New member, interested in purchasing a Reatta

[93Bandit]

Hello everyone,

 

To start off, I'm a huge Buick enthusiast, always have been. I drove a 1959 Invicta in high school but stopped driving it after I graduated due to reliability issues. Needless to say, I've been looking for a Buick to drive ever since. I need something newer than a '59 with decent fuel economy and preferably something fun to drive. I've come across quite a few Reatta's for sale online and in person and have been considering looking into getting one as this type of car appears to fit my needs on paper. However, I don't know anything about them. I'm hopping you guys could provide me with some insight, such as what to look for when buying one, common issues with the cars, any parts that are hard to find, ect. I'd appreciate any input. 

 

Thanks!

[Ronnie]

Welcome to the forum! I've owned my Reatta for about 8 years and I really enjoy it. How well you would like a Reatta depends on what you want it for. It is what I consider a low performance car. It looks a lot like a sports car but there is where the similarities stop. Where it really excels is in ride quality and comfort compared to most 2 seater cars of the same vintage. I consider "Hand crafted luxury for two" to be a good description of the Reatta. That doesn't mean i isn't fun to drive. It is as long as you don't push it. It always brings a smile to my face when I drive it. It is a unique car that grows on you.

 

Here is some good information on what to look out for when purchasing one. If you have questions feel free to ask.

What should I check when buying a Reatta?

[93Bandit]

Thank you for the prompt response Ronnie. I will look at that link.

 

The most important things I'm looking for are reliability, good fuel economy, and comfortable. I plan on using the car for my commute to work, which can vary from 15-40 miles, mostly highway. I'm not looking for a "racecar", but something sporty with good handling is always welcome. I reserve my racecar desire for my future Gran Sport.

 

The biggest concern I have outside of driveability related aspects of the car is repairs. I prefer doing all my own repairs to my vehicles, besides transmission work. I imagine that some parts for these cars are difficult to find, so I kind of want an idea as to what I would be able to do.

 

Also, I'd like a general idea of what a reasonable price would be for these cars? I've been finding them from 4-6k, with approximately 100k miles and ~8-9/10 cosmetically (based off pictures). That seems a little high to me for a late 80s early 90s car, but I don't know the market... I am not in a hurry to buy, so I will be picky. I want a low mileage, preferably one owner garaged car so that I don't have to do major repairs immediately. Ideally I would like to be able to enjoy the car for at least 6 years if not longer.

[Ronnie]

I think the price you are talking for a 100k car is high. I don't put many miles on mine so I'm not a good person to give you an opinion on reliability. Mechanical parts for the drivetrain aren't too hard to find but the brake parts and some electrical parts are starting to get scarce. To be honest I don't think the Reatta is a good choice if you are primarily wanting one for daily transportation... unless you are really dedicated and want to learn a lot about them to keep it on the road. We have some forum members who use them for a daily driver but they are willing to stock up on used parts have the patience to not get upset when something odd happens that isn't a simple fix. Maybe one of them will chime in and give you their opinion.

[93Bandit]

I think the price you are talking for a 100k car is high. I don't put many miles on mine so I'm not a good person to give you an opinion on reliability. Mechanical parts for the drivetrain aren't too hard to find but the brake parts and some electrical parts are starting to get scarce. To be honest I don't think the Reatta is a good choice if you are primarily wanting one for daily transportation... unless you are really dedicated and want to learn a lot about them to keep it on the road. We have some forum members who use them for a daily driver but they are willing to stock up on used parts have the patience to not get upset when something odd happens that isn't a simple fix. Maybe one of them will chime in and give you their opinion.

 

This is the kind of response I was hoping for; an honest one. 

 

Can you give me an example of odd things that have happened that would prevent it from being driven? Surely these cars aren't any less reliable than similar vehicles from the same era? It wouldn't be my only vehicle so I would have a backup when repairs are needed.

[2seater]

Ronnie is right about the daily driver duties. I have used mine for a 75 mile round trip commute as a work car but only during the nice six months of the year. The drivetrain is quite reliable, typical large GM fwd type. Each year has it's differences, the '91 having a more conventional power and anti-lock brake system, five more hp and an electronically controlled transmission. I've had my '90 for 24 years and I still like driving it, but as a summer only car. Hopefully Dave will chime in. He has various years and has put hundreds of thousands of miles on them, year 'round.

[kdirk]

I'll add that if you buy a really nice one with lower miles, you will be ahead of the game in most aspects of items likely needing to be repaired or replaced. The Reatta is a generally reliable car, if it has been well taken care of. Beaters and parts cars are to be avoided unless you really like a project. I've bought and owned Reattas in both categories, and the beaters do require a lot of dedication, patience and knowledge (and a parts budget) to get decent again for daily use. Nice low mile cars can be found with some effort and the prices are mostly reasonable save for the convertibles which command a premium.

 

I won't try to list all the common failure points here, but a lot of nuisance things can go wrong that will impact road worthiness. The mechanized headlamps will wear out requiring rebuilds of the motors and new crank arms, the headlamp switches (both 88/89 style and 90/91 style, each is different) tend to have age related problems. If the switch fails catastrophically, you have no headlamps or park lamps until it is repaired of replaced. The CRT on 88/89 cars is a common failure. Not a show stopper, but makes it difficult to operate many features and functions if it does go out. Same with the IPC, moreso on 90/91, though the car will generally remain running even if it goes out.

 

Things like cradle bushings on cars that have spent prolonged time in the rust belt, or in coastal areas with heavy salt air, will go bad and are a major safety problem if they let go, especially at speed. This applies to both the engine and rear suspension cradles, so be aware of that. The ABS brake system on 88-90 is a Teves Mk2 high pressure design, some parts for this system (wheel speed sensors, brake switches) are difficult to find now, and usually have to be purchased used as new ones are nearly non-existent. The 1991 Bosch ABS system is very reliable but parts for this are difficult to find as well, since it was only used on the Reatta in 91, and on a few other Buick, Olds and Cadillac models through 1994.

 

ECM and BCM issues are not uncommon due to either age, or sub-standard repair and circuit modification practices of prior owners of their mechanics. I have seen some piss-poor wiring mods and lousy repairs that have internally damaged modules due to shorts or back fed voltage to an output. Generally, mechanical issues are not too difficult to resolve due to the commonality of the power train with many other GM models of the same vintage. But, a car that is nearly 30 years old and has over 70,000 miles on it will have mechanical items that need replacement much sooner into your ownership than a newish car with low miles.

 

So, I have to stress, if you want fewer headaches, spend more up front to get a really clean well maintained one and then strive to keep up on anything that comes up immediately. Parts can be tricky. Most common stuff can be had from private vendors or from eBay if nothing else. I have a large stock of parts, as I own 5 presently (3 1988's and two 91's, one of which is an convertible). The coupes are all white, and the 88's are all burgundy interiors. This makes stocking both body and interior pieces easier for me as I only need parts in two exterior colors ('vert is red) and three interiors (91 coupe is flame red interior and the 'vert is saddle tan). I have things like modules, EGR valves, PS pumps, alternators, extra headlamp assemblies, many spare interior plastics and soft parts, clusters, CRTS and a ton of miscellaneous parts, including glass (front, rear and sides).

 

I've parted three Reattas out myself, and assisted Dave with two others. But, I am the odd case of someone who owns multiples and intends to keep them decent long term. Most owners are not in my situation as they own one, maybe two, and don't bother to keep a large stock of their own spares. My dedication to this car is not in any way ordinary, so don't feel like you need to take it to the extremes I have. Most owners seem to get along well getting what they need when something breaks, but that is only possible right now because there are numerous suppliers actively selling a lot of parts. In a few years, that may no longer be the case as the survivor rate tanks and parts cars get difficult to find. I feel like we are entering the end of relatively easy owner of these cars, as the availability of good used parts is already starting to decline, and many critical parts are getting difficult to source.

 

I don't intend to scare you off with all of this, but owning any older car, and especially a rare and rather complex one like the Reatta, will present you with challenges that you need to be prepared for. Otherwise, you end up with a non-drivable car that you can't fix yourself due to lack of funds, parts, or the tools and knowledge to effect repairs in a timely manner. If you go in with that understanding, and are willing to learn the particulars of these cars, then you will probably be ok. Sounds like you are experienced at doing your own work, so between that and presumably having access to decent tools, you'll probably do ok.

 

One last note regarding fuel economy; the Reatta does reasonably well for its age and class. Do not expect the kind of fuel economy found on new cars with a 4 cylinder or smallish 6, that have the benefit of 3 decades of improved engine efficiency and most likely less weight. While the Reatta is a two seater, it is not a light car. In fact, it is deceivingly heavy for it's size. Mid to high teens in the average MPG is about as good as it gets, unless you do a lot of Highway and very little stop and go driving. Even then, judicious application of the accelerator pedal will help a lot, but don't expect to get into the 20's routinely with mixed driving.

 

Kevin

[Ronnie]

 

This is the kind of response I was hoping for; an honest one. 

 

Can you give me an example of odd things that have happened that would prevent it from being driven? Surely these cars aren't any less reliable than similar vehicles from the same era? It wouldn't be my only vehicle so I would have a backup when repairs are needed.

 

I think Kevin (kdirk) did a great job of answering your questions. Dave (DAVES89) may come along and have something to add. He has lots of experience with driving his Reatta daily. He uses his to travel as part of his job and he has a nice convertible that he uses for pleasure driving. There are a few people here who know the Buick Reatta inside and out. You're getting good, honest, information about what it's like to own a Reatta from the people who know.

 

It's my personal opinion that Reattas are a little less reliable than your standard commuter car of that era. For example I purchased a '86 Chevy Cavaliar new. It had the four cylinder "iron duke" engine that was simple to work on. I think it was much more reliable than a Reatta because it was made so simple when compared to the Reatta. It only had one computer, the ECM, versus multiple computers on the Reatta that need to "talk" to each other. It was virtually trouble free for 220k with the exception of having the heater core replaced and the rack & pinion replaced by the dealership. Everything I replaced myself were routine maintenance items. It was still running strong when we got rid of it.

[DAVES89]

The best advice I can give is to buy the best car you can afford, invest in parts and be willing to do regular maintenance. I use my cars daily for work and have gotten excellent service out of them. I personally put 150,000 miles on the Red [my summer Reatta with 10 years ownership] 90,000 miles on the Black [my winter Reatta with 8 years ownership] and the 'vert [my special occaision Reatta 7,000 miles in 3 years ownership].

In all my travels I have only been stranded once, and that was when my fuel pump relay fell off the fire wall and landed on the hot manifold and melted. I have had headlight relay issues with the Black, and a headlight wiring harness that melted on both the Red and Black after I made the mistake of spraying WD 40 into my switch to improve the contacts. I did have to replace the tranny on the Black but just got the Red out of storage and drove that for two weeks in the winter while the swap of a used tranny was being done.

The nice thing about having more then one Reatta is that you don't have to be a great diagnostician you just swap parts off the working one. I also go to salvage You Pick yards buy used parts, install them immediatley to be sure they work and then store the replaced part as a "known working part". This has worked very well for me over the years.

I have made the decision that I will own a Reatta for the rest of my driving days. I am 60 and hope that is 20 more years.

[93Bandit]

I'll add that if you buy a really nice one with lower miles, you will be ahead of the game in most aspects of items likely needing to be repaired or replaced. The Reatta is a generally reliable car, if it has been well taken care of. Beaters and parts cars are to be avoided unless you really like a project. I've bought and owned Reattas in both categories, and the beaters do require a lot of dedication, patience and knowledge (and a parts budget) to get decent again for daily use. Nice low mile cars can be found with some effort and the prices are mostly reasonable save for the convertibles which command a premium.

 

I won't try to list all the common failure points here, but a lot of nuisance things can go wrong that will impact road worthiness. The mechanized headlamps will wear out requiring rebuilds of the motors and new crank arms, the headlamp switches (both 88/89 style and 90/91 style, each is different) tend to have age related problems. If the switch fails catastrophically, you have no headlamps or park lamps until it is repaired of replaced. The CRT on 88/89 cars is a common failure. Not a show stopper, but makes it difficult to operate many features and functions if it does go out. Same with the IPC, moreso on 90/91, though the car will generally remain running even if it goes out.

 

Things like cradle bushings on cars that have spent prolonged time in the rust belt, or in coastal areas with heavy salt air, will go bad and are a major safety problem if they let go, especially at speed. This applies to both the engine and rear suspension cradles, so be aware of that. The ABS brake system on 88-90 is a Teves Mk2 high pressure design, some parts for this system (wheel speed sensors, brake switches) are difficult to find now, and usually have to be purchased used as new ones are nearly non-existent. The 1991 Bosch ABS system is very reliable but parts for this are difficult to find as well, since it was only used on the Reatta in 91, and on a few other Buick, Olds and Cadillac models through 1994.

 

ECM and BCM issues are not uncommon due to either age, or sub-standard repair and circuit modification practices of prior owners of their mechanics. I have seen some piss-poor wiring mods and lousy repairs that have internally damaged modules due to shorts or back fed voltage to an output. Generally, mechanical issues are not too difficult to resolve due to the commonality of the power train with many other GM models of the same vintage. But, a car that is nearly 30 years old and has over 70,000 miles on it will have mechanical items that need replacement much sooner into your ownership than a newish car with low miles.

 

So, I have to stress, if you want fewer headaches, spend more up front to get a really clean well maintained one and then strive to keep up on anything that comes up immediately. Parts can be tricky. Most common stuff can be had from private vendors or from eBay if nothing else. I have a large stock of parts, as I own 5 presently (3 1988's and two 91's, one of which is an convertible). The coupes are all white, and the 88's are all burgundy interiors. This makes stocking both body and interior pieces easier for me as I only need parts in two exterior colors ('vert is red) and three interiors (91 coupe is flame red interior and the 'vert is saddle tan). I have things like modules, EGR valves, PS pumps, alternators, extra headlamp assemblies, many spare interior plastics and soft parts, clusters, CRTS and a ton of miscellaneous parts, including glass (front, rear and sides).

 

I've parted three Reattas out myself, and assisted Dave with two others. But, I am the odd case of someone who owns multiples and intends to keep them decent long term. Most owners are not in my situation as they own one, maybe two, and don't bother to keep a large stock of their own spares. My dedication to this car is not in any way ordinary, so don't feel like you need to take it to the extremes I have. Most owners seem to get along well getting what they need when something breaks, but that is only possible right now because there are numerous suppliers actively selling a lot of parts. In a few years, that may no longer be the case as the survivor rate tanks and parts cars get difficult to find. I feel like we are entering the end of relatively easy owner of these cars, as the availability of good used parts is already starting to decline, and many critical parts are getting difficult to source.

 

I don't intend to scare you off with all of this, but owning any older car, and especially a rare and rather complex one like the Reatta, will present you with challenges that you need to be prepared for. Otherwise, you end up with a non-drivable car that you can't fix yourself due to lack of funds, parts, or the tools and knowledge to effect repairs in a timely manner. If you go in with that understanding, and are willing to learn the particulars of these cars, then you will probably be ok. Sounds like you are experienced at doing your own work, so between that and presumably having access to decent tools, you'll probably do ok.

 

One last note regarding fuel economy; the Reatta does reasonably well for its age and class. Do not expect the kind of fuel economy found on new cars with a 4 cylinder or smallish 6, that have the benefit of 3 decades of improved engine efficiency and most likely less weight. While the Reatta is a two seater, it is not a light car. In fact, it is deceivingly heavy for it's size. Mid to high teens in the average MPG is about as good as it gets, unless you do a lot of Highway and very little stop and go driving. Even then, judicious application of the accelerator pedal will help a lot, but don't expect to get into the 20's routinely with mixed driving.

 

Kevin

Thanks for such a detailed response. This definitely helps me get a better idea about these cars. Like I said previously, I'm not in a hurry so I willing to turn down some cars if they don't appear to be as clean as I'd prefer.

 

I think Kevin (kdirk) did a great job of answering your questions. Dave (DAVES89) may come along and have something to add. He has lots of experience with driving his Reatta daily. He uses his to travel as part of his job and he has a nice convertible that he uses for pleasure driving. There are a few people here who know the Buick Reatta inside and out. You're getting good, honest, information about what it's like to own a Reatta from the people who know.

 

It's my personal opinion that Reattas are a little less reliable than your standard commuter car of that era. For example I purchased a '86 Chevy Cavaliar new. It had the four cylinder "iron duke" engine that was simple to work on. I think it was much more reliable than a Reatta because it was made so simple when compared to the Reatta. It only had one computer, the ECM, versus multiple computers on the Reatta that need to "talk" to each other. It was virtually trouble free for 220k with the exception of having the heater core replaced and the rack & pinion replaced by the dealership. Everything I replaced myself were routine maintenance items. It was still running strong when we got rid of it.

I had a 92 Saturn SC2 that I sold a while ago against my better judgement. I regret selling that car because it ran like a top, everything worked, it burned minimal oil for a saturn, and it got great fuel economy; 26 city, 39 hwy. I bought it not running for $300. It was in good condition cosmetically but hadn't ran in over a year. Ended up putting a fuel pump in it and cleaned the injectors in order for it to run. From there I had to do typical maintenance such as alternator, radiator, ect. It had over 200k when I sold it. If is still had the car today I likely wouldn't be looking for anything, but it's gone so I need a commuter. I honestly considered buying another 1st gen saturn since I'm familiar with them but I got lucky with the first one I had. I'm hesitant to buy saturns with unknown history. 

The best advice I can give is to buy the best car you can afford, invest in parts and be willing to do regular maintenance. I use my cars daily for work and have gotten excellent service out of them. I personally put 150,000 miles on the Red [my summer Reatta with 10 years ownership] 90,000 miles on the Black [my winter Reatta with 8 years ownership] and the 'vert [my special occaision Reatta 7,000 miles in 3 years ownership].

In all my travels I have only been stranded once, and that was when my fuel pump relay fell off the fire wall and landed on the hot manifold and melted. I have had headlight relay issues with the Black, and a headlight wiring harness that melted on both the Red and Black after I made the mistake of spraying WD 40 into my switch to improve the contacts. I did have to replace the tranny on the Black but just got the Red out of storage and drove that for two weeks in the winter while the swap of a used tranny was being done.

The nice thing about having more then one Reatta is that you don't have to be a great diagnostician you just swap parts off the working one. I also go to salvage You Pick yards buy used parts, install them immediatley to be sure they work and then store the replaced part as a "known working part". This has worked very well for me over the years.

I have made the decision that I will own a Reatta for the rest of my driving days. I am 60 and hope that is 20 more years.

 

Thank you for the reply. I tend to hoard parts and I've found a handful Reatta's that don't run that I'd buy and part out if I end up find a Reatta to drive.