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I drove my Reatta about 100 miles this morning on one of my favorite roads. I had a great time cruising in the cool morning air. It had been a while since I've had a chance to drive it so I got that first time feel that always brings a smile to my face. It fired right up and drove like a new car. The road I was on has lots of sweeping curves and gently rolling hills. Just enough of both to keep your interest while allowing you to enjoy the drive . I came home to eat lunch and rest a little before I jumped in the Mercedes and drove the same route on the same road. Both are great driving cars but they have an entirely different feel. The Reatta feels heavier (it is) and it holds the curves really well. The MB feels lighter and more nimble in the curves but it doesn't take the curves as smooth as the Reatta. It doesn't have rack and pinion steering but it does have a steering stabilizer shock on the steering linkage like the old Volkswagens had. I guess that is the reason the steering feels so different. Both cars are a lot of fun to drive. Power delivery of the 3800 V6 and the 2.2 liter inline 4 is completely different. 165 HP vs 148 HP is quite a difference but surprisingly you don't notice it much because of the lighter weight of the MB. The MB engine has VVT and I think that gives it more torque than you would expect but not as much as the 3800. The MB engine really likes the higher RPMs to without feeling strained. Both are really good engines. The Reatta is a much more high tech car. The MB doesn't have an electronic shift transmission or even a lockup torque converter. It's a very simple rear wheel drive car compared to the Reatta. The MB has standard analog gauges on the dash, which I like, and none of the high tech electronic stuff like the Reatta has. The MB does have ODB2 diagnostics. With a good scanner it gives a little more information about some things the Reatta diagnostics doesn't cover. Mostly ignition, brakes and emission problems I think. Comfort is good in both cars with the MB having an advantage in leg room and headroom. The Reatta has more of a solid feel. I think part of that is because the weight of the doors on the Reatta compared to the MB doors. Both have all the power features you expect in a luxury car, seats, mirrors and automatic climate control to name a few. It goes without saying that the Reatta wins hands down in looks and grabs a lot more attention.

Used the Bright Aluminum wheel kit from dipyourcar.com. Closest I could find to the original without getting too creative... or shelling bucks out for those remans. Sanded them down, ground and glazed the curb rash and popped out the emblems. Repainted the bumpers too, as they were crumbling apart the day I bought it. Been a project.

They look great to me. Is this the stuff you can peel off if you want to or something different?

Yah. Its supposed to be durable 3-5yrs... unless you hit a curb lol. Its about 8 coats black undercoat, and 5 coats of the metalizer. It can be peeled off anytime. Went on pretty easy. No runs or sags. Cost $120 for everything you need.

Well that's my problem, the car wont go into diagnostic. The dashboard flashes like its trying but then just keeps flashing. Im pretty sure the mechanic who did it probably used a diagnostic tool (OBD1 Reader I think they are called?) Im bringing it to my mechanic in in two-three weeks give or take, I want him to replace spark plugs (which are pretty close to end of their life), transmission fluid, and do some other jobs that im not really equipped for at the moment. He specifically works on older vehicles so the AC issues (which I believe are egging on the BCM not kicking in) are in his ballpark.

While I am not a fan of the Reatta wheel, you did a great job making them look great.

Over the last couple of years I noticed that my drivers seat would "rock" when I came to a stop. So today I took the seat out and looked at what could be loose. I see that the track has a "Bar" in it that allows the seat to slide forward and back. That bar has white plastic enveloping it to help it slide smooth and be sacrificial to the metal. Well my plastic wore away and broke off. So I took the track piece off the bottom of the seat and turned it end for end so the plastic that wasn't wore away at the back end of the track is now at the front so the rocking motion is gone. Everything still matches up for mounting it back in the car, the trim is still correct except that you cannot use the plastic foot covers unless you reverse them because the back is now on the front and the front is now on the back. I don't use the foot covers left them off years ago. Adjusting the seat height and tilt is no different, you are just turning the track end for end.

Reatta Owners Journal - Instrument Panel Lights - Troubleshooting

I'm sitting in a McDonalds waiting for my 1:00 appointment in Oconto, Wi. to appear and so far two different people came up to me to ask about my Reatta. Our cars are rare and most people have never seen one before...

Old beach towels come in handy when removing a Reatta taillight.