Our Reatta trip

[Barney Eaton]

Nancy and I returned home last night from our trip to pick up her Reatta Christmas present. We flew to Phoenix and picked up a 1991 Maui Blue coupe from the original owners. The car is everything we expected and it preformed flawlessly for the 2100 miles we quickly added to the odometer.

While in Phoenix we had a nice dinner and conversation with Mike Rukavina (one of the Reattadudes). The next morning I stopped at Speedway and talked with Phil Hertel. I would have liked to spend more time there as his lot full of Reattas might tell us more about changes, but that will be another trip.

Phil gave me an update of the car he has and I will add them to the database, his added cars will push the count over 4400.

On to LA area and on Monday (1/12) we attended the LA chapter of the BCA monthly meeting. Charles Licata drove down to the meeting in his Green 1991 coupe and it was nice to put a face with the notes I receive.

I did some research on mats while out west, Jim Piro had some mats done by a company in Escondido and I contacted them before leaving Texas. We drove to the shop and talked with the owner for some time. It is a small shop that is willing to do most anything we need but they cannot embroidery. We searched all their color samples and drew a blank on matching blue and grey. They had a blue that was close but not quite. We made a pattern of the mat from the Reatta and they will have it on file if you are interested in having mats made.

You would need to specify the color you need and provide a sample...you may need to get a sample from them. Or if you just want black or a color close to your interior, they can help. Contact Jim Carter at 800-659-9138,

Our last Buick contacts were Mr. Parkinson in Tustin, we met in Flint and then we had lunch with "ALF" (Jerry Sellers). The setting in Dana Point harbor was super, weather was 75+ and the food and conversation went on and on. Jerry arrived in his 1990 Maui Blue convertible with the top down, we were not able to park them side by side but they were close together and we drove out together. We received some great looks in an area that expensive exotic cars are common.

It was a great trip, but it is always great to be home, especially with a new car.

[Chuck Parry]

Welcome back Barney & Nancy. How about posting some photos of your new blue baby.

chuck

[Guest Jim Piro]

Barney, I sent him one of my old mats and I thought they came back exact. You saw the old and the new and you, like me,thought they were exact.

Are we (together!!) having a senior moment??

How is Nancy doing?

Regards,

Jim Piro

[Rattaboy]

Barney, When talking to Phil Hertel, did you happen to look at his convertibles he has for sale? I know they were damaged, but they appear properly repaired. It doesn't take much damage to total a Reatta, more a money issue than amount of damage issue. They are not over priced. I know people don't like to drive repaired cars, but there are jillions of them out there where the damage is undetectable and they are as serviceable as ever.

[Barney Eaton]

My visit with Phil was fairly short, we talked in the office and did not look at any cars. I believe he will tell you the condition of the vehicle when he received it and what he had to do to repair same. He buys both good and wrecked vehicles so a car from him is not necessarly a wreck.