Here I go again

[KDirk]

Well, after a round of shameless bargaining I am now the owner of another 1988 Reatta, white with body color side moldings and burgundy interior. Maybe I will call this one "Threatta" as I can't refer to them by color (all 3 are white) nor by year now (i.e. "the 91", "the 88") as I have two 88's.

This one needs work, it is mechanically solid though has some ECM and engine electrical issues to solve (been there, done that) and a fair amount of cosmetic work as well. That said, it runs well (except for incessant engine electrical problem nag screen due to TPS issue to be solved shortly) is getting good fuel economy (20+ mpg avg on highway) and has good brakes/ABS. Front and rear glass are really good, including the rubber edging and the side glass is decent.

The following will be getting addressed:

Paint to be buffed out and touched up. Front bumper filler and both bumper moldings need repair/refinish. Trunk and hood may need it as well (will reserve judgement til after a good buffing) and the passenger door below the molding is scratched and will need repair and repaint. Rims will need cleanup and refinish. I may paint these - I know that is not the best approach but for now want a quick and inexpensive way to improve the appearance. Have some panel alignment issues to address (hood sits high on drivers side, headlamp door is a bit low) and have already rubbed off the rather sorry looking pinstripe. Some exterior lamps to replace, need to reinstall fog lamp housings (no idea why they were removed) and polish the tail lamp which is actually very decent. It has been continuously garaged the past 2+ years, and most of it's life prior to that as well.

On the interior, it has 6 way seats with suede bolsters. It is interesting to me that the entire seat (front and back) appears to be real leather, where my later 88 has vinyl on the rear side of the seat backs. Suppose this was a running change. Anyway, drivers side suede is shot, passenger is near perfect. Center console armrest is split, some minor issues with dashboard and some interior trim (nothing really terrible) and will need a radio. Steering wheel is rough on top as would be expected.

Have to re-attach the rear view mirror mounting slug and properly reinstall the interior door panels (were previously removed and put back rather slipshod). Need to replace drivers side visor, radio module (POP goes the weasel). CRT and IPC are good, interior lights are all ok.

On the electrical front, the security system is not arming, though the light show does work (go figure). Twilight photocell is likely toasted as the interior EL lighting never comes on and the CRT always says "darkness needed to set brightness". Otherwise, I've not noted any other screwball stuff in the electronics. Apparently has a new (rebuilt) BCM.

Seems like the gentleman I bought it from finally reached the end of his rope trying to troubleshoot this one. It was a superfluous vehicle anyway, and he was wanting it out of his garage badly. I was glad to see to that for the price agreed upon. This has 63,xxx miles and seems not to have any leaks (amazingly for a 25 year old GM product).

No pics yet as it was dark when I got it home. Will be washing and doing some detailing before I am ready to let it be seen publicly. I do, after all, have a certain reputation to uphold.

More to come,

KDirk

Edited July 3, 2013 by KDirk (see edit history)

[DAVES89]

With 4 White/Burgundy cars you are getting to be a creature of habit. I am glad to see you buying more Reattas as I am counting on you to lead us into the "promised land" when the electrical components start drying up and we need alternatives.

Good for you on your latest purchase. I had noticed you had too much free time and this will do nicely to get you back in the harness...

[KDirk]

Heh. I really didn't need this car and it's requisite problems to eat up my "free time", I have plenty of things to do already. But, despite my trying to let it go (really), the price was too good to pass up. That, and I figured if I didn't buy it it would either get junked, parted, or sold to a teenager to beat the he// out of for a few months until it was reduced to junk. At low miles, (much lower than average) and being a car that is easily brought back to presentable condition (not show quality mind you) in it's current state, that just seemed a senseless waste. So, I bit on the deal.

I have another angle here as well. I will be swapping some parts between this and my other 88. The front bumper of Threatta (I guess I will call it that for now) is near perfect, my first 88 has a couple of gouges in the aluminum. So, the front bumpers get swapped. Windshield in this newly acquired car is also much better than the other (less sand blasting and scratches in the glass, rubber edge is also nicer) so I may swap those as well. Yeah, that is a lot of work but I consider it worthwhile to upgrade to a considerably better piece of glass without spending for a brand new one.

May also repaint the trunk and hood and transfer those to my first 88 so it has new paint on those parts. The hood/trunk currently on the first one are quite decent, but being original paint are showing their age just a bit; and this will continue to get worse over time no matter how much detailing I do. There are also a couple of interior pieces that I may swap between cars. The storage bin assembly has better carpet on it, and some of the aluminum trim on the center console is better (less scratching) than in 88 #1. I guess I need to get serious about refurbing the window and mirror switches finally, the ones in the this new car are pretty nasty as far as the decals go.

The general idea is to make my original 88 the real show stopper by putting all the best pieces on it. Meanwhile, Threatta will get the cast offs (which certainly aren't bad by 25 year old driven car standards, but do show some use and age) as it will still be a nice car with those parts, just not show quality. I will probably polish out the scratched bumper before installing it, so that won't be an issue anyway.

On the choice of color, well it was not really habit in this instance, just coincidence. I'd have bought it in a different color combination (at least one that I liked like Claret Red over Tan or Polo Green if it had been a 91) just as quickly for the price that was negotiated even though that would have precluded my planned parts swapping. As far as leading anyone to the promised land, anyplace all 3 of my Reatta are parked is the promised land IMO. I can't wait to get this newest one decent enough for a photo shoot with all three together. I'm sure there will be some double (triple?) takes by anyone who observes that when it happens.

Now I need to go burn off some of that free time doing some paid work. Then I can get to working on the car later today.

KDirk

[wws944]

"Good things come in threes"!

... Rims will need cleanup and refinish. I may paint these - I know that is not the best approach but for now want a quick and inexpensive way to improve the appearance....

I am hoping you come up with a good way to reapply the clear coat - without polishing out the factory machining lines.

[Guest Mc_Reatta]

I don't want to hear you claiming surprise when the men in white coats show up at your door with a straight jacket. You were warned. :confused:

Good luck finding the time and space for your new project.

[KDirk]

Eh, I'm not crazy, just eccentric. My hobbies and interests are a very unusual conglomeration of the generally overlooked and not particularly popular. While most putatively normal people are big into sports, travel, gaming and other such common pursuits, I do it my way. Thus my interest in the Reatta (of all cars I could have chosen), playing classical organ, electronic design and repair, vintage hi-fi gear and other obscure miscellanea.

I will concur that having 3 Reattae is bordering on absurd, but I am far from the first to achieve that count. Besides, a fair number of people who are known to like the Reatta own quite a few more than 3. For those who get the Bugle, see the article a couple of months back. Now that is a fleet of cars, I dare say.

Really, I like a challenge and this latest car gives me just enough to chew on without getting burned out or busting the budget as I would if starting with a trashed out beater. If I were to liken it to buying a house, this one needs new carpet, the walls painted in a couple of rooms and maybe a new breaker panel. Certainly no where near a gut job, so it is a manageable project that will allow me to save a car that would quite possibly have been lost to neglect or parting out.

There is a certain satisfaction gleaned from doing that, especially when the finished product is a nicer car (or will be) than a lot of cars on the road that are well under 10 years old. I see a lot of junk rolling these days - surely a byproduct of economic malaise - including many cars that are probably not even paid for yet (under 6 years old) and just beat - dents, cracked windows, missing center caps or mismatched wheels, back seat piled with trash. "Threatta" is quite significantly better than that already having done nothing to it. By the end of this coming weekend, I expect many of the more obvious deficiencies will already be addressed.

So, I will get yet another opportunity to demonstrate my skillfulness and have a tangible byproduct of same to enjoy after I have put the effort in. That is where the real enjoyment comes from. Nothing like making something (or at least vastly improving it) by one's own resourcefulness. At that point the enjoyment of driving it is a fringe benefit.

KDirk