$600 Reatta

Hey guys,

So, I'm trying to get my truck running, i've got a ton to do on the vette, and a bunch of other crap that needs to be attended to in my little shop. My dad offered to sell me back my old Reatta (which i sold him a while back) for $600. It's an 88 so it has the lcd touchscreen which works perfectly. The pros is that it runs great and has brand new tires. Cons are, it needs window motors on both sides, a right rear caliper, check engine light that needs to be attended to so it'll get the smog cert, and the front windshield has a crack. It has a drain on the battery which he fixed by installing a cutoff at the battery and the interior is fairly worn but manageable.
In my mind, it's way too far gone to restore, i could make it into a manageable beater car, but I planned to use my truck for that anyways. I'm also limited on performance options as this is ca and it needs to be smogged. Yet, the thought of a $600 two seater with full independent suspension and a solid running 3.8 is alluring. Thoughts? What would you do? I'm not expecting anyone to talk me out of it, so far I'm doing a good job of that myself, give me some good reasons to do it, unless there arn't any; lol.

The good news is you know the history of it (or some of it anyway) and it's cheap. I don't know if that helps at all but those are two positives.

And you could get most of your $$ back from the touch-display alone, if your wanted to part it for profit.

(6 years at a Buick dealer when they were new) Most of that's easily and cheaply fixed except the MIL (the only really expensive thing there might be the catalysts unless you can use aftermarkets) and the windshield. The touch screen was my #1 concern since it controls damn near everything in the car, but if it works good then the heat etc will work as well. For $600, I think I'd do it.

I'd check price and availability on the windshield before I'd commit. Did that car use a plastic one like the Riviera?

Woody wrote: I'd check price and availability on the windshield before I'd commit. Did that car use a plastic one like the Riviera?

Yea, that one is iffy. The crack is in the lower drivers side so it dosn't affect driveability, but the last time he checked, he couldn't find a replacement anywhere (nationwide). So unless it's changed in the last year or two, I either need to get one from another car, or I was thinking maybe I could use Lexan? If anything, I might drive it for a bit and then use it for HPDE instead of my vette. Mostly because it's a bit of drive to buttonwillow and this would get 25mpg instead of 15mpg on the freeway there.

petegossett wrote: And you could get most of your $$ back from the touch-display alone, if your wanted to part it for profit.

Yeah, I thought about that too, if I swap the motor out for something else and make it a one-off cheapie track car (sbc? drag race it?) or something lighter for road-course, then I won't be able to use that and they go for anywhere from $200-$400 last time I checked.

Jensenman wrote: (6 years at a Buick dealer when they were new) Most of that's easily and cheaply fixed except the MIL (the only really expensive thing there might be the catalysts unless you can use aftermarkets) and the windshield. The touch screen was my #1 concern since it controls damn near everything in the car, but if it works good then the heat etc will work as well. For $600, I think I'd do it.

MIL? Whats that?

Sorry, I sometimes speak way too much jargon.

MIL = Malfunction Indicator Lamp, also known as the Check Engine light.

gigolojoe wrote: or I was thinking maybe I could use Lexan?

I believe they mean a plastic coating on the inside of the w/s, parts places in PA sold plactic scrapers so folks wouldn't berkeley up the inside when they scraped off the insp stickers.

Are you going to continue to street it? Most if not all states require a sort of safety glass in all windows

Well, I just spent some time with it and talked myself out of it. Needs way too much work for me right now. Anybody in CA need a challenge car?

sounds like a Lemons winner to me.

All of the above suggestions are great. Also, consider mid mounting the engine for one of the most kick ass challenge cars ever.

Here's what it needs: GM Reatta RWD Prototype

I'm jealous. I've wanted a Reatta for a long time. Shouldn't be too hard to slap a 3800S2 blower unit on that, so I've heard...

mblommel wrote: Here's what it needs: GM Reatta RWD Prototype

The woody wagon Electra bombing around the track is my favorite part of that vid.

Would it cost less than $600 + Repairs to get the truck running?

It sounds like the buick is driving and more comfortable than the truck, but more expensive and another vehicle to fix.

Nitroracer wrote: Would it cost less than $600 + Repairs to get the truck running? It sounds like the buick is driving and more comfortable than the truck, but more expensive and another vehicle to fix.

It's a toss up, the truck needs tires after I figure out whats wrong with it but everything it needs should total less then $600. The reatta would be more comfy but only nominally so and needs more repairs. I think it would be fun to hold onto for a one off custom, but not to fix and drive after spending some time looking at it today. Since I already have projects, I think I would just be spinning my wheels, and not literally lol .

ok, sorry to bring this back from the dead. I had a lightbulb and just put the word out to all my local gearhead buddies. $600 for a running 3.8v6 and transmission that you can hear run and drive and I'll pull it for ya. That'll make the car free.

I do have the tools and abilities to fabricate a frankenstein on a top ramen budget with some help from my car club. I also have a solid 327 sbc sitting in the corner of the garage that will run without even a rebuild. Now throw some seriously crazy ideas at me. I'm thinking; 327; th-350 transmission; and a rear end out of whatever will fit with some home brewed four link suspension. I'll continue to sell interior pieces, the touchscreen lcd, etc, to fund the project.

I don't know if this is helpful, but a few months ago, I saw a Pontiac Sunbird convertible on a heavily modified S10 2WD frame and powered by a 350.

Maybe you could cut up an S10 frame and put the Reatta body on it to convert the Reatta to a front engine/RWD configuration?

I don't know if this is helpful, but a few months ago, I saw a Pontiac Sunbird convertible on a heavily modified S10 2WD frame and powered by a 350.

Maybe you could cut up an S10 frame and put the Reatta body on it to convert the Reatta to a front engine/RWD configuration?

M030 wrote: I don't know if this is helpful, but a few months ago, I saw a Pontiac Sunbird convertible on a heavily modified S10 2WD frame and powered by a 350. Maybe you could cut up an S10 frame and put the Reatta body on it to convert the Reatta to a front engine/RWD configuration?

If i dropped it on a frame, wouldn't that add a ton of weight? They are already portly cars. Could I build a "frame" out of tubing that would act as a roll cage, hold the engine, and tie the front and rear sub frames together (I would build it into the car, not build it and drop the body on, if that makes sense)? The tubing roller at HF is a good price when its on sale and it's says it can do up to 2" tubing.

I'd be more worried about the rear suspension and how to support a real axle back there properly than getting a V8 up front. The next issue is getting a transmission tunnel in there.

You'd basically need to back-half the car, kind of like your cage idea, like a really hot drag car. Then you would most likely need to slice out the factory floor and drop in something from, say, a Camaro. Get some clearance in there for a trans and driveshaft.

I'd sell the whole thing and start over unless you just have to have a Reatta with the proper wheels being driven.

There is a Reatta for sale locally (PA) that would be the perfect compliment to your car. Mechanically it is perfect, but the body is toast. Good windshield too. Too bad there all those states are in between.

A 327 Reatta still needs a windshield.