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As most know I drive my Reattas daily and even have driven two [the Red and the 'vert] to Texas and back. Also the Red to New Orleans, Florida [all the way down to Key West], numerous Buick Reunions, almost everywhere on the east side of Wisconsin. heck I bought the Red from a guy in Fort Lauderdale and drove it home with no tools and no personal history of the car. It's part of the adventure. Like Ronnie my car is in good repair and I carry a few parts, but always my cell phone. Any car can break down and break down anywhere. I just drove back my wife's 2018 Chrysler Pacifica not knowing I had a blown head gasket until I got home [I did notice I was using anti freeze and refilled it, but never thought it was that].

I've made five separate 500 mile trips in Reattas (a 1988 and a 1990). Two of those trips with a non working Instrument cluster and GCC/CRT. That was before I replaced both. Knock on wood, they are reliable but any car has the potential to break down. The only car I've had that sort of left me stranded at my dormitory was my 1999 GMC Jimmy (I was in college at the time). The fuel pump went out, but fortunately I wasn't on the side of the road when it wouldn't crank or die. It showed no signs of going out beforehand.

I told my brother-in-law last night about me and my daughter getting stranded in my Reatta. He jokingly asked me, "If you know so much about Reattas, how come you were stranded on the side of the road for five hours?" My reply was, "No one can see into the future. Even the weatherman gets caught in the rain sometimes." 🙂

No indication of a problem beforehand. It just felt like missed a couple of times, and sounded like it might have spit back through the intake manifold once or twice. All the normal lights that come on when the engine dies came on but no warning messages came up. No codes in diagnostics. I coasted to the side of the road. When I tried to start it again it hit a few times and that was it. Now the engine just spins when you try to crank it. I carry a spark tester with me and there was no spark at all on any coil. I swapped in the spare ICM/coils I had in the trunk and still no spark. I have given a lot of though about what I would do if the car left me stranded. I drive on a lot of roads back in the mountains where it is easy to get stranded like I was on Sunday. The first part of my strategy is to always have a cellphone, a way to charge it, and pray that you are in an area that has service. That is the most important item you can have to get you home. I had a hell of a time getting a tow truck but at least with the cellphone I could call my wife to come and get us. I was pretty well prepared but there are some things you can't control (like waiting on the side of the road for a tow truck to show up). I carry enough tools that I can at least troubleshoot the problem so I can make an intelligent decision on what I need to do - try to fix it, call a tow truck, or both. I carry enough parts that I can fix many of the things that routinely go bad, but obviously not a bad CPS. I also carry a paper factory service manual in one of the rear compartments. Have a look here. I have plenty of bottled water, toilet paper, soap and hand cleaner, 2 lawn chairs, and a change of clothes (in case I have to stay overnight somewhere). Yes, my trunk is always full, but when you are sitting on the side of the road with a dead engine that is a good thing. 🙂

Thank you I’m looking for 90 or 91 specifically, 91 preferably as the brake system is easier to deal with. We went on several weekend trips in Az when we had the 90 very enjoyable road car indeed!

Yes my 87 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe had the same Teves ABS system looked identical to The Reatta

Exactly I had a bad dampner on my 90 sounded like marbles in a can at idle! Fairly simple replacement about an hours worth of work.

Welcome to the forum! I hope you find a Reatta that you like. They are a fun car and not too hard to work on if you take the time to get to know them.

I had a decision to make. Stay with the car and watch it or hope the insurance would pay for the car after is was stripped or stolen. It was in the perfect place for thieves. There were lots of people slowing down and eyeing the Reatta as they went by. There were three people who stopped to see fi the could help. My wife was coming to get my daughter and take her home anyway so I told her to bring my pistol. It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. There was very little traffic by 11:00pm and I think I could have slept pretty good for a few hours in the passenger seat.

It was an ordeal. You might could say it was the perfect storm. It was a holiday weekend when tow truck drivers didn't want to work, and it quit in the worst possible spot. Only good thing was the shoulder of the road was wide and I could get the Reatta out of the road. I talked to a friend this morning and told him my story. He is a retired nuclear plant operator. He said where the Reatta quit is just across the river in the nuclear plant's "exclusion zone" where there is nothing allowed for a few miles around the plant but fields to grow corn for the deer to eat. I was wondering why I could see red flashing lights in the distance once it got dark. 🙂 Below is a photo Heather took of what we could see when we looked behind where we were sitting. I've not done anything this morning to find out what is really wrong. It will probably be tomorrow before I do. It has no spark at the coils. I replaced the ICM/Coils (thanks Daves89) with some I had in the trunk right there in the side of the road and it didn't help. I'm guessing the crank position sensor is bad. I hope it is that simple to fix.