reattawp Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 I'm looking a purchasing a 88 Reatta from my local mechanic. It has a crack in the windshield and I understand that glass is hard to get. My wife thinks I'm crazy even thinking about getting a car that you can't get parts for. Any suggestions on a windshield? Hamilton, Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reatta Man Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 I called Windshields America a couple of weeks ago. I was also thinking of getting another Reatta (my 12-step recovery program was not working) and WA is the preferred provider for my insurance company, USAA. They found one at a warehouse; the price was $1495. Yep; nearly $1,500 and that doesn't include installation!At that price, my insurance company would probably try to total the car instead of paying for the windshield!This definitely should be a consideration in the price of the car. If the seller doesn't believe the price (he may already know what they cost) then have him call the local Windshield America shop in your town. Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Vega Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 Welcome to the "Wife Hates my Reatta" Club. The windshield's are very expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rawja Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 The windshield glass is a definate "problem part" as for the rest of the car, you can tell the wife there is currently an ample supply of inexpensive parts available from a couple of regulars on here, you might even try contacting them for a quote on a used windshield (of course use the $ 1,500.00 windshield cost in your negotiations with the seller). Good Sources for Parts:ReattaDudes: Reattadudes@aol.comJim Finn: JFinn@cpinternet.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87WE2 Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 I kept my Reatta, and got rid of the wife. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest F14CRAZY Posted April 20, 2005 Share Posted April 20, 2005 The only thing better than driving a Reatta is driving a Reatta with a clean and attractive person of the opposite sex in the passenger seat while driving a Reatta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimustanguitar Posted April 20, 2005 Share Posted April 20, 2005 Got a used windshield from speedway for less than half that price, no not speedway the gas station, it is a company that basically has a reatta junkyard. My 'wife' hates it too. We're not married yet, but when I started driving the car, I was half way finished with the body work, so in her mind, my beautiful Reatta will always be a two tone car with bad paint (primer) and no door panels. I was so excited to pick her up in it the first time, and as soon as she got in, she commented about how it wasn't as nice as her car, which is a kick in the balls because she has a mid 90's econemy 4-cyl Grand Am that is falling apart, but still looks ok.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reatta Man Posted April 20, 2005 Share Posted April 20, 2005 Just remind her that a '53 Corvette, in undrivable condition or even a basket case, is probably worth more now than every car she has ever owned and will ever own--combined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest F14CRAZY Posted April 20, 2005 Share Posted April 20, 2005 Hmmm. Blue Flame, Quad 4, or 3800? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted April 20, 2005 Share Posted April 20, 2005 '53 vette wasn't that great, it was just the first one and not many built. AFAIR the only way to tell a 53 from a 54 is which way the spear is mounted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALF1 Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">'53 vette wasn't that great, it was just the first one and not many built. AFAIR the only way to tell a 53 from a 54 is which way the spear is mounted. </div></div>And they all came with the Sludge-O-Matic transmission.<span style="font-weight: bold">-- ALF</span> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reatta Man Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 The two-speed is also known as the Powerslide.Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALF1 Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The two-speed is also known as the Powerslide.</div></div>But what a lethal combination! The Blue Flame six with the tiny carburetors hooked up to GM's famed PowerGlide automatic transmission. That plastic rocket would go from zero to 60 in minutes....<span style="font-weight: bold">-- ALF</span> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reatta Man Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 or days......if good looking girls in poodle skirts were nearby.Or you could just leave it at the gas station. Believe me, there would be so many gas jockeys admiring it, there would be no chance of it being stolen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALF1 Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 When I returned to Hawaii from Korea in '54, my new commanding officer had a '53 or '54 (can't remember which; it was white with red interior, like all of 'em). He had bought it because of the glass body, thinking rust wouldn't be a problem on Oahu. Those were the days before the tunnel through the Pali, and the damn thing was so underpowered it would barely make it up the Pali from the windward side. Quite an embarrassment for a brand-new "sports car." By the time his two-year assignment was over, two of the tabs holding the body on the frame had collapsed from vibration, and the frame was one entire piece of rust. We took photos of the underside and sent 'em to General Motors. Chevrolet Division p.r. types replied, saying the problem was "under study." Two years old, and not worth shipping to his next assignment. I remember this vividly, because it was a factor in my buying the new '55 Bird when I got back home. <span style="font-weight: bold">-- ALF </span> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest F14CRAZY Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 With the truck front end? What a joke the original vette was. My Reatta would blow one out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest F14CRAZY Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 Hey hey, lets keep it to '53 vettes. Sure those are rare, but the Reatta dealer competetive comparison book it says the Corvette outnumbered the Reatta 10 to 1.And gee those '53 corvettes were ugly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rattaboy Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 Oddly enough, those old Powerglides still see service in drag cars. Tough, tough, the right gear ratios, and if into looks, some had aluminum cases that can be polished.Had a neighbor back in 54-55 who picked up a 53 Corvette as salvage with a little front end damage. Was a total not because of the amount of damage, but because there was no one to repair it. Body shops did not know fiberglass repair then. I watched the poorly constructed car being repaired and Corvettes have never appealed to me after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reatta Man Posted April 22, 2005 Share Posted April 22, 2005 I just love how one comment in this forum can generate all this discussion. You guys crack me up! This is like Friday nights sitting around a table at the burger joint where the local car club guys show up with their cars--only I can check in throughout the week and see what people are talking about. Of course, the woman pretending to be a man in one of the other Buick forums that keeps calling me names gets to be a drag at times. But you guys are a blast! Thanks for all the great discussions. Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DTerry Posted April 23, 2005 Share Posted April 23, 2005 We wandered pretty far from the original question, but I suggest that if you have to replace the windshield you look for another Reatta - or at least know exactly how much it will cost including purchase and W/S replacement. I just filed a claim for a cracked windshield and the estimate is $1700. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALF1 Posted April 23, 2005 Share Posted April 23, 2005 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I just love how one comment in this forum can generate all this discussion. You guys crack me up! This is like Friday nights sitting around a table at the burger joint where the local car club guys show up with their cars--only I can check in throughout the week and see what people are talking about. Thanks for all the great discussions. Joe </div></div>See, us old guys are still good for <span style="font-style: italic">something</span> -- even if it <span style="font-style: italic">is</span> for stories about old cars and old days.<span style="font-weight: bold">-- ALF</span> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest F14CRAZY Posted April 23, 2005 Share Posted April 23, 2005 The sad thing is that you can find a running parts car with a good windshield for $1700 (or less) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon140 Posted April 23, 2005 Share Posted April 23, 2005 If the windshield crack is not large, perhaps a repair will work. The following is from www.safelite.com "Windshield repair is safe, effective, convenient and takes less than 30 minutes to complete. Safelite's Repair Medics® specialists can repair chips, nicks and cracks up to 6 inches long. This prevents further damage and restores the structural integrity of your windshield, without removing and replacing the glass." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reatta Man Posted April 23, 2005 Share Posted April 23, 2005 I've seen these windshield repair DIY kits for sale at auto parts stores. Basically, it looks as if they inject a clear epoxy resin into the chip under pressure or vacuum, and then you trim the excess off the surface of the glass. My question to the forum is, has anyone tried one of these DIY kits, and what kind of results did you get?If anyone has done more than one of these DIY kits, are there any secrets or lessons learned from experience that give better results you would like to share here in the forum?Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trubrit Posted April 24, 2005 Share Posted April 24, 2005 Don't know about the kits you can buy at the stores, but I ws in the car rental business many years, and when we turned back our cars we always had any chips, etc repaired.... and never got a reject from the auction inspection guys. There are many indenpendant guys out there who do the repairs, and as you state, they use vacuum devices to suck in the glass epoxy into the chip, and can gernally never see where the repair was made... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DTerry Posted April 24, 2005 Share Posted April 24, 2005 A Safelite repairman looked at mine (small crack in bottom right), and said he couldn't repair it. If it originates at the edge of the glass and radiates from there, it isn't repairable. If the point of impact is in the w/s and travels from there to the edge, it generally is.When I first got the car, a home repair had been done to a chip right in front of the driver. Apparently epoxy of some kind, looked like a small lump of plastic stuck to the w/s. I sanded it (carefully) with very fine wet or dry sandpaper, then polished it, and it disappeared. I can't even find it now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest F14CRAZY Posted April 24, 2005 Share Posted April 24, 2005 If it matters at all, right when I notice a chip, I clean it and fill it with superglue. Never had one spread and crack that way.I don't tailgate anyway, especially gravel trucks. I almost feel bad for the people that do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reattawp Posted April 26, 2005 Author Share Posted April 26, 2005 Thanks for all the info. The crack will pass the inspection. I most likely will take the car when it is ready and maybe look for a parts car later. This is a great source of support for keeping the Reatta going down the road! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burboy88 Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 I have a parts car that I have been removing parts from & selling on eBay. Have had some inquires about windshield. I have a glass man that would take it out for $90, but have been advised not to ship it as these windshields are very fragile. Can you pick up in IA? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reattawp Posted June 1, 2005 Author Share Posted June 1, 2005 Thanks for the offer. IA is a bit far from Hamilton. The car is still not ready to go on the road, (the dreaded electric break pressure motor replacement). I will most likely drive it with the crack for now. The Buick dealer has just received the motor so it shouldn't be too long before the car gets back on the road! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reatta man 3 Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 I have 3 Reattas 2 1990's and a 1988. we replaced the windshield in one of the 1990 reattas last fall. It was easy to find, I called one of our local auto glass replacment stores and they found one in 20 minutes. they found the replacement only 90 miles away in milwaukee Wi. The glass was shipped overnight and installed the next day. We only payed the $100.00 insurance deductible and AAA auto insurance payed the rest of the $1500.00. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALF1 Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I kept my Reatta, and got rid of the wife. </div></div>Nice trade!<span style="font-weight: bold">-- ALF</span> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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