What's the story on them? Any potential?
What's the story on them? Any potential?
There is a sad looking Reatta for sale in a lot close to my house. I wonder that every day when I drive by. It's been there since fall. The sign on it is asking upwards of $3k. Seems like a lot. Maybe that's why it's been there all winter.
They are cool looking, but heavy...and then there's the flaky 20lb touch-screen CRT in the center console that controls virtually everything. 
No thanks!
They're awesome. Seriously, a touchscreen CRT monitor in the earlier models. Alas, they're heavy, and FWD. Still, I see potential.
Ive heard that the display on the touchscreen commonly goes out but if you remember where all the places are you can still touch it and have it work
So you hope for screen burn?
no, if it still works, you write the buttons in with a Sharpie for when it stops working 
I know a couple local guys with them. They're pretty much an old-guy cruise mobile. The CRT is repairable DIY, but I don't remember the details. I suppose it could have potential - it's standard GM FWD architecture - so swap in whatever 60* V6 variant that suits your needs.
irish44j wrote: no, if it still works, you write the buttons in with a Sharpie for when it stops working
People will be doing this with Teslas in 30 years.
petegossett wrote: I know a couple local guys with them. They're pretty much an old-guy cruise mobile. The CRT is repairable DIY, but I don't remember the details. I suppose it could have potential - it's standard GM FWD architecture - so swap in whatever 60* V6 variant that suits your needs.
90*
wonder if you could replace the CRT with an touch screen LCD?
Wiki says:
The 1990 and 1991 Reattas were equipped with a more conventional electronic push button stereo, optional CD player, and climate controls. The climate control buttons and display performed double duty to replace diagnostic scanner capability formerly provided by the touchscreen display, however the trip computer capability was lost.
Install a supercharged 3.8 and surprise people for money. 
Here's the Reatta that Buick should have made. Watch to the end for footage of the super sleeper GNX powered wagon Buick toyed with.
http://youtu.be/f6Up75edezo
Thanks for that video! I've always known that that Electra Estate existed, but only ever saw it in grainy magazine pictures. Seeing it in action has really made my day. Zero-60 in 5.2 seconds. FIVE POINT TWO!
IIRC, a Journalist wadded up the Reatta during a road test. I'm actually surprised the Regal was faster.
The wagon rocks.
They seem to be turning up at the local salvage yard more and more these days and that usually means they are largely unloved.
The ABS stuff or the master cylinder in those are quite expensive to replace. The parts are also in the Alfa GTV6 and a couple rare-ish cult cars. IIRC.
EDIT: It's the ABS Hydraulic Pump. Rock Auto has them for almost $1200 after a core charge, but I don't see anything Alfa... I might be getting something wrong. Either way a good idea to grab it from the junk yard.
Appleseed wrote: Install a supercharged 3.8 and surprise people for money.
I've had those thoughts too.
I was thinking the last year or so had a conventional analogue dash. Yea or nay?
I've been seeing these all over the place lately, which is surprising since they were hand-built, limited production cars. I think they are cool, in a "brougham-y" kind of way, and I would totally DD a clean one. And I would 100% do the later Series II 3.8 SC swap. It has to bolt in. I'd get a non-CRT model and get a modern head unit in there.
Oh, and I like similar vintage Olds Toronados too. When I was a kid, my parents ordered a 1986 Olds 98 Regency Brougham fully loaded from a local dealer. It had everything, including the "Castlevania life bar" speedometer, a calculator built into the dash, and it even talked and told you when it was broken or you did something stupid, like forgot to release the parking brake. With all that technology, it would sometimes end up at the dealer for the weekend, and we would get a loaner car. Sometimes, it was a full size Custom Cruiser wagon, other times it was a used sports car like a 300ZX, but one time it was a fully loaded late 80's Toronado Trofeo. I thought it was the coolest car ever. It had all the tech stuff of my parents car, but it was a sporty coupe with hideaway headlights like all the old muscle cars I liked. My dad didn't want to return it, and I didn't want him to either!
RossD wrote: The ABS stuff or the master cylinder in those are quite expensive to replace. The parts are also in the Alfa GTV6 and a couple rare-ish cult cars. IIRC. EDIT: It's the ABS Hydraulic Pump. Rock Auto has them for almost $1200 after a core charge, but I don't see anything Alfa... I might be getting something wrong. Either way a good idea to grab it from the junk yard.
Ah, you mean the Brake Bomb! 
Some early Saab 9000's had them too (mine did).
A google image search of Reatta brought up this:
Where I learned that a Reatta had once won a LeMons race.
http://blog.caranddriver.com/24-hours-of-lemons-southern-discomfort-2012-we-have-winners/
In reply to JohnRW1621:
That rules.
For anyone else curious what the screen looked like:
I am amazed that 1989 had dashboard mounted wiper switches. Other GM's of the time had moved to turn signal mounted wipers. This dash version looks difficult to use or not easy to just get a quick single wipe.
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