Help...need info

[Guest grkman1]

I have been looking to purchase a REatta for a while now. I found one last week that had only 49000 miles on it. It ran nice and the body looked grat. They were asking 7995 for it which I though was a bit steep. The problem was that whenever I stepped on the brake, the antilock brake light came on. I know that with this system ( I also have a 88 Eldorado Biaritz) it can become costly.

The seller wouldnt budge much to put the sale together. I wasnt too impressed on how it drove, and was concern that the screws on the side of the console were all rusty giving me the impression of water damage.

I did find a nice 88 Reatta with 91000 miles that I put a deposit on. It drives better then the one with 49K miles on it, and stopped with no problem...unlike the other. It has been repainted and looks good. The dealer seems to be quite nice and is working with me to make sure that I am happy, repairing some small items....Headlamp door for one.

My concern here after reading your forums is problems with the Reatta. I cant beleive how many of these cars had such high mileage and are still on the road. Ive seen them with up to 300,000 miles.

I guess Im a bit spoiled. I bought the Eldorado with 79K miles and is in mint condition. I hope that I am not buying a money pit.

the only problem that I see with the car is that the speaker covers on the doors are torn... Interior is in great shape.

My question....is 91000 miles on this car alot? The car drives very nice. what should I look for before purchasing it?

Any information would be most appreciated.

Thanks much

[Guest CL_Reatta]

Ive got 180k on mine right now and would love to get one with the "low" miles like around 90k <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />. Mine still seems to be running strong and it's just been stupid stuff go wrong so far knock on wood. If you go to www.reatta.net you can find pages of information on what to look for.

[Vincent Vega]

91k is not a lot for a driver. Expect to put about 4-5k into a car for everyday use, including purchase price. Lower mles = higher initial cost. Triple price for rag tops. Don't be intimidated by high miles. The drive train is very solid. The electronics is where we come in. Brakes, Headlights, Sound system are all servicable by competent mechanics who know how to diagnose problems. The techs who swap parts (dealer techs that don't have time for 17 year old cars) are not your best value. Buy a shop manual. Take it to your trusted mechanic when you have a problem. When they get stumped send them here. Does the 88 have 16 way seats? Suede? Sunburst or Black/Silver "R" in the steering wheel? VIN? Colors?

[Texan]

I just bought a Reatta with over 130000 on it, runs like a bandit, handles good and has not used any oil yet. I had to replace bearing in steering column and fix cruise control.

This is the second Reatta I have bought, the first one is very low mileage but does not drive as well as the high mileage one I bought for an everyday driver

Tex

[Guest grkman1]

Vin # is 1G4EC11C0JB902970, it has all Leather interior (gray) is Claret in color, Im not sure about the steering wheel color but if I were to guess I would say black/silver R

The seats have an ajustable thigh area....I am supposed to icl the car up on Saturday...thanks for the reply

[Texan]

I did not intend to buy another Reatta but after I drove it I could not resist. The price was right and I grabbed it.

The next Reatta I buy will be a convertible, I am not in my second childhood, I am finishing my first one. Uncle Sugar interrupted my childhood with a greeting and later a trip to a far off exotic land where the citizens kept shooting at me.

Tex

[Guest grkman1]

I notices that this car has the adjustable thigh support. the passenger seat also seemed to have it also, but I couldnt find a button that made any change.....any comments on this? Does this seat adjust or not.

thanks

[Rawja]

Nah, the passenger seat has a non-moving thigh bolster and no inflatable lumbar, it just looks like the drivers' seat.

You can swap the passenger seat cover to a drivers' side seat frame to achieve full articulation (and comfort) for both sides.

[padgett]

The powertrain is about as bulletproof as you can get and are plentiful in junk yards, was one of the most common "big car" powerplants of the late '80s and many go 150,000-200,000 miles with just regular oil changes and periodic tuneups (the later Delco ignition and Rapidfire spark plugs are a worthwhile improvement). Over 100,000 miles, a new timing chain is a wise investment. Other than that the 3800 can have a proclivity for water pumps and alternators but both are easy to change.

Where the Reatta gets complicated is that it was one of the first "computer cars" with electronic modules stuffed in every nook and cranny of the engine compartment, interior, and even the trunk. The good news is that all of it is documented and thanks to some participants here, replacements are available and most can be repaired.

My preference is for the 88-89 with the touchscreen in the dash though others prefer the 90-91 which is slightly more conventional.

The difference between other cars of the period and Reattas is that the Reatta has an extensive support group and even entire service manuals can be downloaded from Reatta.net.

[manikmekanik]

The passenger seat will have a switch on the outboard side - for the electric recliner, great option, for adjusting the recline purr-fectly!

[Guest F14CRAZY]

These cars are complex and old, two things that don't go well together. The good thing is that drivetrain parts are common and aren't really problems, and you have access to one of the best message boards for a specific vehicle anywhere. If it happens to you, its probably happened before, and been fixed before.

[Guest grkman1]

I cant beleive how many hits this site has had since I placedthis question...Thanks to all that have replied. Its comforting that there are other enthusiast out there like myself.

If I relly like the car, and it seems that I will, I wont mind putting money into it. I had purchased on old Tbird 1970 429 engine and only 34K miles. I didnt come across any forums like this one. I sold that a few years ago, and 6 months ago I bouth a 1988 Eldorado Biaritz in perfect shape....but no one to chat about it to...not that there were too many people interested in it.

It seems that will change with the Reatta. Again thanks for your help and you will be haring from me oonce I get the car this weekend

[Vincent Vega]

George, repeat after me. "I will not let this Reatta become an obsession that requires therapy"

Apply, lather, rinse, repeat......... <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

[padgett]

If you need a four door and like the 3800, the Bonneville Group is almost as fanatical.

[Guest F14CRAZY]

Yeah the Bonneville guys are a bit too into it <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />. But they're cool.

You already have the Caddy, but a Riviera is good as a 4 seat Reatta

[Guest grkman1]

Ill Try Vince....thanks for the support