1988 Buick Reatta Two-Seater Coupe

1988 Buick Reatta Description

For those not acquainted with how special, and scarce, the Buick Reatta is, I recommend getting yourself pumped up by reading about it in Wikipedia. I'll talk about my specific Reatta in the meantime. You're looking at a real beauty of a luxury two-seater here. Let the attached pictures speak for themselves. It's been well-taken care of over the years, and has never been driven in snow or salt. No rust! And the Carfax I just pulled up shows no accidents or damage to the vehicle, and zero negatives regarding all other "Carfax" evaluations.
This front-wheel-drive, independent suspension Reatta runs great and truly rides smoothly and comfortably. No engine problems. No surprise there. The 6-cylinder 3800 is THE iconic engine in the Buick stable. So reliable that Car and Driver Magazine awarded the 3800 as one of the top ten engines of the 20th Century. So don't be scared off by the mileage. This car's not even halfway to the finish yet.
The exterior is just gorgeous as the paint job that was performed under special contract to PPG Industries (no robot assembly line here!) has held up well. There are a few "slit cracks" about an inch long on the driver side door, but the paint has not peeled off. You really don't notice them until you wash and polish up close. The rubber trim in and around the whole vehicle shows little or no sign of rot.There are a few tiny dents and dings that are bound to happen after 28 years. But nothing that detracts from the overall sweet appearance, and nothing over a quarter-to a half-inch.
The tan interior really complements the red exterior. The leather seats and panels are in overall great condition, as is the carpeting. There is one bummer: The lower left arm of the driver's side seat has two roughly one-inch tears and related scuffing. See the pix. I have bought a 3M leather repair kit that I will throw into the deal.
The Reatta is famous for being one of the first to install a touch screen computer interface in a vehicle. It is called an Electronic Control Center (ECC) and is really cool to play around with for geeks and non-geeks alike. This thing has died in a lot of Reattas. ButNOT in this Reatta. The ECC functions flawlessly!
Power stuff goes after time, too. But not in this Reatta. All the power buttons work, including windows, door locks, seats, antenna, cruise control, mirrors, and . . . most importantly, the pop-up front headlamps!
A major problem with many older cars is the A/C unit. The A/C in this Reatta IS working in that cold air does blow out, butoccasionally the ECC puts up a message on the screen to checkrefrigerant level. This may indicate that there is a leak in the refrigerant system, or the refrigerant is getting low.Butto this point I've always been able to run the A/C and get cold air. Another problem is the sound system. The cassette player does not work, It sounds like it's trying to but it only "clicks" when you start and stop ignition.The radio and all radio controlsrun by the ECCwork fine, but the right rear speaker will more often than not "crackle"or cutin and outafter a few minutes of operation. A sound guy from the local sound shop said it probably is just the speaker that needs replaced. I personally have gone with a portable wireless sound option like you see at parties and the beach, so have never felt a need to upgrade the car audio system.
To hopefully compensate for the shortcomings listed above, I've had a ton of other stuff done to the car that, in my opinion, are more important as they address the continued operation of the vehicle proper. Here's a list of what's been done that should really please you (over $2000-worth of pleasing you!):
6/4/16 (Odometer reading when serviced: 103,950 miles): New Battery
12/16/15 (103,422): New Rear Struts and Assembly; New Complete Power Steering Assembly incl. Rack and Pinion Installation, Worm and Ball Nut Assembly, and adjusted Toe-in on R&P; Power Steering Fluid Flush and Refill; New Valve Cover Gasket Set; New Oil Pan Gasket Set; Wheel Alignment; andOil Change
12/14/15 (103,421): New Uniroyal All-Season Radial Tires, Spin Balance,Road Hazard Warranty
05/29/14 (101,433):New Front and Rear Brake Pads;Rotors turned, Tires Rotated; New Air Filter
08/18/09 (93,915):New Fuel Filter; Ignition Coil, Spark Plugs, and Spark Plug Wires
Finally, here are even more EXTRAS to sweeten the deal:a nifty,Solid Oak cup holder specially fitted for an '88Reatta; a $190 Platinum ShieldCar Cover fitted for this Reatta; and the original Owner's Manual, complete with leather cover.
$4995 OR BEST OFFER will get you what is essentially an ahead-of-it's time, two-seat luxury car. Thanks for taking the time to read. -Eric