fun car guy Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fun car guy Posted February 15, 2021 Author Share Posted February 15, 2021 Thank you very much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fun car guy Posted February 15, 2021 Author Share Posted February 15, 2021 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 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? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 Where is the car from and where is the brake system leak? The advice above is excellent regarding what to look for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fun car guy Posted April 2, 2021 Author Share Posted April 2, 2021 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now