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Probably a better car to target as a daily driver. The tan interior would be appropriate from that parts car plus many other items except for body paint color. Ronnie's advice is spot on. Examine carefully and make a list of what needs to be done and we will try to help. Just for reference, regarding the damaged Claret car, I purchased an '89 about ten years ago with the idea of a sort of rat rod. I know that is disrespectful, but it has some small rust issues and the interior got damp at some point and the headliner and sunvisors were black moldy and had to be stripped out and discarded. I paid $600 for the car before I found the mold in the headliner. The car ran well, shifted well, the a/c worked and the instrumentation was functional. It has 144k miles on it. It sat neglected for years, first outside up on blocks and then inside when the building became available. Since it was a northern Wisconsin car, the rust was not unexpected but the interior was almost perfect, not being cooked like many southern cars. The rear brake line sprung a leak, and I replaced all the steel brake and fuel lines from about under the driver to the rear. This is not as bad a job as it sounds. As luck would have it, I acquired another 89 from a fellow member which went to my grandson. The interior of what I bought as a possible rat became a parts car and gave up much of its interior, one window motor, the radiator, steering column and many other misc. parts. It was a heavenly match after all and served an unexpected purpose. I did the A/C on my 90 two years ago now. I replaced the compressor, condenser and accumulator for approximately $300 in parts from Rock Auto. This was an original and still operational system but the compressor had started leaking oil. I had the system discharged by a local garage, and admittedly finding an R12 site can be difficult, but after I replaced the components, it went back for evacuation and recharge with R12. Again, this is just parts swapping that are all up front, so not terribly difficult if needed.

Thanks Ronnie, I sure appreciate all the help. The owner is clearly motivated and hopefully, I will buy this car or find another and eventually make some contribution to the forum, helping others as I gain experience. My son is excited, I've always wanted something like this for us to share.

If you are in the rust belt be sure to check the cradle mounts and the control arm torque rods (may not be the correct name for the rod) where they go into the rubber bushings. Either on being rusted out can be a safety issue. The photo below shows what can happen to the cradle bushings although it is on the extreme end of the scale. Hard to say on the price without seeing more photos inside and out. Sounds like you are in the ballpark on price.

If you really want this car and you are able to fix the problems, contact Jim Finn reattas60@gmail.com and ask him what the parts would cost. He probably has the parts you need but keep in mind the cost of shipping large parts can get expensive. Jim has sold used Reatta parts for years. I have bought parts from him and I have found him to be reasonable on his parts.

Rust free means the brake lines shouldn't be rusted out and leaking. I would take a look under it and determine that cause of the leak before buying. The brakes on the Reatta really don't have chronic problems but they do have a bad reputation. I've had mine 13 years and the brakes have been almost trouble free. The problem is, like a lot if things Reatta, is that most people don't know much about them. Luckily there is a lot of help on this website for repairing the brakes. The leak could be as simple as the brake fluid reservoir is being filled incorrectly and the reservoir is overflowing. New owners have this problem quite often. Here is the proper way to fill the reservoir. Master Cylinder Reservoir Filling Instructions The AC problem could be as simple as it being low on Freon. Reattas are sensitive about being low on Freon and the BCM will cut out the compressor until the system has enough Freon. Otherwise you will be taking a chance on how much you will be spending to get the AC operational. It can get expensive if the compressor is bad. I like this black car much better than the other one. I would check it over closely and try to get the price down some before buying it.

Welcome to the forum Steve. I'm glad you like the website and forum. It can be hard get a handle on how Reattas are priced. There are basically two groups of Reatta owners. Drivers and collectors. Reatta automobiles are the same way. You can divide them into at least three groups. Drivers like most of us have, collector cars that are rarely driven with low mileage, and parts cars. The differences in price between groups can be wide as you have found. You need to decide if you want a Reatta that you can drive and enjoy, or if you want a really nice, low mileage one that will be used primarily for car shows. Do some research on how the Reatta you want should be priced. In my opinion the best way to do that is if you have an eBay account is to go look at completed listings of Reattas that have sold. Pay no attention to the prices the sellers are asking. The amount they SOLD for is what counts. Once you have a good idea of what the Reatta you want should sell for, buy the best one you can afford. If you get a nice driver that has been well maintained you may not need a parts car. I don't have a parts car and I have made it 13 years without one. But I do have several frequently need parts on hand that I have collected over the years in case I might need them. Parts for the Reatta are available. Just be careful who you buy them from (some sellers will take advantage of new Reatta owners) and know what the part you need is worth so you don't overpay. And lastly, being handy with tools and can do some of the work is a big plus if you are a Reatta owner. It can be hard to find mechanics that are knowledgeable and willing to work on a Reatta. Good luck with your search!

I was during the reatta era. Drove several of as company cars. I have owned two convertibles. I'm looking for another