1, 2, 3.....4!

[KDirk]

Well, I've gone and done it now. Picked up Reatta number four today. A 91 convertible, red with body color side moldings and tan top and interior. Has 179, 000 on it and needs a bit of paint and a new top. Interior is very clean and seats look near new despite the mileage.

Also needs the usual stuff; headlights and power antenna rebuilt, factory speakers and radio are shot and has an ABS code to be addressed.

Best part is that I picked it up dirt cheap. Not that I would be bragging or anything...

KDirk

[Booreatta]

Kevin good job. Now that you have the Reatta Bug there is not a cure, Ill wait till you have number 5. Let me sell you a house with a garage you can put in 2 lifts and just stack em. Ill come by and drink your brew. Then your set for another couple of years.

Hope to be in STL on the 17th for a few hours.

[KDirk]

Heh, no this is definitely it unless or until I sell or wreck one of the current fleet and want to replace it. I'm a fool for getting a third much less a fourth. But, number four is a 91 drop top so felt I had to do it as it was local and was also priced at not much more than a parts car.

KDirk

[Barney Eaton]

If this keeps up all the Reattas will be in St Louis

[DAVES89]

And who says I can't keep a secret? Good for you Kevin!

BTW I know a good counselor. I am down to once every other week so he would have time for you...

[melwel49]

Hey Kevin! Congrats on the drop top! We have to get together and compare cars! Got my BEAUTIFUL 90 convert about a week ago...naturally the weather has been nasty, so didn't want to take her out yet! I'm very excited about the car, can't wait for the weather to clear! sent a pm.

[KDirk]

Mel,

Thanks! I had no plans to buy one but this car was offered to me by my paint/body guy who picked it up at a local auction. The price was low enough to entice me to go ahead and buy it.

As I already posted, it needs work. However, it is a running complete car so I can restore it as time and funds permit. Biggest problem is that it needs a new top as it has shrunk causing the rear window to delaminate along the bottom edge. Plan to replace it this summer if all goes to plan.

KDirk

[Guest Mc_Reatta]

Kevin, I keep vacillating between being happy for you and feeling pity towards you for letting the illness get even a deeper hold on you. Can #5 be that far behind?

I can understand as I was eying one on eBay, not too far away, that was at a good price but fortunately other financial obligations snapped me back to reality before it was too late.

Tell me one thing though - how come it's not white with a red interior?

[KDirk]

Number 4 is it, unless or until I thin the herd. I don't expect this vert to be long range keeper due to the high miles. I figure on getting it decent and using it until the transmission dies (at 179, 125 who can say how long it will last - the 4T60E is not known for it's longevity) then will probably part it for use on another nicer 'vert. Seems a practical enough approach.

As to the color combo, it is not my first choice. But it was a deal and I decided to overlook the fact that it will be the oddball in my fleet. I had a good run as "el blanco" so no matter.

In the words of Billy Joel "A bottle of red, A bottle of white, just depends upon your apetite."

KDirk

[wws944]

CD player and/or 16-ways?

It is always nice to have a convertible in the stable, even if it doesn't get driven that much. Don a hat and some sunglasses, play some tunes on the stereo, and cruise.

I would suggest keeping the stock stereo head unit to avoid theft issues. If you want to hook it up to an external amp and upgraded speakers, just swap the CDM box in the back of the head unit with a Bose version. (Downside: the 5-band EQ becomes a 2-band EQ.) Adding an AUX input is easy.

[KDirk]

No cd player or 16 ways. Standard seats are near perfect condition though, must have been kept covered since new is my guess. Not sure what I'll do about the radio yet. It needs repair and all 4 speakers are shot. Have new fronts ready to go and 4x10s for the back on order.

Will probably put a decent head unit in it but nothing so good it will be likely to attract attention. I have a 10 year old Alpine that has been in 3 of my cars already and is in my 91 coupe right now. It will be getting replaced with a new setup this summer so I may throw it in the roadster.

I think I'm addicted to the satisfaction of restoring these cars as much as the cars themselves.Lots to do on this one for sure.

KDirk

[wws944]

Which 4x10s will you be using?

[KDirk]

I ordered the Kenwoods. Almost ordered the Kickers from the Reatta store but the Kenwoods had better reviews (by a bit) and also had marginally better specs. Note to Ronnie: you might add the kenwoods and the pioneers as alternate options if possible. Also $20 less give or take. Pioneer makes a pair that look good on paper but are not rated quite as well. There is no such thing as a really good 4x10 in terms of low end response so will probably add a low profile sub at some point.

Have a pair of infinity 5.25" coaxials sitting around from an aborted project a while back so they are getting installed up front.

At least my large stash of parts is getting put to some use now with the last two cars I picked up.

KDirk

[Ronnie]

... Note to Ronnie: you might add the kenwoods and the pioneers as alternate options if possible. Also $20 less give or take. Pioneer makes a pair that look good on paper but are not rated quite as well. ...

KDirk

Can you give me a part number or a link to them on Amazon? Thanks!

[handmedownreatta]

i thought the 90-91s had 6x9s in the back?

[Nittany]

i thought the 90-91s had 6x9s in the back?

That is true on the coupes; however the convertibles use the 4x10's.

Kevin,

Congratulations on #4!! I'm sure you will enjoy the process of saving a rare '91 vert and I can't think of a better place for you to use some of your cache of spare parts!!

[padgett]

Am in the process of putting in the 90 vert a Clarion CZ702 to get aux, USB, and Bluetooth for a hands free phone. 302 would have worked but paid a bit more for the 702 so I could color match the lights and display.

Just got used to the modern things.

[KDirk]

Ronnie,

I ordered the Kenwoods through a local autosound shop I have dealings with but researched them on

Amazon. Here is a link:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003TUXZCI/

And a link to the Pioneers:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000067INH/

These have a poly cone woofer but a paper cone tweeter. Not so sure about the high end response from these as a result. That and paper cones will deteriorate more readily than plastic. The kenwoods are poly cones on both FWIW.

Both links above are sold by a third party vendor with fulfillment by Amazon so I don't know if they can be offered in the Reatta store or not. Worth looking at though.

A search on "4x10 speakers" gets a surprising number of hits. Most are off brands of questionable value IMO but there are multiple options.

One more item you may want to add is the Metra 99-4000 dash kit. This is a 1 din to 1.5 din adaptor kit with a small storage pocket under the radio opening. I used this in my 91 coupe as I think it looks nicer than the kit the leaves dead space above and below the radio. Admittedly, the pocket isn't terribly useful but it gives an aftermarket head unit install a more polished look. A link:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00029X1MI/

Think that's it.

KDirk

[Ronnie]

Thanks Kevin. I will do some research on the ones you listed. When you get yours installed would you please give me a review of how you like them? I don't know much about automotive speakers so your thoughts about them would mean a lot. I don't like to add products to the store that I know nothing about unless someone can recommend them. The Infinity Kappas and the Kickers have been recommended by Reatta owners. The cheaper Sonys were recommend as sounding good by a friend. I added them as a cheap alternative to the Kappas. I've had no feedback about them being used in a Reatta.

I will add the Metra dash kit when I add the speakers.

[ol' yeller]

Kevin, does one need to purchase the wiring adapter and antenna adapter as well to make these radios work in the Reatta?

[KDirk]

Any aftermarket head unit will require a gm to Motorola type antenna adapter (GM used a non standard coax connector) to complete the antenna hook up. A vehicle harness adapter is also needed to splice onto the harness suplied with the radio. Never, ever cut off the vehicle side harness and splice directly to that. It is cleaner and lot less work to use the adapter harness.

Metra also makes short speaker harness adapters that allow you to keep the factory speaker plugs on the vehicle side wiring. I usually remove the GM connector from the factory speakers and roll my own short harness that I then solder to the terminals on the new speakers.

All my cars have aftermarket sound equipment as the factory gear is usually shot by the time I purchased them, the speakers especially. The factory Reatta radios are also almost all bad now from age unless they have already been rebuilt. Figure the newest stock gear is 23 years old now (1991).

[ol' yeller]

I plan to keep my Reatta original through the National in Portland. After that I am going to make some changes to make the car mine. First will be a modern head unit with Bluetooth, MP3 and a CD player. Speakers will also be replaced and maybe even add an amplifier and subwoofer. The interior will get the woodgrained treatment which I have in a box in my garage. I will also be replacing the ugly Reatta factory wheels with something a little more modern. I figured the harnesses would also need to be purchased but I wanted to be sure. Thanks!

Greg

[wws944]

+1 for not hacking up the factory wiring - both at the head unit, and also at the speakers. I have always done my own stereo work, and really like Metras adapters. Most pro installers don't bother with the adapters because they would rather pocket the extra cost, and most of their customers could probably care less. I've seen some incredibly bad wiring jobs on cars at the Pick-N-Pulls as a result.