My Reatta is for sale...

[Jibby]

Hello All,

I've placed my Reatta for sale, because I'm tired of dealing with all of it's niggling problems. I don't have the Bank of New York in my pocket, and although I love the car more than I love myself, I have to make a choice between me or debt. I'd love to pick up a '90 white/saddle coupe, but I'd only want a mint condition car, and I'm losing about $4,000 as it is with this car.

I'm totally done. Capitalism has destroyed me. Someone find me a time machine, so I can go back to a time when the Almighty Dollar was worthless, and sword and shield were a man's best trade.

God Bless America! The King is Dead.

Anyway, I'm figuratively castrating myself by selling it for $700.00. It's worth that much in parts. If you have the time and temperment to tinker with it, go right ahead. If not, it'd make a great parts car.

Yours Aye,

Bill

[Jibby]

Details are over on the Buy/Sell Forum....

[Barney Eaton]

Unless you are headed for your Honda dealership, any car you purchase can have "nagging problems" I'm not sure how you became "upside down" on this Reatta, and I guess you know or think there is more money to be spent to keep it on the road.

The oldest, highest mileage Reatta that I have owned out the 9 that have been in my hands was a 1989, 190,000 car that the owner felt like you. I purchased the car for parts, but after checking it out, decided that it was too good for that. It had a hole in the fender, the drivers seat was shot, but ran like a top, all the glass was good and everything worked.

I put it on the forum, and a Reatta owner in Illinois flew down and drove it 900 miles home. I think after about three years he finally parked it.

Stand up and stick your head through that cloud above you.... things may not be as bad as you think.

[Jibby]

Barney,

I just feel that there is no good... or at least honest mechanic by me. I don't have the temperment to spend my weekends, working on all of the little details. The gas cap wouldn't close the other day. It pissed me off to no end. I finally got it working, but it was dark before I was finished. You can imagine all of the profanity the neighbors heard, while I screamed at what an American piece of (crap) I had in my hands. I don't have the mechanical or electrical know-how to get it right. Someone like yourself, could probably spend an afternoon, and fix everything that's wrong... but for me, I just get far too angry, far too quickly. I just don't have the temperment to play with old plastic parts and dry-rotted rubber. Going to any mechanic, puts me in the poorhouse for months. Even with the dealers, I still get banged for the civilian tier prices. I know that nothing is wrong with the ABS system, and yet it wants to tell me something is wrong. In fact, the diagnostics don't even find a problem with the system... and yet the light is still on. Trust me, if I had the capital to put it back into shape, it'd be better than new.

In fact, a while back, some guy came on here and griped about his wife getting into an accident, because the brake system failed. He was so fearful of the system, he didn't want anything to do with Reattae. Beyond the mechanical failure, there's driver error, as well. Downshifting, and using the emergency brake for instance. Of course, if you're up somebody's tailpipe at 65 MPH, you're not gonna stop in time, but a good driver will always keep that distance. Point being, I know that the car is a good vehicle. In fact, beyond the (crappy) plastic and rubber components, everything was made with the best of the best.

I just don't have the money anymore. My pockets have holes, that have holes. And I make an honest wage... but the bills are horrendous, and I can't keep myself afloat. This area is far too expensive for me to live in, and no employer is willing to hand out the salary to survive here. I live in one of the poorest counties in the Commonwealth, because the jobs salaries just don't pay the bills. I drive to NJ and get paid $20/$30 an hour, just to make ends meet. Last weekend, I drove to work, and it cost me more money that I actually made.

Earlier this winter, I drove to work, and it cost me my "good" car, my 2000 Regal... because some idiot didn't know how to drive, and I avoided him, by putting myself through a telephone pole. The cops let him go, the car was totaled, and I ended up owing the insurance company, $1000.00 more, because of interest. Oh, and I got a ticket for careless driving, thanks to the fact that the State Police have an edict now, that they have to issue a ticket, for legal purposes. Regardless of whether a ticket is warranted.

<img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Sinking, not floating. Every month a little deeper. Some months, it feels like somebody put lead weights on my legs.

No, I'm tired of all of the stress. And the Reatta issues just make the stress worse. I just want to get rid of it. No more playing around with money that I don't have.

Yours Aye,

Bill

[Guest smith356]

I'm at 207k on my 90 now and getting ready to put new seats in. It seems about 75% or better of posts are always related to electrics or diagnostics, so it's a way of life for these cars. It all seems to fall back on how well they've been maintained. I guess new owners get what previous owners neglected. We are so fortunate to have this forum and really good people who respond with help and advice... or most of us would be up a creek without a paddle. And maybe a lot more parts cars for sale, too ! We just go on....frustration and joy, a marriage of sorts between man/woman and machine.

[DAVES89]

There are only 2 reasons why I followed thru on buying the Reatta. This forum. The people are so helpful and knowledgable. The 2nd, a good friend of mine is a certified level 4 mechanic at a local dealership. He charges me $25.00-$30.00 an hour and everything is done right. All I have to do is research the problem and he takes it from there. Doing electronics and diagnostics are not my forte.

[Jibby]

I'm gonna wrangle up a digital camera, and post some pictures. I will try to get a complete review of the car, inside and out. Gimme some time to figure out how to post pictures. I have a Photobucket account, so I have to size them properly for the forum members.

Go here -----> For Sale Post