Buicknutty Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 Hi Folks, I'm thinking of buying a 1990 Reatta convertible, white with red interior. I have many posts on other parts of the Buick section, and am an experienced car guy in general, but don't know too much about these cars. This is a US car, not sure when it was brought into Canada, but it was a few years ago for sure. It has 160,000 miles on it, and looks good, but not perfect. I'm not looking for a top car, as I want to drive it quite a bit. That is one of the things I have to decide, as I've never driven one, or even ridden in one, so I have to see how I like it. The paint appears to be original, with a small rust hole about the size of the quarter on each side right, at the bottom right in front of the rear wheels. I am aware of some of the typical Reatta issues, and from past experience, the transmissions usually need work sometime around this mileage, but what are some of the other issues to check into? I was just reading about issues with engine cradle, can anyone give me more info about this? I will have a look underneath the car to check for other areas of rust, is there anywhere in particular to check? About the colour, my wife highly dislikes white cars, to put it mildly, so a paint job to a different colour, but within the Reatta colour pallet would be in its future if it were to make it to my garage. Thanks. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 Is there something special about this particular Reatta that would make you want to buy it with rust issues and being the wrong color? The cradle bolts can go bad, tranny at about 150,000 miles or so. Spilkeces under the seat and being a convertible the top as well as the convertible weatherstrip. The weatherstrip for the top is pretty much unobtainium. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted November 30, 2017 Author Share Posted November 30, 2017 Two things, its' close to home, and the price is fair. Thanks for the info. I had heard that the weatherstrip is not made as well. What do you mean about "Spilkeces"? The other thing about this car being close to home, and for sale by a fellow local club member, is that I can kind of "try it out", a bit more comfortably, as I have no idea if I will like it. Being a Buick, I trust that it will be a comfortable and nice car to drive, but it is smallish, compared to cars like my '69 Electra. If the underneath looks very rusty, I will definitely pass on it. Though I don't mind doing some work on it, I want a car to drive, not another project! Thanks. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89RedDarkGrey Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 23 minutes ago, Buicknutty said: What do you mean about "Spilkeces"? HERE 1 hour ago, Buicknutty said: what are some of the other issues to check into? THESE 28 minutes ago, Buicknutty said: I want a car to drive, not another project! LOOK HERE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted November 30, 2017 Author Share Posted November 30, 2017 Thanks for the extra info, esp. the item about the under seat wiring, except I don't want a Honda to drive! Keith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jglawnyc Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 I did the front cradle mounts (there are 6, parts are easy to find) and it changed the car's ride for the (much) better. Also did the splices under the front seat which got so many of the fun accessories back to work, in addition to much more things, one step at a time. I have 135k miles and you need to be aware that you would be making a great commitment here. "Everything" is gonna go eventually....all sorts of modules, engine parts, suspension, etc. I have a polo green 91 coupe, IMO the best Reatta color, but a repaint is due and thats gonna be several thousand. You may be wiser to search for a lower mileage and better condition car even if its further distance. If you love the car, I understand, just get ready to pour $ into it. I am also a Buick nut (the Reatta, 65 Skylark and 17 Envision) and the classic car hobby ain't cheap. Even though the 65 is "done" every so often (like now) it needs to go in for a comprehensive look-over. If you have the dough, great for you, just be aware. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 The time is almost past but if you can get a parts car that is the way to go. I have stripped enough cars to have back ups of my back ups, but I still get caught short once in awhile. Having extra parts softens the blow of the expense of keeping these cars up. I drive one of two [the Red and Black] almost every day [with the 'vert for the really nice days] and average 30,000 miles a year on the two. Stay on top of the issues as they pop up and it won't be nearly that costly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Eaton Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 If the car is running and the price is right, you might consider buying it as a "entry" Reatta.........as a car guy, you know how to fix things and you could consider it a car to learn about Reattas. Once onboard......you might find the color and maybe even a rust free southern car to buy as a permanent part of your collection. Just keep in mind that this car may take some $$ and time and effort to make it to your liking, but you could sell it when the right one comes along and not loose anything. Note the 1990 white/tan convertible I posted that is rust free and in San Antonio. TX for $6500 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted December 1, 2017 Author Share Posted December 1, 2017 Thanks everyone for your opinions. Right now I am planning to look at and drive the car on Sat., today was wet and cold, but no snow, yet. When he first showed me the car on a warm Sept day., the A/C came on right away and blew nice and cold, it started and ran well, but I did not go any further at the time. It also has all of the factory paperwork to go with it as well. The current owner does drive the car, though he is the kind of guy that owns a car for a while, then sells it and buys another. He says he drives it from time to time and it runs well, but it does have a bit of cowl shake, which I understand is common in these. On the other hand, I have the '56 Roadmaster that I bought in 1976, and driven every summer since then, I've added about 105,000 miles to it so far. Barney, I was wondering about doing just that, but I kind of get attached to cars, I've found that buying them can be the easy part! Next year I'm moving to a much larger rural property, so then I would have the potential to have a parts car. Right now with the city house, I can't possibility entertain that option. I'll let everyone know how it goes in a couple of days Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted December 4, 2017 Author Share Posted December 4, 2017 Well guys, I decided to buy it! It goes for the certification and e test tomorrow morning, and hopefully the shop can get everything done quickly, and that no major issues show up during the process. It started and drove well, the trans shifted properly, cold and hot. I had it up to 75 mph on the highway, and it was smooth except for what feels like a bit of wheel balance about 60, then was gone by 70, and it settled in at an effortless cruise at the higher speed. A certain amount of wind and road noise from the top, particularly from the rear area. The seals look to be in decent shape as well. The interior shows wear and use, but no rip tears, or split seams, but the upper part of the steering wheel is discoloured and has a rough feel to it. It was a cool day, and after a few minutes of running, the heater came on and kept us warm. The other day that I saw it, the weather was warmer, the A/C came on right away and blew nice and cold. Everything else seemed to work. There's a bit of rust on the underside, but much more paint than rust. It also comes with all the shop manuals and original factory documents. The car was imported into Canada in 2014, so it hasn't been here that long, and before that it was a Florida car. I posted a picture of the worst of the two topside rust spots, and it is pretty small. The underside spots don't seem to go through anywhere, but I did not have the ability to put it an a hoist and look any closer. I'm hoping to get the license transferred this week, and then out to my storage garage for the winter. We are having what I sometimes call "bonus weather", as there has not been any significant snowfall in our area yet, so therefore minimal salt, and we've had rain so it has all been washed away. Hopefully the weather will hold till I can get it safely put away till spring. Keith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 I think you did good. The interior looks great for the year and the headlight switch button look good as well. Little bit of rust but you can get that cleaned up and you should have a nice car. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Eaton Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 If you can post the last numbers of the VIN I may be able to tell you where the car was first delivered. You can also pay for a CarFax and get a pretty good history of where the car has been. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted December 6, 2017 Share Posted December 6, 2017 Congratulations! You got yourself a nice looking Reatta. There are a few things I would do to it before driving it a lot. 1) I see some rust on the rear around the gas tank. You should inspect the brake and fuel lines in that area. The metal lines a prone to rusting when exposed to salt. Your fuel lines might be plastic. 2) Flush the brake fluid and bleed the brakes. This is very important on these cars. How To Flush & Bleed Brakes 3) Inspect the cradle bushings. If the bolts are rusted it could be a safety issue. Below is a photo that shows would can happen when they are badly rusted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handmedownreatta Posted December 7, 2017 Share Posted December 7, 2017 now all you need are some nice caddy wheels for it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booreatta Posted December 7, 2017 Share Posted December 7, 2017 I have a 1990 headlight switch for sale for $4500,00 and you get a bonus of a free 1990 white/grey convertible. Car is in great shape. contact me for further info 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted December 15, 2017 Author Share Posted December 15, 2017 (edited) Well, an issue has come up during certification, the body structure and everything is still sound, though some paint loss from underneath as shown in the pictures, and it passed the e-test with flying colours too too, BUT the rear crossmember/axle has rust in the rust where the springs sit. Now I have a gentleman's agreement with the seller, that I could back out, and get my deposit back, so I'm not necessarily stuck with the car, if I don't want to be. There is one in a junkyard in the area, but I don't know the condition of it, or the pedigree of the car. If its' been a northern car all of it's life, it likely isn't in any better shape than the one in the car. It could even be worse. My welding skills are good, you should of seen my '41 Roadmaster when I started on it, but right now I'm in the process of moving from one house to another, and doing some work on the new place as well. So I have no time or energy left over to get into the car till much later next year. Anyway, that's were it sits for now. We're trying to come up with a workable solution to this. I'd still like it, but I want to be able to drive it next spring, not the one after! Keith Edited December 15, 2017 by Buicknutty (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZVET Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 I think the car looks great! You might be surprised how a buff and wax will make a white car stand out. Do the same with the wheels and I bet your wife will like it. The white over red convertible has been a classic look for years! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted January 3, 2018 Author Share Posted January 3, 2018 Thanks AZVET, I've found that I'm quite looking forward to driving the little white convert. The car is at a small local shop having the spring perches repaired, hopefully it will be done today, then it has to get put back together and then it needs the safety finished. Of course, as we are enjoying some serious winter weather here, we need to pick and choose our travel days. Not the that car is incapable, but I don't want to get it covered top to bottom with salt and slush. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted January 16, 2018 Author Share Posted January 16, 2018 (edited) Looking back at the date I started this thread I can't believe that its' been over 6 weeks! Everything is a go on the little Reatta, and am waiting for a dry day, hopefully that'll be Wed or Thurs to drive it the hour plus to its new home. I'll post some pictures when I get it home. Keith Edited January 16, 2018 by Buicknutty (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 1 hour ago, Buicknutty said: 'll post some pictures when I get it home. Great! We always like photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted January 19, 2018 Author Share Posted January 19, 2018 (edited) I got the Reatta to its' new home on Wed. A nice clear and dry day, though a bit cold, the outside temp gauge read 18-20 F for most of the trip. I took a picture of my(!) car in front of the house, then I went inside and my day went downhill real quick. An upstairs water line burst and water had being pouring out for many hours. A lot of damage to the house. So all thoughts of playing with the Reatta vanished. Later my daughter took a shot of me and the car inside the larger garage. As I mentioned earlier in the thread it came with the manual and factory folder with all its' doodads. I put new batteries in the flashlight, and it works! The drive was nearly 80 miles, and it was a nice enjoyable one, to get to know the car a bit better. A couple of issues, the radio, though it works, one or more of the speakers cut in and out from time to time. Also, to get the radio to turn on, one has to push the "rev" button on the tape side. I noticed this on the test drive too. Haven't had a chance to check out the tape deck itself, but I'd rather have a CD player. I'm planning to do some general things like, changing all the fluids, checking belts, hoses, plugs, etc. We are still at least 6-8 weeks away from decent driving, so I have a bit of time to get this done. Keith Edited January 19, 2018 by Buicknutty (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Sorry to hear about all the problems with the pipes. I think you will enjoy your new Reatta. I like white! The problems are pretty normal for a used Reatta. Nice photos. Thanks for posting them. That first photo would be a good one to post in the "Winter Buicks" thread in the Buick - General forum. I'm sure the guys who frequent that forum would appreciate seeing it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Good looking Reatta! As Ronnie says fairly typical radio issues. You might want to send the radio in for a "rebuild" and then also have a jack installed to allow MP3 play or your smart phone. Good luck with the plumbing [in the house]. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Bummer on the pipes. I feel for you. I had a hard time finding the car in the first photo but I found it eventually I too have a weakness for white cars and I think it looks great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89RedDarkGrey Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 At least the Reatta is ok (that's how I would feel anyway) I'd pour a couple gallons of liquid Lysol down where the water went. Black Mold will make your house unlivable. You really can't open windows to air it out; the water will freeze, and jack boards apart, crack walls, etc. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted January 20, 2018 Author Share Posted January 20, 2018 On 1/19/2018 at 12:41 AM, 89RedDarkGrey said: I'd pour a couple gallons of liquid Lysol down where the water went. Black Mold will make your house unlivable. You really can't open windows to air it out; the water will freeze, and jack boards apart, crack walls, etc. A team of professionals came to the house and brought in 4 industrial sized dehumidifiers and many fans to dry the place out. They also pulled down some of the drywall and found the source of the problem. A previous "plumber" had left some live hot water pipes sticking up into an unheated section of the attic. This must of been from when the kitchen was done about a year and a half ago. Last winter, being much milder didn't cause the pipes to break, but the extreme cold this year caused the cap that was soldered on to detach, so it shot upwards into the rafters like a fountain for many hours. The insulation in the walls will have to be replaced as well. So I think that the redial efforts are well under way, and the house will be good again. They have also told us that the flooring is going to have to come up, to get the subfloors dried out properly. All supposed to be covered by the insurance company. Don't know if we will get into more issues with them nickle and dimming us as the project continues. If it hadn't been so bad, I wouldn't have called the insurance at all, but I knew right away that I was going to need professional assistance. To all, thanks for the comments, and sympathies. Glad you like my car. Even my wife is getting used to the white car! The good news on the house, is that of course it could of been worse, it wasn't a fire, and we weren't away for a couple of weeks, or something like that. Keith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted January 21, 2018 Author Share Posted January 21, 2018 Back to my car, not the house! I haven't seen anything about oil type for these cars. Is there a concern that the lower zinc content in the newer oils will cause premature wear when used in these engines? Also, what about ethanol in the fuel system? Here in Ontario the gov't is planning to raise the ethanol content in regular fuel to a mandatory 10%. Thanks, folks. Keith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 There are no concerns with lower zinc % oils at all. This is a roller lifter engine and any decent 5w30 modern oil will work fine, synthetic or dino oil. 10% ethanol is pretty universal all over and 15% in some places. It doesn't make most people too happy as it does have a slight negative effect on mileage but generally doesn't do any harm. JMHO 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89RedDarkGrey Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 (edited) I live in Upstate, NY (smack dab middle) and we've had 10% corn in the "Regular" grade for many years now. We do have ethanol-free "Super" 91 octane, too. I have used both in my '89, and can say there's not a huge difference. I have a new "Delco" type ignition, with Bosch Double Platinum plugs- so it fires irregardless. The 91 stuff does have a tiny bit more highway pep. I have used 10W-40 all year around here, and in Winter I add 1 pint of conventional ATF for easier starting and extra cleaning. The cap reads a much thinner grade (5W-30) to pass the Emissions tests of the time. No way would I use that now, after 172k +29 years. Edited January 21, 2018 by 89RedDarkGrey (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 I use the cheapest 10w30 oil I can find and the cheapest oil filter. I chnage oil every 3000 miles and never have a problem. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted January 21, 2018 Author Share Posted January 21, 2018 Thanks for the replies, guys! Nice to hear its' a roller lifter engine. Keith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted January 24, 2018 Author Share Posted January 24, 2018 The weather had been rainy for a couple of days, with all of the road salt now been washed away, so we took the Reatta out to get some lunch today. A nice ride to town and back, topped it up as well. Though it started raining again just after I had out of the garage, but I wanted to drive it anyway! Then after I got back, and into the heated garage for a while, I started on my next Reatta Adventure. Putting the top down. Its' a 15 step procedure in the owners manual. Being a Reatta newbie, I was looking for the switches as illustrated in the manual, only they aren't the same! Anyway, I managed to get the top down, and even back up again. So do all of them have a lever to release the back edge of the top, instead of the switch the owners manual shows? Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDirk Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 1990 covertibles had a manual release for the fifth bow. 1991 added a power pull down/release using "corkscrews" to secure the fifth bow to the tonneau. If I'm not mistaken, the select 60 convertibles in 90 did have the power assist fifth bow, but all other regular production 90 convertibles had the manual release. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted January 24, 2018 Author Share Posted January 24, 2018 Thanks for the info. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted February 6, 2018 Author Share Posted February 6, 2018 So, I have a couple of questions. First about the cd player option. My car has the usual cassette only AM FM radio, and I have been trying to figure out how the cd player integrated to the radio. I have done some searching on this site, but can't find an answer. May be I missed it. I've also found some mention of a "remote" cd player, and in the Buick manuals I have it seems that cars would of or could of had both. So, is this true? If so, where would of the cd player of been located? Can one but the cd unit and install it? Next, there is some wind noise coming from the back, and I've noticed that the top weatherstrip doesn't fully contact the body all the way across, but reading through the service book I cannot see a way to adjust the fit, but is there a way to have the top fit more snugly? Thanks, folks. Waiting for Spring, for my first top down drive! Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDirk Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 (edited) The outboard CD player isn't so easy to add to the cars not factory equipped with it. You need three things: the CD player itself (with mount), the alternate cubby hole pocket and trim with a half height storage slot and an opening for the CD player, and the special radio harness that has cabling to go to the CD player from the head unit. To get all these parts is not all that easy, and is also rather costly for what you gain in my opinion. Further, the CD player at this age is almost always non-working and will need rebuilding which will just add to the cost. And, it will not play CD-Rs or RWs as it is too old to be compatible with them. Unless you really absolutely want to stay with the stock radio setup (which makes sense for serious show cars and judging) you can do much better for capabilities and sound quality for much less. A suitable Metra install kit can be had to fill the 1.5 DIN factory dash opening and install a standard 1 DIN unit in its place. Current aftermarket gear usually supports Bluetooth to stream audio from a phone, has much better sound quality than stock (even more important in a convertible) and also supports SD cards and/or USB thumb drives that can store hundreds of hours of music and pretty well negate the need for CD's. Edited February 6, 2018 by KDirk (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol' yeller Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 Keith, the top pins can be adjusted to make the 5th bow contact with the tonneau cover better. The pins are threaded into the 5th bow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted February 6, 2018 Author Share Posted February 6, 2018 Thanks, it looked like it, but I couldn't find any other info about this. I think that I will have some time to work on the Reatta tomorrow, so I'll have look. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 Just a thought but I require handsfree in all of my cars and replaced the Delco head unit with a Clarion that matched the dash and illumination colors & has a very good Bluetooth. Nothing visible was modified and I used adapter cables rather than cutting any wires. The original cassette is in a baggie. See here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted February 7, 2018 Author Share Posted February 7, 2018 Thanks for your thoughts, Padgett. That is an option that I'm considering, a modern unit which would give me cd, mp3, and bluetooth. Your car really does look good, it doesn't look modified. Though I really like to keep my cars stock, but the modern system is supposed to work very well, and I can buy one here in Toronto for not much over $100. Hard to resist! Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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