fun car guy Posted July 19, 2023 Share Posted July 19, 2023 After wrestling with it for two years because it's very solid and all the electronics work, I'm regretfully putting my '89 coupe up for sale. Needa new fuel and brake lines, injectors cleaned, windshield and new tires. Good for anyone with the equipment and experience as the engine is strong and the trans. shifts smoothly or as a parts car. Very clean outside and in w/no rips or tares. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted July 19, 2023 Share Posted July 19, 2023 "What's it worth" is a hard question to answer. If you figure it out let me know. I'm still struggling with what I should try to get for mine. Asking prices online are high right now but who knows what they are selling for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohjai Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 Earlier this year I purchased my 91 Hardtop with 75,000 miles for $5,500. At the end of May I purchased my 91 Maui Blue convertible with 12,750 miles for $15,000. Both had been on the market for some time, the original asking price for the hardtop was around $9,000, he had lowered the price. The original asking price for the convertible was $20,000. In both cases I asked the seller what his bottom line was, and that is what I paid for them. Typically I do not try and talk people down. They know what they want, and I know what I am willing to pay. If their price is higher than I want to pay I pass on the deal. Don't want to insult someone with a lowball offer. When I deal on eBay it is a different issue, they have make an offer, I make a lowball offer then they usually come back with a price we agree on. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fun car guy Posted July 20, 2023 Topic Author Share Posted July 20, 2023 1 hour ago, Ohjai said: Earlier this year I purchased my 91 Hardtop with 75,000 miles for $5,500. At the end of May I purchased my 91 Maui Blue convertible with 12,750 miles for $15,000. Both had been on the market for some time, the original asking price for the hardtop was around $9,000, he had lowered the price. The original asking price for the convertible was $20,000. In both cases I asked the seller what his bottom line was, and that is what I paid for them. Typically I do not try and talk people down. They know what they want, and I know what I am willing to pay. If their price is higher than I want to pay I pass on the deal. Don't want to insult someone with a lowball offer. When I deal on eBay it is a different issue, they have make an offer, I make a lowball offer then they usually come back with a price we agree on. I had to dig mine out of a snowbank and have it towed to my garage but I only paid 1,600.00 for mine. You have to know that here in Michigan, the road salt eats cars alive in just a few years whereas mine is almost rust free and solid. I was excited at first but the more I dug into it, the less I liked it. One thing after alother either broke or leaked until the point where I would be throwing good money after bad because resale is so low on these. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohjai Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 Both of my cars a clean on the underside, with no apparent rust showing anywhere. The hardtop had the antilock brake warning light on, and the intrusion light lit. The intrusion light was the driver side door lock cylinder anti-theft switch., the anti lock light was a ware cut at a connector. Both are fixed now. Purchasing any vintage car is a financial risk. I don't belong to a golf club, don't hang around casinos or bars. My cars are my hobby, I like to get a good car and make it better. I have 7 collector cars, all of them are running and road worthy, they are all drivers, not trailer queens.. With this heat I have to drive something with AC, but come September I will be driving the cars with 4-40 AC. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobs Buick Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 1989 , 90,000 miles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 (edited) Maybe we can get Ronnie to move Bob's Buick posts to a new tab. Oops I see Ronnie already moved it. Edited July 20, 2023 by DAVES89 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohjai Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 To get an idea of the current selling price watch this 1990 convertible with 48,000 miles watch this on Bring a Trailer. This will be a true price with no guessing. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-buick-reatta-38/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 What do you expect it to sell for? The photos show lots of spare parts. Is that a good thing or a bad thing when selling a car? On one hand you could say the car might be needing all those parts and seller decided to put it on the market instead of doing the work. On the other hand you could say it would be good to have spares when needed. What is a potential buyer going to think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Down Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 I would think that spare parts is a plus for any serious buyer. Tire kickers or looky lou's might get scared off, but someone who knows "old" cars realizes that they will need repair so the parts may come in handy. However, as a buyer I would not place any extra value on the parts but rather consider them a "throw in" bonus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alec2538 Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 On 7/19/2023 at 8:51 PM, fun car guy said: I had to dig mine out of a snowbank and have it towed to my garage but I only paid 1,600.00 for mine. You have to know that here in Michigan, the road salt eats cars alive in just a few years whereas mine is almost rust free and solid. I was excited at first but the more I dug into it, the less I liked it. One thing after alother either broke or leaked until the point where I would be throwing good money after bad because resale is so low on these. I had to dig mine out of a snowbank, I DROVE it home, it's a '91 94k mile Cali car with ZERO rust and I paid $800 for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fun car guy Posted July 22, 2023 Topic Author Share Posted July 22, 2023 7 hours ago, Top Down said: I would think that spare parts is a plus for any serious buyer. Tire kickers or looky lou's might get scared off, but someone who knows "old" cars realizes that they will need repair so the parts may come in handy. However, as a buyer I would not place any extra value on the parts but rather consider them a "throw in" bonus. Very true, a parts car is a good idea, especially as replacemnt parts are becomeing extremely hard to find. However, the greater problem with these cars is labor. Unless you're mechanically and electronically gifted with tools and a ficility to do it by yourself, having things like fuel and brake lines replaced and a new rack and pinion, windshield, tires, brakes, exhaust, ect. done by a mechanic at $100.00 or more per hour you soon realize you're getting in over your head spending much more than your Reatta is worth and the same curse is on the Cadillac Allente'. Some cars warrent restoration but I'm afraid, and I don't really understnad why, few people like and want one. Therefor they're value is very low. This is my problem as I posess none of those skills. I've already replaced the alternator, battery, power steering cooler and valve unit on the brake master but after over 2+ years, I had to admit that this one is simply used up, good only for parts in spite of having minimal rust and a very nice interior, I just can't see sending more hours and good money after bad. As Ted Vernon says,"If you restore, you loose". Right now I'll be looking for one with fewer miles and in better condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fun car guy Posted July 23, 2023 Topic Author Share Posted July 23, 2023 It's really sad that these cars aren't very saleable unless of extremely low mileage or a convertable and I've never understood it. On one hand It gives someone like me who dosen't have a lot of money the oppertunity to own one but my biggest issue is that if I were to hire a mechnic to do everything to make it roadworthy, I'd have three or four times the amount into it than it's worth! It frustrates me as I truly like it's unique appearence and build qualty. I have to wonder why the car was a failure in the first place and is still looked down upon making me believe I'd never recover even a fraction of my expenses as appreciation is doubtful. Anyway, thanks to all who responded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nailhed66 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 10 hours ago, fun car guy said: It's really sad that these cars aren't very saleable unless of extremely low mileage or a convertable and I've never understood it. On one hand It gives someone like me who dosen't have a lot of money the oppertunity to own one but my biggest issue is that if I were to hire a mechnic to do everything to make it roadworthy, I'd have three or four times the amount into it than it's worth! It frustrates me as I truly like it's unique appearence and build qualty. I have to wonder why the car was a failure in the first place and is still looked down upon making me believe I'd never recover even a fraction of my expenses as appreciation is doubtful. Anyway, thanks to all who responded. Poor decisions on the part of GM limited the Reatta’s success. They had a turbocharged rear drive prototype of the Reatta that could have been a successor to the Grand National, but instead the bean counters made them put it on the Riviera platform. While the Reatta is a decent car, it didn’t excite 50 year olds who were far more likely to buy a Corvette, BMW, Supra or RX7. If it makes you feel any better, I paid $4,800 for my Reatta and have almost $8,000 into it. A car that’s worth about $6,000… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nailhed66 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fun car guy Posted July 23, 2023 Topic Author Share Posted July 23, 2023 Thanks very much for your help and encouragement, I'd honestly go for it if my Reatta didn't already have 170,000 miles on it and didn't need so much work. Believe me it pains me every time I see it, not just because of money and work I've spent but I know I'd be lucky to get $2,000 for it even when everything is fixed and I'd be about $4,000 in the hole so it's better to let it go, have someone else benefit from the parts and move on. Thanks again, Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fun car guy Posted July 23, 2023 Topic Author Share Posted July 23, 2023 On 7/21/2023 at 3:19 PM, alec2538 said: I had to dig mine out of a snowbank, I DROVE it home, it's a '91 94k mile Cali car with ZERO rust and I paid $800 for it. Congratulations on your purchase, you obviously got a good buy. I'm in the snowbelt in southern Michigan and was amazed that my car wasn't eaten alive. That plus all electronics still working but have now realized it was sitting outside for more years than I was told. You know the old saying "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. If you don't drive it, it'll rust" Needs a lot of work, brake and gas lines, a new rack and pinion, new gas tank and possibly injectors, brake work, a windshield and new tires but it still looks so good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohjai Posted August 4, 2023 Share Posted August 4, 2023 391-Mile 1990 Buick Reatta Convertible Bid to $17,250 on 8/3/23 Did not sell 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted August 4, 2023 Share Posted August 4, 2023 Looks like it never left the showroom floor. I'm surprised a collector didn't snap it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Down Posted August 4, 2023 Share Posted August 4, 2023 Who would ever mount a front license plate holder on a brand new car and then never drive it.............is there something strange going on here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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