was from GM. the final list price for the headlight switch was $861.20, and I have no qualms selling a perfect 1990 light switch for $450, and have absolutely no problem selling every one I can get.

if we have a dealer call us for a part (we have over 800 GM dealers as customers) like the headlight switch, I'm well aware that the person on the other end of the phone is looking at a computer screen with a blinking cursor with "3523605" (part number), "$861.20", and "obsolete" next to that. they are working on a perfect car, and want a perfect part with a warranty. EVERY electrical part we sell (ANYTHING) it automatically comes with a two year unconditional warranty from us. that includes instrument panel clusters, CRTs. CRT controllers, antennas, electronic brake control modules, PCMs, ECMs, and BCMs. do you provide a warranty like that?

so what is a perfect headlight switch? first, there is no wear; the dimmer slides smoothly. we cycle the switch 150 times very quickly; if if fails or hangs up ONCE, it's off to the trash can, where every worn-out part belongs.

if it passes this scrutiny (and few do), we send it to a company that professionally refinishes the surface. the buttons are taped off, and the backing sections are airbrushed with matte clear lacquer. then that section is covered, and the buttons are sprayed with semigloss clear lacquer. when it's done it looks absolutely like new, and comes with a better warranty than GM offered for a new one. we spend more to have the switch professionally refinished than you sell yours for.

that's how a "ripoff artist" like me does it.

a "ripoff artist" like me also looks at remanufacturing parts differently than anyone else. merely repairing a malfuction on a 20 year old electrical part makes as much sense as buying one shoe, or buying used tires. in any case, you'll be back soon for more, and the initial "bargain" isn't really a bargain at all.

when we send a CRT, instrument panel cluster, or any electronic module in for repair, EVERYTHING inside is replaced. that includes all curcuit boards and cold solder joints, not just the problem de jour, everything. we have never replaced a single part under warranty, and have never had a remanufactured part come back even after the warranty was over.

a "ripoff artist" like me also insists on making really high profits. we do this by keeping prices the same since 2002, even though some of our costs have doubled, or more. examples: convertible tops: we make $16.00 on a $900 sale. we used to make $200 in 2002, but costs have gone up, but we haven't raised prices. cost to rebuild a CRT: $318.40. we sell it for $350. instrument panel cluster: rebuilder invoice $332.10; we sell it for $350. yep, we screw 'em every single day.

"ripoff artists" like me also insist on screwing customers by making "house calls" in a 500 mile radius of either where I live, or where I might be traveling to. I go to their home or office, and install any part they buy for no delivery or installation charge. I've done this for over 2,000 customers all over the USA, but hey, there will be a lot more out there is subject this to, right? oh, how they complain!

"ripoff artists" like me also believe in really "stickin' it to 'em" when it comes to shipping. we use Priority Mail exclusively, and even send fuel tanks Priority Mail for a "ripoff" $50 to the east coast from Arizona. if we sent it UPS, it would take twice as long, and cost over $100; but hey, that's what "ripoff artists" like me do. my accountant informed me that I've been underestimating shipping charges to customers for the past three months to the tune of over $3,000, but (again), that's what "ripoff artists" like me do.

I find it rather strange that you choose to lash out at other sellers, and then others come to your defense, even though you say negative things, like telling someone something is too expensive, like the price of a salvage.

you have your buyers and I have mine. I learned that a long time ago, and professional courtesy has always stopped me from ever saying anything in a negative light about you; I provide exactly the same courtesy to Phil Hertel at Speedway Automotive. for some reason, I expected the same courtesy back. at least Phil has provided that, and we've gotten to be good friends over the years.

there is a big world out there, and just because someone does something differently (or looks at business differently) doesn't make one right and one wrong; it's just a different way.

it would be nice to see that professional courtesy again.

over and out.

Mike Rukavina

buickreattaparts.com

[Jim]

Wow Mike.

(( I edited this response to add the following, if you do nothing else, read below the PM I sent to Steve.))

Mike,

I wasn't referring to you when I mentioned rip off artists. I was referring to the fellow who consistently lists on Ebay the headlight switches for over $ 400 which he never sells.

I have heard that you try and sell parts as close to new as possible and of course that costs money.

The person that post was directed at was Steve. I am not sure why he has not responded and equally not sure why you did respond.

I sent Steve a very nice PM and tried to point out there is room for everyone.

He did not respond.

I sent him another PM after I specifically mentioned in my first PM about the headlight switches not being rebuildable and not only did he not respond to my first PM about 24 hours later he called my rebuilding of switches a back yard operation.

He has not responded to my second PM.

After sending the second PM I got to thinking maybe he didn't see my first PM so I sent him a nice email.

He did not respond.

You are right about professional courtesy and that is exactly what I PMd Steve about but instead of getting a response from him we get a long post from you accusing me of referring to you as a rip off artist and I never said that or referred to you.

You do mention in your post "professional courtesy has always stopped me from ever saying anything in a negative light about you"

I have had numerous people tell me you refer to my parts as being dirty, greasy and and shipped in old used cardboard boxes or something to that effect.

I will go a little further and here is a copy of my PM to Steve which he did not respond to but instead 24 hours later did the exact opposite and referred to the headlight switches as a back yard operation.

Steve,

When I see some statement that is completely false I think it should be corrected.

You seem to be genuine in your wanting to be part of the Reatta community and help out both with advise and parts. That is a good thing and I have no problem with your selling "spares". For the most part looking on Ebay your prices are not that far off from mine. What I do take issue with is your criticizing me and my parts in order to make yours look good.

Some of what I am referring to is previously your adamant statements that headlight switches cannot be rebuilt and that if a person gets a part from me it will be a dirty and rusty part, or the innuendo to that fact.

After your post about cars that get rain on them will corrode I thought it was so far out that I posted and I put in there the quote about engaging brain before putting mouth in gear. Shortly after, in your latest post, you say a reflector will blow up when it gets frozen. You do not have experience with a frozen lens so how can you make that statement, which by the way is completely false. I have seen at least 15 of them that have frozen in the winter and they do not blow up. Most of the time nothing happens or at the most the red reflector will separate a little more from the black backing.

The forum is for helping others and not for anything personal which is why I am sending you this as a PM instead of posting it.

Please go back in and reword your statement and please when making a statement give it some thought.

Independent thought might also be warranted. In my opinion in some cases you are getting some bad biased information which when repeated only makes you look bad.

Jim

just a few observations here:

1) why would anyone care how much the salvage value of a car is? there are many factors involved, and it seems every single one was ignored by those who had to put in their "two cents worth " in a very negative fashion.

did the insurance company give a fair valuation (in this case, $7,000-$8,000)? did they add additonal money for any work done in the last year? by law, they must also include applicable tax and license for the amount of the settlement. I've seen salvage values go over $2,500 (if the insured wanted to buy the salvage back from the insurance company), yet NEVER felt the need to tell someone else "that's too high".

2) for those who don't know, scrap values at recyclers vary greatly by region. right now in my area, a Reatta would bring between $430 and $450 for scrap. again, I'm never in any position to instruct others in other parts of the country about values there; I only deal with those in my immediate area.

3) well, Jim, I certainly am a "ripoff artist". this is what I do for a living, and it is not a sideline to give me something to do in my retirement. I work 16 hours a day, seven days a week selling Reatta parts. I've done this every day since our first advertisement broke in Hemmings Motor News in April of 2002. I had my first six customers the first day the ad started, and today we are just shy of 5,000.

if you'd like to talk about that 1990 headlight switch, I'm up for it. most things here is priced in relation to what it's final list price was from GM. the final list price for the headlight switch was $861.20, and I have no qualms selling a perfect 1990 light switch for $450, and have absolutely no problem selling every one I can get.

if we have a dealer call us for a part (we have over 800 GM dealers as customers) like the headlight switch, I'm well aware that the person on the other end of the phone is looking at a computer screen with a blinking cursor with "3523605" (part number), "$861.20", and "obsolete" next to that. they are working on a perfect car, and want a perfect part with a warranty. EVERY electrical part we sell (ANYTHING) it automatically comes with a two year unconditional warranty from us. that includes instrument panel clusters, CRTs. CRT controllers, antennas, electronic brake control modules, PCMs, ECMs, and BCMs. do you provide a warranty like that?

so what is a perfect headlight switch? first, there is no wear; the dimmer slides smoothly. we cycle the switch 150 times very quickly; if if fails or hangs up ONCE, it's off to the trash can, where every worn-out part belongs.

if it passes this scrutiny (and few do), we send it to a company that professionally refinishes the surface. the buttons are taped off, and the backing sections are airbrushed with matte clear lacquer. then that section is covered, and the buttons are sprayed with semigloss clear lacquer. when it's done it looks absolutely like new, and comes with a better warranty than GM offered for a new one. we spend more to have the switch professionally refinished than you sell yours for.

that's how a "ripoff artist" like me does it.

a "ripoff artist" like me also looks at remanufacturing parts differently than anyone else. merely repairing a malfuction on a 20 year old electrical part makes as much sense as buying one shoe, or buying used tires. in any case, you'll be back soon for more, and the initial "bargain" isn't really a bargain at all.

when we send a CRT, instrument panel cluster, or any electronic module in for repair, EVERYTHING inside is replaced. that includes all curcuit boards and cold solder joints, not just the problem de jour, everything. we have never replaced a single part under warranty, and have never had a remanufactured part come back even after the warranty was over.

a "ripoff artist" like me also insists on making really high profits. we do this by keeping prices the same since 2002, even though some of our costs have doubled, or more. examples: convertible tops: we make $16.00 on a $900 sale. we used to make $200 in 2002, but costs have gone up, but we haven't raised prices. cost to rebuild a CRT: $318.40. we sell it for $350. instrument panel cluster: rebuilder invoice $332.10; we sell it for $350. yep, we screw 'em every single day.

"ripoff artists" like me also insist on screwing customers by making "house calls" in a 500 mile radius of either where I live, or where I might be traveling to. I go to their home or office, and install any part they buy for no delivery or installation charge. I've done this for over 2,000 customers all over the USA, but hey, there will be a lot more out there is subject this to, right? oh, how they complain!

"ripoff artists" like me also believe in really "stickin' it to 'em" when it comes to shipping. we use Priority Mail exclusively, and even send fuel tanks Priority Mail for a "ripoff" $50 to the east coast from Arizona. if we sent it UPS, it would take twice as long, and cost over $100; but hey, that's what "ripoff artists" like me do. my accountant informed me that I've been underestimating shipping charges to customers for the past three months to the tune of over $3,000, but (again), that's what "ripoff artists" like me do.

I find it rather strange that you choose to lash out at other sellers, and then others come to your defense, even though you say negative things, like telling someone something is too expensive, like the price of a salvage.

you have your buyers and I have mine. I learned that a long time ago, and professional courtesy has always stopped me from ever saying anything in a negative light about you; I provide exactly the same courtesy to Phil Hertel at Speedway Automotive. for some reason, I expected the same courtesy back. at least Phil has provided that, and we've gotten to be good friends over the years.

there is a big world out there, and just because someone does something differently (or looks at business differently) doesn't make one right and one wrong; it's just a different way.

it would be nice to see that professional courtesy again.

over and out.

Mike Rukavina

buickreattaparts.com

Edited May 21, 2010 by Jim (see edit history)

[Ronnie]

Jim, It has been a couple of years since I bought parts from you. I was very happy with the price of the parts and the shipping costs. I appreciate you offering good used parts at reasonable a price for Reatta owners who don't own the high dollar show cars, but only have nice daily or weekend drivers like me, (and probably most of the readers here on this forum).

I'm sure Mike sells top notch parts and probably a fine fellow but it would not make sense for me to spend the extra money on the parts he sells, as he describes them in his post, for my Reatta that has over 100,000 miles on it. It appears by what he said that he caters to the high rollers that have the big bucks to spend on their hobby (or investments), and there is nothing wrong with that at all, but it is nice to know Jim, that when the average Joe like me needs a good part at a reasonable price you are just a phone call away.

BTW, if I needed a headlight switch I would not hesitate to buy a reconditioned switch from you even if you do have a backyard operation.

[reattadudes]

Jim,

if you were truly referring to the guy who has a brand new 1991 Reatta headlight switch available for $401 as a "ripoff artist" (and not me ) I still fail to understand even that. that 1991 light switch, part number 3525164, is in "obsolete" status right now, and has a current GM list price of $758.16. from where I'm sitting, that four hundred and one bucks looks like a real good deal for a brand new switch.

Steve and I are indeed friends, just like you and Barney are. and just like you and Barney, we don't always agree on everything. we are not joined at the hip.

we do agree, however, that a "rebuild" of a 1990 headlight switch is an invitation to disaster. as I posted about four months ago, we had a run of 1990 headlight switch sales in November and December of last year to replace ones that had been "rebuilt". two of the people had wiring fires which required replacement of either a long length of wire, or in one case, one of the entire looms that go into the instument cluster area and related switches.

I have the same strong feeling about brake parts of any kind, with the lone exception being the electronic brake control module (EBCM) in the trunk.

the brake system can quickly become an accident waiting to happen, whether it be from a unit that doesn't function properly, to a botched installation with cross threaded or corroded brake lines, or failure to bleed the brakes properly after installation of the brake unit. when an accident happens, the lawyers will go after everybody.

I don't want the liability that goes with that, or the liability that goes with a headlight switch that has not been reassembled properly, for whatever reason. I would rather skip the sale altogether. I send all of my ABS customers to Prior Remanufacturing (800-444-4821), as they have a three year warranty, and plenty of liability insurance.

I was aware of the private message(s) you sent Steve, and quite honestly, did not really see any reason for him to respond.

it seems very uncharacteristic of you to go after him with such veracity, and I don't quite understand why. he has a lot of good points to make, and this issue of corrosion seems to be one that seems to really bother you.

since Steve and I are both from salty places (Steve, upstate New York, and me, Akron, Ohio) it's not like we don't know what corroded cars look like. I must say I am in complete agreement with him in regard to what constitutes a corrosion free car.

much is determined from where the car existed. in 2005, a good friend of mine in Cleveland wanted to buy a new Buick LeSabre. I went back to help him with the purchase, a beautuful sagemist metallic LeSabre Limited with a cashmere leather interior and chrome wheels. the car had seven (7) miles on the odometer. it was St. Patrick's Day.

I opened the hood, and there was corrosion everywhere; the alternator, radiator, and core support. all of the suspension was rusty, too. my Buick Park Avenue with over 260,000 miles (Arizona car) still has all of the suspension parts the same finish they had when they left the Hamtramck (Poletown) plant in 1999. it's all about the location.

Steve sold one of his 1991 Reattas in Hemmings last fall to a guy in Columbus, Ohio. I was headed in that direction to pick up a car, so I delivered it on my trailer for him. the guy that bought it was very excited when I delivered the car, and insisted that I open the hood right away. he said, "Mike, do you know why I bought this car? look everywhere, no corrosion". his words, not mine.

Steve has carved out a very successful business selling parts on eBay, and I think that's just great. I have no ego issues whatsoever (and neither does he), and I have every confidence that there is plenty of Reatta business for everyone. I never think twice about that.

he obviously is doing something right, as his eBay feedback is 100%, and is getting lots of associated sales from satisfied customers. this certainly speaks for itself, doesn't it?

perhaps I'm a little more diplomatic at times, but that still isn't any reason to shoot the messenger (Steve) because you don't like (or agree with) the message.

over and out.

Mike Rukavina

buickreattaparts.com