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Posted

Just off the truck, it could use a good wash & wax but wanted to share the photo's of my new Reatta. Barney, you were right about the original owner, I have paper work dating back to the original sale. He is listed as the original purchaser.  (DA Skiven}  The car was a demo as well, I have a document that states, "Optional Limited Warrenty Extension for Dealer owner demonstrators, service loaners, driver education vehicles, program vehicles and product eveluation program (PEP} vehicles."  It extends the warranty to 18,000 miles or 09/12/92. The car also came with original window sticker and many old documents. Very cool!

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  • Like 2
Posted

My Dad worked as a foreman and later as a supervisor at a GM plant in Michigan.  If I remember correctly the PEP program were loaded cars that were purchased for various GM entities to use as VIP cars.  When a big shot came to inspect or work on a special program then the guy or gal would drive the PEP car.

My Dad told me a story about the time he spent a few days in Muncie, Indiana to help solve a problem at the transmission plant there.  He said the only PEP car available was a new Corvette.  He told me that it rode like a lumber truck and he hated it.

If I recall, the PEP cars were only kept for a few months and then the employees were allowed to buy them for a deep discount.  The highest ranked executive had first dibs.

Your new Reatta is a Jewel - congratulations!

Posted

Simply outstanding. I look forward to when mine looks that nice again. You have done well to grab this one. Even the tail lamp lens looks new.

Posted

Very interesting info AZVET, I just love to hear about how things were at the time of sale.

 

Thanks Kevin, yes, the tail light assembly is completely clear like new. Another piece that show age is the front grille, this one is perfect. Both of those items I look at when viewing a Reatta to detect it's condition. Looking forward to a good wash & wax!  :)

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Posted

Congratulations!  It looks like new and almost inspires me to get mine out.....my wife says, "Almost?!?!"  I better get cleaning.

Posted

Nice looking vert you have there.

Will you be going to the Nationals this year ?

Looks like there is damage to the rub strip, drivers front.

Did that happen during shipping to your location ?

 

Cal.

Posted

Not sure about the Nationals, my duties with the Hurst/Olds club may interfere. The previous owner already bought the replacement molding, just never had it installed. I started another thread on replacement and it seems very doable for the weekend warrior. I have a friend that helps me with stuff like that so I may do it myself. Anyone that has tips on front bumper removal, please speak up  :)

Posted

Easiest to remove the bumper by removing the aluminum portion (impact bar) from the outer end of the impact absorbers. 4 nuts on each side, make sure you note the locations and quatity of any shims between the impact bar and absorbers. Best to have a helper to hold onto it so it doesn't fall off.

 

Installation is reverse of removal, though having a floor jack with a large wood block on it helps to get the bumper into position and keep it there while the nuts are torqued down. Alternatively you can stack wood planks, cinder blocks or similar to elevate and keep it in place. 

Posted

What a nice car.........looks like it just rolled out of the showroom.

Great find and I hope you can make it to the Buick National meet in Denver. 

Posted

I wish I knew more about how GM handled employee purchases.   You confirmed that Mr. Skiven was the original buyer/owner......the document I have only tells me it was a sale to an employee and the name was Skiven.

Your window sticker posted in another post shows the car going to Glendale CA.....

All that is possible,  I just assumed Mr. Skiven was a Buick employee in the Flint/Lansing area.

Does any of the records received with the car indicate Mr. Skiven was in MI or CA?.....  Several years ago, probably when we had the National Buick meet in Flint (2008) we talked with several people that worked on the Reatta program

Someone in that crowd,  said they post cars for sale to employees......I suppose if you worked at Buick/GM regional office they would also get the list and have an opportunity to purchase these cars.   Again do not know how the system worked.
 

Posted

It is confusing indeed. The PEP form states that the purchaser was DA Skiven in Northville, MI. Then, I have a Arizona registration tht states the car was sold to Richard Abrams with  6848 miles on the car with a registration expiring Sep, 1993. The PEP states the dealer was Bill Cook Buick in Farmington Hills, MI but as you stated, the window sticker suggests the car was heading to a dealership in Glendale, CA. I do not think it ever made it to sunny California but was snatched by Mr Skiven prehaps much to the disappointment of some potential buyer in CA.  Just guessing of course. Mr Skiven only had the car for a year and ran up some serious miles since only 10000 miles were put on the car during the next 26 years.

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Posted

Again we could speculate, but we need a GM insider to shed some light on the process.......

Maybe the Calif dealer cancelled the order and that is why it was made available to employees.....as no other dealer wanted that color combination or some other reason.

Looking at the first document.......car was put in service 4-25-91

Car was sold retail 9-12-91  with 6498 miles.

There is a possibility that Mr.  Skiven  got it as a company car, then purchased it.....again not know how the system works allows us to guess what happened,  having those documents does help.

Note that Mr. Abrams got the car in Oct 91 with 6848........Skiven only put 350 on it in a month while it was in his name, I would like to think that it was his company car and possibly he knew Mr. Abrams and

Mr Abrams told him Skiven he would buy it when GM wanted him to turn it in.

I am attaching the page from my records that shows 90422 near the bottom of the page

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Posted (edited)

Thank you for attaching the '91 production info Barney, I printed it out and added it to my folder on the car. Much appreciated!

 

I really find this sort of thing fascinating!  :)

Edited by Cargirl
spelling (see edit history)

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