ship Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 I'm not a Facebook guy, so I'll go down kicking before I get forced into it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 I feel the same way ship. I don't like Facebook. My wife has a Facebook account that I use sometimes to look around. I like organization like we have on the forums so information is easily found. Facebook seems to be sorely lacking in that department. I liken Facebook to a room full of people all talking at the same time on different subjects. I admit that when you are in a room full of people all talking at the same time it can be a lot of fun but it's just not for me. I guess I could get use to it if it is the only option. Thank you for still being here on the forums. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted July 14, 2020 Topic Author Share Posted July 14, 2020 I too will go down kicking and screaming. BTW the Red will roll over to 300,000 tomorrow. 12 years of ownership and second engine, 3rd transmission [I only paid for the last transmission]. I like to tell people 1989 Reatta 300,000 miles and all original except for the radiator, condenser, engine, transmission, headliner, dash, seats, carpet, paint, wheels, speakers, headlights, cornering lights, etc... I still think I did well. Bought the car 12 years ago for $4200.00 and put about $10,000 in it but drove it myself for 187,000 mostly business miles of the 300,000 miles. And I still enjoy the car. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted July 16, 2020 Topic Author Share Posted July 16, 2020 I got to 300,000 today. What I did was use the destination feature on the CRT and set it to trip when I got to 300,000 miles. So the CRT was flashing I glanced over just in time to see all the numbers move on the odometer. I should have set the trip odometer but didn't think of it. I know it sounds dorky to some, but to me it was pretty cool... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted July 16, 2020 Share Posted July 16, 2020 Congratulations! That's something to be proud of. I think I have only driven mine about 35,000 miles since 2007. You have driven a Reatta more miles than anyone I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted July 16, 2020 Share Posted July 16, 2020 Dorky or not, I think that is an accomplishment most will never know. I guess if I added mine up I have only added 83k miles in 27 years, not a large average, probably a weeks worth for Dave? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted July 16, 2020 Topic Author Share Posted July 16, 2020 Thanks guys. Before this year is out, when I factor the miles I drove on the Black [now Hal's son's car] and the 'vert I am probably over 300,000 Reatta driven miles. And for all the guys who have come here with drivability issues here is something I have been proud of: until the recently developed a fuel pump/sending issue, and the prior engine/transmission swaps I don't remember ever being down more then a day. I have always had a Reatta available to me 365 days a year for 13 years. They are very dependable cars with great looks and reasonable power. However I have always had parts on hand to insure I stayed on the road, that is probably the most important, because after all these cars are 30 years old. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted July 16, 2020 Topic Author Share Posted July 16, 2020 Don't know if this makes me weird, but I wash the 'vert most times with the top down [because it is mostly down except for winter storage]. No one in the neighborhood comments on this, but I've never seen anyone else wash their 'verts this way... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ship Posted July 16, 2020 Share Posted July 16, 2020 1 hour ago, DAVES89 said: Don't know if this makes me weird, but I wash the 'vert most times with the top down [because it is mostly down except for winter storage]. No one in the neighborhood comments on this, but I've never seen anyone else wash their 'verts this way... Boy, I'm glad you're not my neighbor...I'd be pointing fingers at you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James90 Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 So I thought for kicks and giggles I'd add my escapades with my Reatta. I try to not drive my white coupe too much because it has less than 60,000 miles on it. However, I gladly drive my red convertible everywhere during the summer. I live very close to Lake Erie, so at least once a week I put the top down and drive westward along the lake to watch the sun set. It's an extremely beautiful drive, until the midges spawn haha. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 48 minutes ago, James90 said: I live very close to Lake Erie, so at least once a week I put the top down and drive westward along the lake to watch the sun set. It's an extremely beautiful drive, until the midges spawn haha. Sounds like fun. Post some photos. We love photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted July 20, 2020 Topic Author Share Posted July 20, 2020 On 7/9/2020 at 2:32 PM, DAVES89 said: Been an interesting couple of weeks with the Red and the 'vert. First the 'vert developing driveability issues that were due to a collapsed front driver's side brake line. The blockage was so great that it seemed that the car had bad fuel injectors. It would idle fine [in Park of course] but when driving there was just no go. Swapped out the rotors, pads and both front brake lines. The difference was immediate. Then the Red acted up. Two things at once. There is an ignition module on the column that my friend Kendall diagnosed and replaced for me. How/why I had a back up of that part I will never know. However we had another issue as well. I had little or no fuel pressure. The only way I could start the car was "whacking" the gas tank with a rubber mallet while someone was turning the key. Turned out that there was a loose connection on the fuel pump sending unit which I was able to repair. But as long as I was in there I did have the mechanic replace the fuel pump as well [and fuel pump filter]. So as I have purchased a used fuel pump from Jim Finn [a Reatta used parts seller] I have a good used fuel pump for sale. I paid $135.00 delivered for it and am willing to sell it for any reasonable offer. My e mail is; lemke1044@aol.com The used fuel pump sending unit is sold, however an aftermarket exact replacement is the Dorman #692-102. Just look up a 1988 Cadillac Eldorado and you will see the Dorman and a couple of other brands. the Dorman has soldered electrical connections [inside the tank] and the original factory unit does not. Only issue I have is that the Dorman sending unit reads to empty tank faster then the factory one and "leaves" gas in the tank [about 3-4 gallons] at empty. Speculation between the repair shop, Ronnie, 2seater and myself is that it reads empty early is to save the fuel pump from overheating as the fuel is used to keep the fuel pump cool. This is not the first time we have experienced having to list another car to get "obsolete" replacement parts for our Reattas. Another no cost service from your no cost techs at the Reatta Owners forum... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 Here I am again with a not exactly the Reatta itself but I finally investigated my radio which hasn't worked for more than a year. It is a Pioneer din and a half replacement radio I installed in 1997, sort of state of the art for the time. Built in CD and controls for a remote changer as well as a remote control for the radio itself, over $300 at the time. It was installed in place of the popping and crackling factory radio, which I have around here someplace. In any case, all the wiring feeding the unit checks out, grounds, B+, ign/acc, antenna actuator and dash light dimmer, so the unit itself must be dead. No lights or any indication of life. Investigating new replacements turns up zero possibilities. There were few din and a halfs a couple decades ago but none now. I can find the exact same units on ebay for $100 or so or maybe a used factory GM in that size from that era so sort of up in the air on which way to go. It would be straightforward to install a single din radio and an adapter, and get all I really need, but of course the simple way is not what I prefer? It looks like if everything was packed tight, the radio and climate control, that there might be the extra inch needed for a double din. Does anyone know if that is possible in the space available? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted July 21, 2020 Topic Author Share Posted July 21, 2020 I'm pretty sure a double din won't work but I have two factory radios on the shelf in the old parts bin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 55 minutes ago, DAVES89 said: I'm pretty sure a double din won't work but I have two factory radios on the shelf in the old parts bin. I guess I could have just asked you if you thought it would fit but where would the fun be? I am sure you are right. A half inch maybe, but a full inch isn't happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted July 23, 2020 Topic Author Share Posted July 23, 2020 The other night when my wife and I were out with the'vert the passenger side headlight wouldn't pop up. It did go up by hand cranking the knob so we made it home. Today I decided to see replace the crank. However when I got into it I saw that the crank was real nice but the motor had been opened [I knew for sure because a screw was broke off leaving me with two screws]. So as I had a rebuilt one in the parts bin and a couple "barney cranks" I decided to replace both. I had in the past installed a cheapy LED light bulb conversion kit, so also swapped that out as it was fogging up. Got all done, tested it for function and saw that I had one one shim on the wrong side so I swapped that back to where it belongs and then I was done. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted July 23, 2020 Topic Author Share Posted July 23, 2020 Went looking on Amazon for a head light relay harness. The one I bought 4-5 years ago for less then $25.00 is now almost $50.00. Found another harness very much the same as the one I previously bought for once again less then $25.00. Put it on my Christmas list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 I believe prices on Amazon change with demand. Glad you found another harness at a more reasonable price. I have been watching the prices for a fuel pump for my GMC truck but I'm not ready to buy. The prices has been up and down over a few months from $128 to $201. Current price is $160. If you want to watch the price of an item just put it in your shopping car and then move it to "Save for later". Makes it easy to watch the price without placing an order. When you are ready to buy it you can easily move ti back to your shopping cart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ship Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 7/23/20...Took the dust cover off the Reatta in anticipation of attending a local cruise-in. Heat index went up to 97 degrees with humidity at 71...also started to rain. Got notified the cruise-in was being canceled. So, dust cover went back on and I walked back into the nice and cool a/c house. Last few days here the weather has been like south Texas!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 Almost too hot and humid to drive here. I enjoy driving in the evening with the windows down. With temps in the mid nineties and humidity in the mid 70% range it's almost unbearable here in TN. No real rain in weeks with the exception of three minute down pours about once or twice a week. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts