Frond end collision damage on a '89 coupe

[fun car guy]

I've located this car near me, burgundy with tan interior, 130,000 mi.  The owner tells me it was hit on the front left corner, not too badly but enough to bend the bumper and crack the fender, also damaging the headlight mechanism.  I hesitate to go for it as I'm concerned of the cost to repair.  He said it runs and drives, all gages work and to make him an offer as he's tired of looking at it.  It could be a good deal but could also be a money pit?

Appreciate any advice!

[Tallicat]

Offer 1K for it, that would be a steal.

[2seater]

A great parts car if the interior is nice. Cheap as you can get it. 

[Ronnie]

Read my last post in the other topic you posted.

 

As far as this car goes... It wouldn't be a Reatta that I would consider for my first Reatta. There are too many Reattas available at reasonable prices that don't need the amount of work this one does. If the hood is pushed back and has cracked the windshield I wouldn't even consider it unless you get it dirt cheap for a parts car. Windshields for a Reatta are expensive and harder than most cars to install.

[Ron Walker]

It's probably a "total loss" as it sits considering ACV/market value, and cost of repair. Parts availability to repair could be problematic. Salvage value is likely in the $350-500 range. Could be more if a prospective buyer needs something specific from a parts car.  

[Philbo]

I'm with Tallicat. If you got it for 1k and it didn't pan out you could probably get your money back on the windshield alone. With the number of parts cars that seem to pop up you might be able to source the parts without too much trouble, especially if you don't mind getting a different color and then re-painting.

[fun car guy]

thanks, guys.  I was just told the radiator is cracked, does anyone know how much that and a fender would cost?

 

[2seater]

I see in the other thread regarding this car, it is missing an option you would like and not a desired color? If it is near you, by all means look at it first. The only photo we have to judge has significant issues visible. The hood is dinged and the fog light is pointed the wrong direction, in addition to the items previously mentioned. If the radiator is cracked, it could just be typical plastic end tanks from age or if it is accident damage, the a/c condenser sits in front of the radiator as well as the pusher fan which is on that side. Maybe it is a hidden gem, but I see it as a parts car now, and should be purchased accordingly. If it turns out all the parts, in the correct color, can be easily sourced, great. If not, painting the front clip will have a substantial cost alone. If the asking price mentioned in the other thread is indeed correct, it is three times what it is worth IMHO.

[Philbo]

You definitely hate to see it go to the crusher ? hopefully it at least gets parted out. 

 

The radiators you can get off rockauto.com for $100.  No idea about the fender, bumper, headlight etc. 

 

One thing too is the brake systems on these cars are very unique. They can be quite expensive to fix if there is a problem with it, so that would definitely be something to check as well. There is lots of good info about the brake system in the how-to section of this site.

[fun car guy]

Thanks to all for your advice! You're saving me from making a big mistake and buying myself a ticket to spend money.  I think I will still look at the car after the spring thaw (it's just sitting outside) and if I can get it cheap,

I might part it out.  Otherwise it'll likely wind up being crushed which would be a shame! 

I have since found another '89, black exterior/tan interior which I prefer and with repair records, supposedly was owned by a series of thee ladies so I'm assuming was taken care of, very clean and rust free, likely garage kept

and I'm told everything but the A/C works, 150,000 miles.  

The current owner has told me that, in spite of a recent overhaul of the brakes including a new caliper that there is still a nasty leak somewhere in the system, most likely in the lines.  Now I understand the brake 

system is a chronic problem on these cars, yes?.  He took in partial trade from a friend, the last owner and started out at $2,500, then down to $2,000 and now down to $1,700 so it's been on the market for some time. 

I get the feeling he now regrets trading for it and is pissed at himself for having an inflated idea as to it's value.

I know it's really only worth $500.00 at the most as I'm guessing it would cost around a thousand to replace all the brake lines, assuming my mechanic will work on it as although I've worked on my own cars for many years,

I don't trust myself with something so important and potentially dangerous.  Any suggestions?

[Ronnie]

1 hour ago, fun car guy said:

very clean and rust free, likely garage kept

and I'm told everything but the A/C works, 150,000 miles.  

The current owner has told me that, in spite of a recent overhaul of the brakes including a new caliper that there is still a nasty leak somewhere in the system, most likely in the lines.  Now I understand the brake 

system is a chronic problem on these cars, yes?.  He took in partial trade from a friend, the last owner and started out at $2,500, then down to $2,000 and now down to $1,700 so it's been on the market for some time. 

I get the feeling he now regrets trading for it and is pissed at himself for having an inflated idea as to it's value.

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.

 

 

[fun car guy]

Once again, thank you Ronnie. 

I suspect you're right about the leaking brakes and hope that's the case.  Your testimony on the subject is very encouraging and you can be sure I'll be in and under the thing before making any offers.  I do like the color much better and the fact there's no damage is another plus, I just wish it had been offered with a 5 speed manual trans. as I'm someone who likes to shift for himself but I understand the intent of the designers.

The owner seems very irritable so I think letting him cool down as well as the weather warming up is advisable.

[2seater]

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. 

[fun car guy]

My son and I are going to look at the black Reatta on Sunday.  He's naturally excited after I described the car, wants to help with any repairs in exchange for allowing him to occasionally borrow it.  The owner says the front left caliper is leaking even after the previous owner had one on the other side replaced as well as new rotors and pads but apparently they both gave up on trying to figure out a fix.  There's also a slow leak in the power steering that I'm hoping an be traced to a leaking connection and not the steering rack!  Regardless, I'm hoping this car will give good service with a little TLC.  

Thanks to all for your support!

 

[fun car guy]

side note, with the info. provided, do any think $1,500 is too much for this car?

[Ronnie]

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.

 

[fun car guy]

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.

[2seater]

1 hour ago, fun car guy said:

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.

I hope is works out for you. I know the family project car we did for my grandson, detailed on this forum, was a great learning experience and well worth the effort. 

 

By the way, front calipers should be easy to source and reasonably priced. I know I always have another story, but I had a brand new front brake hose that would not stop leaking, no matter what type of copper crush washer I tried. It was a brand new part but apparently something was off on the machining where the banjo bolt went through the end. Returned it and the replacement sealed right up with little effort. Just something to look for.

[fun car guy]

I was told by the owner that the brake repairs were done by a friend of the previous owner, a shade tree mechanic (aren't we all?) most likely unfamiliar with the braking system used on Reattas so it's likely that the mechanic didn't know how to bleed the lines once he replaced the caliper or had the same experience you did.  I'm pretty sure that considering the condition of this car, the lines should be fine and we'll figure it out using the information generously provided on this site.  Unfortunately we're under ten inches of snow with single digit temps so If we buy this car, it's going to be frustrating not to be able to work on it until the weather improves.

I won't be driving it in the winter roads covered in salt anyway.