'89 Reatta

[fun car guy]

Hello!  I'm new here and thinking of buying an '89 Reatta coupe with 150,000 miles.  Although it looks very good (black/tan), I have no experience with this model and wondering about service at this age/mileage.  What should I be looking for?  Do I need to buy a parts car to keep from going broke?  Thanks in advance!

[rocketraider]

We have an active Reatta forum down in Buickland. Scroll down to Buick forums and you'll find it. They can answer about any question you could have on Reattas.

[fun car guy]

Thank you very much!

 

[Jim]

There are some parts suppliers with very high prices but I usually have most parts available at reasonable prices although if you can find a parts car at a low price it is always good to have one.

You would want to find an '88 or '89 and preferably with a tan interior.

The last ten or so Reatta parts cars I have bought all were under $ 500

[fun car guy]

Thanks, Jim.  Are there any particular issues I should be aware of and get parts for in advance?  The one I have my eye on has 150000 miles and a leak in the braking system.

[Larry Schramm]

One issue that was an issue when the cars were relatively new is the tan serial data line would rub to ground and cause the dash and other modules to stop communicating.

[Ronnie]

Here is a list we made for potential Reatta buyers. Take a look around the website while you are there. Lots of good info there that you might need as a new Reatta owner.

 

What should I check when buying a Reatta?

[2seater]

Where is the car from and where is the brake system leak? The advice above is excellent regarding what to look for.

[Jim]

21 hours ago, fun car guy said:

Thanks, Jim.  Are there any particular issues I should be aware of and get parts for in advance?  The one I have my eye on has 150000 miles and a leak in the braking system.

The leak in the braking system is almost for sure a rusted brake line which is common in northern cars but it also means the gas lines, which were steel, in the '88-89s are also probably getting thin. Replacement of the brake lines with standard bulk or precut tubing is not a bad job but you need a double flaring tool.

If this car has rust issues unless you are buying it pretty cheap, under $ 1000,  might be the parts car you could want and find a car with lesser rust issues.

The parts you might want to have spares of are the IPC CRT and brake pump/motor, pressure switch and accumulator. Keep in mind the accumulators and pressure switches are '88-90 but the pump/motor on the '89s is the same as the '90s but the '88 pumps were different. I wouldn't go out an buy the parts as spares but if you come across a parts car or can find these parts in a local junk yard they are nice to have on hand.

[2seater]

The only correction I think should be made is the brake system uses metric bubble flares, which are much easier to make, even in place under the car. The majority are a 10mm x 1.0 thread. Standard 3/16” bulk tubing.

[fun car guy]

On 2/16/2021 at 11:24 AM, Jim said:

The leak in the braking system is almost for sure a rusted brake line which is common in northern cars but it also means the gas lines, which were steel, in the '88-89s are also probably getting thin. Replacement of the brake lines with standard bulk or precut tubing is not a bad job but you need a double flaring tool.

If this car has rust issues unless you are buying it pretty cheap, under $ 1000,  might be the parts car you could want and find a car with lesser rust issues.

The parts you might want to have spares of are the IPC CRT and brake pump/motor, pressure switch and accumulator. Keep in mind the accumulators and pressure switches are '88-90 but the pump/motor on the '89s is the same as the '90s but the '88 pumps were different. I wouldn't go out an buy the parts as spares but if you come across a parts car or can find these parts in a local junk yard they are nice to have on hand.

Hello Jim,

I bought my car a few weeks ago from an older gentleman selling it for an elderly lady so the diagnosis of leaking brakes was wrong.  It turned out to only be the power steering cooler and I haven't seen any leaking anywhere else.  I contacted Jim and he's sending me a replacement to take care of that.  Although  the car starts easily and doesn't stall, it runs rough.  I gave it new plugs and leads so I know it's not spark and clearly it's getting gas since each cylinder fires so now I'm investigating a possible vacuum leak or possibly the TPS, any suggestions?  Once that's solved I will need to bleed the brakes to firm up the pedal.  Right now, the brakes work but are very weak. I was told the brakes were worked on recently including a new caliper but trust me, I will see to the brake lines.  Otherwise, the car is in good shape, hardly any rust with good paint and very good interior with no rips or tears.  Still trying to get my head around the self diagnosis software though.

 

[padgett]

Do you have the factory service manual (FSM) ? Are available from Bishko. Makes it a lot easier to point to page numbers. Diagnostics are well documented.