DAVES89 Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 8 hours ago, Machiner 55 said: Not to "one up" you or anything but, try doing it after Open Heart Surgery. (Mitral valve repair and a coronary by-pass.) John F. Hey John glad you came back for a "visit". Glad you are back on the mend. I think when my kids were younger they weren't so sure I had one... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 (edited) Okay it looks like it will be warming up a bit so the 'vert will be coming out. The Black goes into storage but before that happens it gets both front tie rods and lower ball joints. As far as I know one ball joint and tie rod are original. Not bad for a car with 305,000 miles on it. Also got an alignment special [front only for $39.00 so the entire front end work [thanks Rock Auto] for less then $100.00 I know that the parts aren't "top shelf" but hey I probably won't drive the car 30,000 miles for the next two winters. And that should be the end for the Black other then as a parts car. Edited May 12, 2019 by DAVES89 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 Did the front end both ball joints and tie rods. Alignment on Thursday. Tie rods were easy ball joints not so much. One ball joint had already been replaced so it was just bolted in. The drivers side was original so the rivets had to be ground off then drilled out. Other interesting thing is that the ball; joint side that goes through the knuckle has to be cut off. Then the cotter pin hole has to be redrilled. That side was tough. Did it by my friend Bob's house who has a lot more tools then I. Alignment on Thursday and then into storage as the 'vert comes out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 Spent the afternoon w/Dave testing accumulators, motors and switches. Just a beautiful day that has been a long time coming so doing this semi-outdoors was a big plus. I did find I need to do a little refinement on the test rig, but did function as desired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted May 17, 2019 Share Posted May 17, 2019 That was fun Hal. A low pressure play around testing parts and then sitting in the driveway looking at our Reattas and shootin the breeze. Should do it more often. The saga on the Black's front end repairs continues. Took it to the repair shop that was offering a front end alignment for $39.95. Guy drives it on the ramp and 20 minutes later he's back saying on ball joint was loose [said we didn't tighten the three bolts down tight enough on the driver's side] and the inner tie rods on both sides were "loose" and he wouldn't be able to do an alignment. I was pretty steamed cause I knew the bolts were all tight and that there was nothing wrong with the inner tie rods. So without offering to pay for the time the guy spent with my car on the rack I left. I did get a quote from the manager for inner tie rods and an alignment for $310.00. So when I got home I knew the only thing wrong was the toe in so I went to YouTube and watched a couple of videos on how to do an alignment with string. I think I did good because the steering wheel is back in the correct position and the car tracks straight as it did before. I may take it to my regular alignment shop and see what they say, but that won't be until fall as the 'vert comes out tomorrow. So the Black gets a wash and a wax and into storage it goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted May 17, 2019 Share Posted May 17, 2019 I had a similar issue, also with a front end after strut replacement (different vehicle). I had replaced the struts myself, and brought it in to have the alignment done. I made it clear I had just eyeballed the camber and the strut to spindle bolts were just tight enough to drive in, which was only 4 blocks away. The tech came back after 15 minutes, "all done" he says. When asked if he torqued the strut bolts, I got a deer in the headlights look, and he hurried back out in the shop after saying the camber was within spec when brought in. I drove the car out and on the way home, noticed the steering wheel was off center. Rather than take it back, perhaps as I should have, I resolved to never go back, despite the shop being my go to place for tires, alignment and other front end work for 35years. There was more to the story earlier in this same strut story I won't mention, but the point being, even the best relationship can be destroyed by simple mistakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dship Posted May 17, 2019 Share Posted May 17, 2019 Noticed quite a few of the wire loom plastic covers were crumbling away in the engine compartment of my Reatta. So, I bought a package of new black plastic loom covers ...the ones with the split running along them... on eBay for around $50. It included 20 feet each of 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 5/8", 3/4", and 1"...think it was a good deal. Went to work on as many wire bundles as I could reach, pulling/cutting off the old loom covers and replacing them with new. Kind of a tedious job but a necessary one to protect the wire bundles. Now, if it would only stop raining here (eastern MA) I might be able to attend more than the one cruise-in I've been able to go to so far this season! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted May 17, 2019 Share Posted May 17, 2019 Hey Ship, I know it's a long drive but are you coming to the BCA Reunion in Oklahoma? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dship Posted May 18, 2019 Share Posted May 18, 2019 No, I'm not attending. I tend to drive only to BCA and ROA Nationals that are east of the Mississippi River. I do plan on driving my '91 Reatta to the BCA 2020 in Ohio and the 2021 in North Carolina. I sold my '92 Riviera last June, so I will drive my 2000 Eldorado to the ROA National in Gettysburg coming up shortly month-end June...was told to park it in the "visitors lot" and not anywhere near a Riviera!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted May 19, 2019 Share Posted May 19, 2019 I'm not sure about next year. I don't have 2020 vision... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 Monday I went junkin... on my own car that is stored at a friend's house. Items grabbed were a headlight switch and shifter light panel. Both in great working order. Back light on the switch is like new [guessing because the inverter was bad and didn't wear on the back light]. The console back light is very good on all the shift points except for the "over drive" position. Still works good but "faded". Pretty much fun taking parts that I want to try and not worrying about any costs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordrodsteven Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 I detailed the Reatta today and took it to a Cruise-in. As usual a couple lookers but not really sure what it is. Anyway. I got a flyer for a Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, GM event coming up June 9th at the Budweiser plant in Merrimac, NH. I think I'll be attending that! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 Good for you fordrodsteven. You just keep hanging around. Thanks for that. Tomorrow I am taking a "road trip" to look for some Reatta parts at another junk yard. This one is near Antigo. They have some listed on car-part.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dship Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 1 hour ago, fordrodsteven said: I detailed the Reatta today and took it to a Cruise-in. As usual a couple lookers but not really sure what it is. Anyway. I got a flyer for a Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, GM event coming up June 9th at the Budweiser plant in Merrimac, NH. I think I'll be attending that! The BPOGM event on June 9th is hosted by my BCA Minuteman Chapter...we do it every year and added an invite to the Olds owners this year. I will be driving my '91 Reatta to the event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 On 5/22/2019 at 6:38 PM, DAVES89 said: Good for you fordrodsteven. You just keep hanging around. Thanks for that. Tomorrow I am taking a "road trip" to look for some Reatta parts at another junk yard. This one is near Antigo. They have some listed on car-part.com Actually the Reatta I went to "junk" was in Chicago a7.5 hour round trip. I got some things but someone had already beat me to it. The car was in the lot for 2 days and already the console lid, inner door panels [both sides] , CRT and Instrument Cluster. I got some things [ABS leads, Headlight Switch, real nice visors, and a like new mirror switch] and tires. So it was still worth while. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 6 hours ago, DAVES89 said: Actually the Reatta I went to "junk" was in Chicago a7.5 hour round trip. I got some things but someone had already beat me to it. The car was in the lot for 2 days and already the console lid, inner door panels [both sides] , CRT and Instrument Cluster. I got some things [ABS leads, Headlight Switch, real nice visors, and a like new mirror switch] and tires. So it was still worth while. Good to see you are still junkin. Not many people would drive that long in hopes of getting some parts. Glad to see you were able to get some good parts for your trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted May 27, 2019 Share Posted May 27, 2019 Thanks Ronnie. And I had a bit of time and the inclination so I installed a stereo that kdirk rebuilt for me and sorry to say I also just installed the compass mirror that you [Ronnie] rewired for me. This was for the 'vert. Took it out for a spin to calibrate the compass and check out the stereo. Sounds better then the old one and really sounds good with a Kicker powered sub woofer. Looks like I'm ready for summer driving! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted May 28, 2019 Share Posted May 28, 2019 On 5/26/2019 at 9:07 PM, DAVES89 said: sorry to say I also just installed the compass mirror that you [Ronnie] rewired for me. Was it a self dimming mirror? I can't remember. I really like the self dimming mirrors and the compass in the mirror is nice too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted May 28, 2019 Share Posted May 28, 2019 (edited) It was the self dimming compass mirror. Also had "Onstar" and a temperature gauge [works through the dash] that were an option on the donor car I took it from. Can't use that part but I do like the dimming/compass feature. Also has map lights that are LED. Edited May 28, 2019 by DAVES89 (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dship Posted May 28, 2019 Share Posted May 28, 2019 Went into the '91 Reatta's vinyl igloo today to just sit and look at it because no cruise-ins today due to continued rain. Will sit and just look at it again tomorrow because more rain is due...maybe Thursday will be OK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted May 28, 2019 Share Posted May 28, 2019 I feel your pain. I drove the 'vert twice since I got it out of storage. And one time was to drive it home... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted May 29, 2019 Share Posted May 29, 2019 Just the opposite here guys. No rain for over a week and not much forecast here for another week at least. It's been over 90 degrees here for several days. I've been driving almost everyday but mostly in evening when it's cool. Too hot to sit in a parking lot at a cruise in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nittany Posted May 29, 2019 Share Posted May 29, 2019 My Reatta and I took a 5 day, 730 mile road trip over the Memorial Day weekend. To prepare the Reatta, I completed an oil change, a PA inspection, had the A/C charged and a new set of Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring tires installed. On Wednesday morning my wife and I left Fulton County, PA and drove to Westport, CT, a 320 mile first leg. After attending our son's graduation on Friday, we left Saturday morning for Mantoloking, NJ one of the many beach towns along the Jersey shore. Finally on Monday we returned home a 260 mile trip. The Reatta performed flawlessly throughout the long weekend and averaged over 26 mpg with spirited driving. The photo below was taken in Mantoloking looking toward the bay. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted May 29, 2019 Share Posted May 29, 2019 Good for you Nittany! Sounds like a fun trip. We need more stories like this about people driving their Reatta and having fun with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted May 29, 2019 Share Posted May 29, 2019 Next time you park in front of my summer house be sure to stop in. We always welcome guests especially ones driving Reattas! I wish it were mine... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted May 31, 2019 Share Posted May 31, 2019 As I have aged I find that I never seem to have enough light to work by. I was over at a friend of mine's house to replace some parts on my daughter's car when he pulled out a "Headband Flashlight". He got his from Snap On as he is a mechanic. I bought mine off Amazon. The great thing is you now have "Hands Free" lighting that points right where you are looking. I have one at my camper and one in my junkin bag. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin M Posted June 1, 2019 Share Posted June 1, 2019 (edited) Replaced my antenna again found out the fuse was bad. I thought I checked that first but whatever I now have the correct antenna rather than a reproduction one. Also discovered this wire under my drivers seat. I’m assuming it’s for the 16 way seats. Edited June 1, 2019 by Kevin M (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 I have been trying to use my '90 as more of a daily driver so this weekend it was headed for the cottage. This is not a long drive, only 50 miles, but we finally had a bit of warm weather. I thought I could check a couple of things along the way, so this is more a story of what I didn't do. Leaving town, I noticed a couple of things; my gps wouldn't work, and the outside air temperature appeared to be off? First I discovered the lighter was apparently stuck in the down position, how it happened I do not know, but I would guess the fuse blew or something worse is wrong. The second thing was the temperature reading was 20*F too low, 67* to be exact, but when I engaged the a/c system, which I replaced last year, the reading suddenly corrected itself? This has never happened before to my knowledge, but I soon noticed the hvac control unit would not raise the temperature when the button was pushed. It would go down, but not up, so I went back to econ mode and sweat a bit 😛 The non-operational gps meant I couldn't check/compare the speedometer to the gps as I had planned. I had reprogrammed the pulse divider for the speedo readout when I did the chip for the present engine, and I wanted to double check I was close. I guess it's time to do a bit of exploration and repair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 I had a lot weird things going on one time when the battery cable was loose. The cable was loose even though the bolt was tight. You might want to check that if you've had the battery cable off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 9 hours ago, Ronnie said: I had a lot weird things going on one time when the battery cable was loose. The cable was loose even though the bolt was tight. You might want to check that if you've had the battery cable off. 10 4 on that. It hasn't been out of storage very long and the battery was replaced just a few weeks ago, but I didn't install. I will check that out. Thanks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 Battery connections verified, and HVAC control head disassembled, cleaned contacts and replaced. Cigar lighter fuse and wiring are good and it appears the lack of power thru the socket is due to misc. debris buildup. I made a mistake (imagine that) and the lighter itself was not stuck in the down position🤔 I have a dim memory of a latte being spilled over the top of the console many moons ago, which apparently worked its way into areas previously undiscovered and little used. The upshot is the lighter socket has a lot of buildup in the bottom and difficult to clean, so replacement would be the best option, but that is proving difficult. I cannot get the large "nut" on the bottom of the lighter socket shell to rotate. The shell is located by a single plastic tab that extends through the shell but that seems too fragile for the amount of force required but perhaps I am looking at it incorrectly? It has been ages since I have installed a socket like this and would appreciate suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 As it turns out, a 1/4" socket to remove the central power stud nut is all that holds the entire lighter socket together. Ten or eleven pieces can be taken apart, cleaned and buffed, and reassembled. All good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 Good for you 2seater. I would have offered advice but I have never taken my '90 console apart so have no advice. But as long as we are talking consoles, I did take the shifter panel out of the 1989 "parts" Reatta I bought last fall and installed it in the Red. It lights up perfectly, so I will be using that instead of the LED "upgrade" I did years ago. Unless of course someone wants to buy it. I also have been detailing my car a bit. Vacuumed the carpet, wiped down the dash, treated the leather and cleaned up under the hood, detailed the rims/tires. I also use the "tire shine" type products on all the black trim [rocker panels, front and rear spoiler] and it really brings them back. Today I wash and wax the car and should be ready for the BCA Reunion next week in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 Kendall [my mechanic friend] and I made a video on how to rebuild sensor leads. It is very chopped up and didn't turn out well. I think I'll just get another lead and try making a video again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 I am an early riser and started in about 6:30 washing the Red. Took the dog for a walk, got side tracked by my wife for a couple of chores and just finished putting on a coat of wax.I also put together a "survival kit" unless something goes wrong out on the road. Extra parts and my junkin bag. Also bringing some odds and ends to sell. The Red is now ready for Midwest City Oklahoma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 11 minutes ago, DAVES89 said: I am an early riser and started in about 6:30 washing the Red. Took the dog for a walk, got side tracked by my wife for a couple of chores and just finished putting on a coat of wax.I also put together a "survival kit" unless something goes wrong out on the road. Extra parts and my junkin bag. Also bringing some odds and ends to sell. The Red is now ready for Midwest City Oklahoma. Just a mere 14 hour drive. About the same for me from TN. That's nothing for you Dave but anything over 3-4 hours and I'm worn out. Google says your route might take you through Des Moines IA. You could connect up with Jake there and get a Reatta caravan going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 (edited) I have been watching a couple of you pick sites for Reattas. If one shows up, that's the way I go. Besides last I heard Jake's not going. He wasn't elected... Edited June 6, 2019 by DAVES89 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin M Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 (edited) Went to my local cruise in night yesterday. Parked next to a 41 century and a 1990 Oldsmobile touring sedan. The owner of the olds also has a 89 reatta that he’s going to bring to this event once he sells his olds. I also got pulled over for having my period correct plates on. The cop was suprised to learn that my car was register and insured as a classic to those plates. So no ticket for me. Edited June 9, 2019 by Kevin M (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dship Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 I attended my BCA Minuteman Chapter annual car show featuring Buick, Olds, Pontiac, and GMC's at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Merrimack, NH 6/9/19. Couldn't have asked for a better day...sunny and 75 degrees all day. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordrodsteven Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 2 hours ago, DShip said: I attended my BCA Minuteman Chapter annual car show featuring Buick, Olds, Pontiac, and GMC's at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Merrimack, NH 6/9/19. Couldn't have asked for a better day...sunny and 75 degrees all day. There were seven of us there with our Reatta's and yes it was a beautiful day. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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