Why do we have Reattas?

[Guest F14CRAZY]

So why exactly do we have Buick Reattas? There are lots of cars out there, but why the Reatta? This is kind of a survey. But this are our reasons...

About a year ago I wanted a car. My daily drivers are a 1993 Ford Explorer Limited 4x4 and my "streeter" everyday driver is a '92 Explorer XL, 4 door stick. Explorers are great but I wanted something different. Not quite a daily driver, but more than just once a week. To preserve it I would only drive in non-salty conditions.

I wanted an American vehicle that was old enough to not be terribly expensive. It had to have decent performance, look good, and be fast. My dad has had plenty of muscle cars in the past so I thought about something that old, but I wanted modern features and comforts. I didn't want to have to deal with spark plugs, ignition points, etc every other day. And I wanted something DIFFERENT; something you don't see all the time. Since money at 17 isn't plentiful, my dad kinda got on the bandwagon with me and would finance a great part of the price and parts. I don't mind sharing the vehicle at all.

I considered a Pontiac Fiero, Ford Taurus SHO, and the Buick Reatta. It became the latter because:

-we found a nice one near us (Grand Rapids)

-my dad likes the reliability and long life of the 3800

-performance (power, 4 wheels disks/ABS, independent suspension)

-hand built in Lansing

-unique looks

-practicality (trunk room, interior space, comforts)

-the ECC (I'm deep into computers, so I thought this was wicked cool)

-price

-size (bigger and heavier than a Fiero)

So yay! We got it. Soon after, my dad wanted one too since I drove and worked on mine too much So after a week or two of surfing autotrader (again) we found his 1990 Maui Blue convertable.

[Guest maybe2fast]

I had always wanted one, and I found one it had a loose cradle and I fixed it with cradle bushings from a Trofeo and bamg I had the Reatta I always wanted

[padgett]

Because my wife reused to get int the Fiero and I like the 3800.

[Guest tempest68]

Because when I graduated from college in December 1990 I could only afford a $12,500.00 Grand Am. So over a decade later, a used one finally became within our budget.

[Howard]

I liked the car when it first came out. A two seater with comfort. I wanted something no one else had. I've owned mine since Aug, 1998. I'll drive it till it goes to that big showroom in the sky.

[Guest jss]

I WAS LOOKING AT SOMETHING DIFFERENT TOO, LIKE THE SHO . THE REATTA WAS A VAGUE MEMORY OF CARS GONE BY, SAW ONE IN A USED LOT AND TRIED IT ON FOR SIZE. I'M TALL SO I WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE ROOM AND STYLING HAD TO MANY MILES ON IT FOR ME 185,000 BUT IT DID INTEREST ME . I FOUND THIS BOARD AND ENJOYED THE POSTING . I GOT LUCKY AND SAW TWO FOR SALE ON EBAY FROM THE SAME PERSON AND NOT A THOUSAND MILES AWAY SO HERE I AM A REATTA LOVER LIKE THE REST AND YOU CANT BEAT THE FUN PER DOLLAR COST$ 2000.00 GOT ME A NICE 88 AND HAS PLENTY OF LIFE LEFT PLUS ITS A GOOD CAR IF U LIKE TO TINKER WITH AUTOS . IF YOU DONT THEN ITS NOT THE CAR YOU WANT TOO EXPENSIVE TO TAKE TO A DEALER FOR SURE!!

[2seater]

It's different. I've had my '90 close to twelve years now. I, like you, thought about several different cars but I wanted something uncommon and yet reasonably reliable. For the same money I could have had a Corvette maybe a year or two older but there are lots of them around. Being uncommon, it took a year and a half to find the one I still own. I tried three others before I bought the one I have, a one owner car with all the records. It's a daily driver for six months of the year and even with all the fooling I have done with the drivetrain, it still gets 25+ mpg on my daily commute to work, about 70 miles a day. The turbo makes it a little tough to keep out of the throttle and it runs pretty rich for safety sake, so the mileage is pretty darn good for the performance potential. It's hard to lose in a parking lot and it makes me feel good driving it. I can't describe it any other way.

[Guest EDBS0]

<font size="+5 " color="ffooff" HTM what?</font> Yes, why, WHY, <span style="font-weight: bold">WHY!</span>

please tell me <span style="font-style: italic">why?</span>

[bobwhite]

We bought ours new. We loved the looks of it. My wife developed a leg problem, so shifting gears in the Porsche became painful. The Reatta dealer was offering us a new one for $21,000 in 1990, and the old PorscheSC that we paid $17,500 for new in 1978 was sold for $15,500 with 120,000 miles on it. So it was easy to buy the Reatta. We also plan to keep it, until it or we go to the big car show in the sky.

[Guest Ranger]

Because I never meet myself driving down the road.

[HRP]

In 1991, my wife told me I needed a new car. I had 100k on my '77 Excalibur Roadster. She suggested a nice 4 door sedan. After "looking at her funny", we went and test drove about every convertible I could fit in (I'm a big guy, 6', 285). The Reatta fit the bill. I told the dealer I would take any color convertible but red. This was in November 1991, and the only ones we could find new in the US were all red. He offered me a great price break since it was an orphan. The Reatta is driven daily and is parked in the garage between my '77 Excalibur and my 2002 Lexus LS430. It has provided good, reliable, comfortable,and satisfactory transportation. And still looks great with the help of Zaino products. I'm frequently asked how I like my "new" car.

[Guest DTerry]

I didn't even know what a Reatta was. Saw one parked on the street and walked over to read the labels. Buick? Neat car! Shopped Cars.com, autotrader, eBay, etc.; found one in East Texas at a bargain price. The seller picked me up at Love Field in Dallas, I gave him the cash, he gave me the title, and I pointed it north. The 850 mile trip home was a pleasure: cruise control at 70, climate control at 70, 32 miles per gallon. That was two years ago, and I still think it's the most enjoyable car I've ever owned (although for pure fun the X 1/9 was hard to beat). Now if I could only get it away from my daughter. I might have to get another one.

[Guest Reatta1]

For me it was love at first sight at the auto show when they first came out. Being a working class stiff with a family, the nearly 30 grand was totaly out of the picture. Four years ago after a nearly three year search and several look at's I found Black Beauty. Acceptable mileage, acceptable condition and after some haggling, acceptable price. The rest is, as they say, history. Have not regretted the move even being a 17 year old car. Hope some day to also acquire a 90 or 91 convertible.

[sahein]

I remember seeing them driving down I-95 when they first came out but they never struck me as anything spectacular. Then many years later I saw an old one with well over 200k miles for sale along side of the road. The body was straight and all of the chrome was there but it needed drastic work on the interior and paint. When I finally looked closely at it, I immediately fell in love with it. Even though I had seen them before, I never realized their fabulous uniqueness. To this day, there is not a single other car on the road that has all of the desirable qualities of the 88-89 Reatta. I couldn't talk the guy down to less than $1200.00. People thought that I was crazy for spending so much money on a piece of junk. But I thought of it as a luxurious Buick Corvette. So I bought the car and have been restoring it ever since. But my love didn't stop with just this one car. I now own 3 Reatta's. Two are 1988 and one is an 1989 and I also purchased two 1989 Riviera's. I don't think that I will ever part with them.

[manikmekanik]

Because my wife, (who i had only shown one the week before) picked one out at an auction where i was looking for an Allante. She made me (ha, ha) buy it for my 20th anniversary present (ha, ha), well i had to fix the crank pulley, rt rear caliper bracket plus new brakes all around, after paying $2135 for it. As soon as i was done, however, she decided to drive it instead of the Kia Sportage 4X4 she had to have 3 years earlier, so we could sell the Kia. THE KIA SAT FOR SIX MONTHS thru the winter, for sale. She preferred to drive the Reatta, even thru 1ft+ of snow, saying "It's better in the snow than the 4X4". It was at that point I knew if i wanted a Reatta, i'd have to get my own. I NOW HAVE (5) REATTAS, and could be happier, I don't have a convertible YET.

I'll have one set aside to be my casket, even caddies don't have seats this comfy - to die for.

----------------

1988 white/maroon coupe

1988 black/saddle/suede coupe

1989 maroon/saddle, sunroof coupe

1989 Steel blue/blue coupe

1989 silver/grey coupe

all available for sale best offers over $1k each, need down payment money for farm I'm buying next week, and would replace them with a 90 or 91 ragtop with cd and 16 way seats.

[Vincent Vega]

A friend of mine bought one used. I knew I was going to buy one. I wanted a car that was unique, reliable, and easy to work on. A work buddy saw one for sale in his small town. I took a look at it. This was the first car I bought without permission from the war dept. Boy was she mad! A two seater was way too impractical for our family. I sucked it up and took the hit. The second one I bought was from the original owner. I am hooked. I have two 88's. My 15 year old daughter can't wait to take possesion of the "RED" one. Me, I'll keep the "Black" one until it's dead. I love the ride. I'll take the occasional yellow brake light along with the other problems. Jim Finn will keep it on the road for me. Plus, it helps to justify having heat/computer/TV/stereo in the garage. I call it "QGT". (Quality Garage Time)

[DAVES89]

This is an old post, but one worth reviving. Any comments?

[Guest Road mister]

Hmm, Not to win any drag races, although I like what some of you have done with the series II and supercharger's. I have had a lot if Buicks over the years, during the muscle car era I loved my GS, and if Buick wants build fast, they can. Then a Regal and a few Riviera's 83-90&95. As luck would have it I could not drive past this one that was for sale by owner on the side of the road near my house at a reasonable price. I enjoy the solid ride and on the highway it will run with the best without breaking your wallet at the gas pump. The high gear ratio, like the rest of the car was ahead of it's time.

[padgett]

Reason is the same but am reminded of the line from the Gumball Rally about the Mercedes, I wanted a bigger Fiero and have lots of 3800 parts. I tend to get fixated on drivetrains.

Noted a number of people back then mentioning they wanted convertibles. My, how the prices have dropped.

[Rawja]

I've been obsessed with the Reatta from the moment I saw the first spy photo i think a coupla years before the introduction. 20 some-odd years later and it hasn't abated one bit. Best I can reckon it's exactly the "high tech" sports car I imagined I'd be driving in the future (other than it not flying) during my pre-adolescent feverish automotive daydreams back in the 70's.... I suppose it's now retro-futuristic but it nonetheless still gives me a thrill even after 10+ years of driving one.

[Booreatta]

This is an old post, but one worth reviving. Any comments?

Dave I own Reattas for the same reason I own Mustangs and Riviers. With out these fine cars and the people who drive them I would be missing a lot of good friends that I have met in the past 25 years. The cars are cool but the people who drive them are so much cooler. We have a diverse bunch here on the forum and I truly believe that if you dont attend the Reatta functions then its only a used car. Some get it some dont.

Happy 4th

Chuck Kerls

[Howard]

Talk about an old post! I commented originally that I would drive mine until it went to that showroom in the sky. It did a little over three years ago. Out of all the cars I've owned, it was by far my favorite. A money pit, but still my favorite. One of the most enjoyable aspects of owning the car were the people on this forum. Everyone was very helpful and respectful. I'm not sure that I will ever own another Reatta. They are getting older as is I. Some parts are now harder to come by than they were when I got my car in 1998. In my case, the Reatta was like my first love. You enjoyed being with her everyday. Then the time came when she left you. All you now have left are fond memories. There are many women (oh wait, I mean cars) but none like your first love. First loves are always special. They are part of you always.

[Guest Recian]

why i have a reatta is a story that rooted when I got my license. My first car was a 95 nissan sentra that was on it's last leg and I had to restore it myself to working condition. My best friend i've known since I was younger who's almost a brother acquired a 89 buick reatta as his first car. We had no idea what the car was or could be at the time. It had a serious tranny leak and no brakes (accumulator fixed that) We learned about cars on it and my sentra and modified our cars and eventually he sold the reatta but I always liked the body and thought it would look badass lowered and always wanted a 2 seater with a sunroof.

It wasnt til after it was gone that I started to miss it. A couple years after he sold it, it ended up in someone's yard in my town and I saw it while driving by.. had to turn around and drive by again to make sure it was his old car. Still had the strawberry tree freshener hanging from the mirror he left in it. It had been driven about 20k without a tire rotation or oil change. The front tires were bald and it still had the fram oil filter he left on it and it was full of trash.

I told my friend about it who had had recently acquired a 93 olds 88 from his biological father who ended up in jail. He traded the Olds 88 to the guy who had the Reatta and ended up with it. I was looking to get out of the ricey import scene and had a 96 accord with a blown engine and my friend wanted to get into rice, so I got a junkyard engine, rebuilt it and got the Accord running and traded it for the reatta.

I plan to restore the reatta now with 170k to it's original condition and add some flare to it that still sticks to original but not heavily modified. It presently has a blown head gasket but I'm not going to give up fixing it because of its sentimental value.

That's why I own a Reatta.

Edited July 3, 2011 by Rawja (see edit history)

[Guest Richard D]

All The Above! I hace always liked cars most of the motoring public did not know about.. MG-1100, Rambler Marlin, Plymouth Cricket, SHO, NSX, ETC. Except for the NSX both of the Reatta's have been the most dependable and rare.

[rrs814]

Wanted something different in a 2 seater ragtop. Told myself if I found one locally (not easy in Portland) I'd pull the trigger. Did this about 10 years ago. I USUALLY have OK luck with used cars, but now I have put more $$ than I originally paid into this one, and it's nowhere near completed. Oh well...........not giving up!

[rjfranken]

Best Car ever made, and my Wife likes hers too!

Watching cars come and go I wished this one stayed.

"Dis Guy, who I work on his Fieros for, he said on the phone to me, he said I'm getting another GT and I guess I'll sell my Reatta for more room for it. You think it might be worth 700 bucks?. I said Woah! My Car!"

Edited July 4, 2011 by rjfranken (see edit history)

[wht89reatta]

heres my story.

It all started about 6 years ago when i had just recently gotten out of high school. At the time I was driving a 93 Century, not the best but was just fine. Then I was hospitalized for 11 days with multiple blood clots in my legs and i was close to death. Well anyhow on day 7 of my hospitalization my father gets a call on his cell phone from the local fire dept telling him that my sister was involved in a collision. She was just shaken up a bit. Anywho, some elderly man had not checked his blind spot and took out the driver front fender and suspension. So when I got out of hospital I had no car. Luckily my next door neighbor had just picked up a black 89 riviera from a garage sale. He did a little work on it and i bought it off of him for $750.

Even though it had 247000 miles on it it still fired up on the frist try every time. Fast forward two years into the future and was still driving my 89 riviera and loving every minute of it. Then one day some evil, vile, no good, rivi hating sonofagun lady hit me on the driver rear tire. My riviera was totaled . Luckily enough I just so happened to work just down the street from a very small used car dealer who had had a beautiful white 89 reatta sitting on the lot for about two months without a look. When i went in to talk to him about it he said that it he didnt sell it in a couple of weeks he would be taking it to the Auburn Cord Dusenberg auction. I told him "I think god wants me to have this car." I paid him the $3700 he was asking and we were on the road. My reatta and i have been best friends ever since.

[NCReatta]

I fell in love with Reattas when I was about 6 years old (yeah.. that explains a lot..).

My aunt ran across a '90 Maui Blue coupe about 2000. Low milage, simply beautiful car. I have quite a few childhood memories of that car (before it was totaled that is..). One being her fitting a huge antique radio (like the one pictured below) in it.

The dimensions are approx. 4 foot High X 2.5 foot wide X 16 in. deep.

She told the guys at the store "if you can get it in my car, I'll take it home"..

They got it in. Don't ask me how, but they did.

Anyways, enough ranting. My personal love came when she wrecked her Maui. I (being the enterprising 12 year old I was) decided it was my calling in life to resurrect the Maui.

After much thinking on the subject, and browsing Craigslist, I found it would be better and cheaper in the long run for me to just start with another car and use the Maui for parts.

So, after searching Craigslist, I found two that a local man was selling as a package. The idea was to take two cars, and make one nice running car.

And that's what I did in December 2008.

I bought two (both '89s, one Black/Tan, and one White/Burgundy) for $600.

Day one, after having them towed home, I walked out and put the key in the white car (which still had Michigan tags and title, and hadn't been on the road for 4 years).

To my surprise, without so much as a second thought, that 3800 fired right up!

So that was the project I chose as a 13 year old. Make this rust bucket road worthy by the time I got my license.

Fast forward a few years, and a few hundred $$$ (new CRT, battery, rust repair, a little paint, engine repairs, etc) I've got my original '89 to a drivable point (where I wanted it to begin with), and am lloking toward some.. eh.. modifications shall we call it? Thinking a S/C swap (hopefully done before 2012 National meet), exhaust mods, sequential turn signals, something between 16" and 18" wheels, paint and body work. and some other surprises.

Stay tuned.

[Thriller]

The Reatta is a Buick...one came up for sale locally. Pretty much end of story.

My daughter judged Reattas at the national in Colorado, so she was thinking we should get one. I presented a photo of the white '88 to She Who Must Be Obeyed in the presence of family to ensure I didn't die on the spot...she has pretty much laid claim to the car. I'll be picking up parts in Danvers to get the car to pass the Manitoba vehicle inspection, then we'll have a driver.

[KDirk]

Well, I've told the story before (at least in parts) but here is how I became a Reattaphile:

Back in 2007, I wanted to get a second car just because I could. Really liked the 1998-2002 Eldorado but was a bit spooked by the Northstar and it's head bolt/gasket issues. Was offered a beautiful low-mileage white diamond with neutral interior (exactly the combo I was looking for) but just couldn't bring myself to jump due to concerns over the engine. So, the Eldo was off the menu, time to come up with a new plan.

Thinking back, about a year or so prior to all this (2005 or 06), I had seen a polo green coupe on my way to work one morning. I guess I had never taken notice of the Reatta before. In 1988 I was a freshman in high school, so I wasn't driving age yet, and wasn't really into cars at that stage so I wouldn't have known about the Reatta when it was new. Anyway, since this polo green car really jumped out at me, I made a mental note of it and filed that away for future reference.

After recalling the brief encounter with the green 91, I decided to start researching the Reatta. Found out the rather unusual history of it and the relative scarcity, and thought it would be great to drive something quite different. I really wanted white over red, and found that was a 91 only combo. So, I spent 9 months trying to track one down that wasn't completely beat. I had a false start and a deal that fell through for a local 90 coupe in white over burgundy, was a bit disappointed but the search continued. Finally found the white over red 91, bought it and restored it (over about 2 years, from Feb 2008 til about summer of 2010). Really came to love these cars, not only because they are unique but also they are very reliable if properly attended to.

Then came the itch to get a CRT car. Really wanted an 88 so I had first and last year cars. That wish was fulfilled just this past April, when I got a low mile 88 white over burgundy. I have to admit I am quite enamored of the CRT, as strange as it is. I know guys in the IT business, many are duly impressed by this piece of technology, and were unaware of it being standard equipment 23 years ago now.

After troubleshooting some engine performance/electronics issues, the car is a pleasure to drive and as reliable as it can be. Some minor cosmetic work is on tap (repainted side moldings, new emblems, new or refinished wheels and a really good buffing to take out the swirl marks) and just a handful of mechanical items (valve cover gaskets and some other very minor leaks) and it will be show ready.

What's next? Well, I would like another (as though I'll be able to stop at three) but need to decide if I go for the 'vert (never much cared for drop tops honestly) or a coupe in a different color maybe with a sunroof. Bigger issue is cost and storage. I am maxed out now in terms of the number of vehicles I can park and afford maintenance and insurance on. So, either I need to come into some money and a garage, or something else in the fleet has to go. Since the window of opportunity to get a really nice original car at reasonable cost will not be open forever, I figure I will need to put up or shut up within the next 2-3 years tops. In the meantime, I am enjoying my "twins".

KDirk