1990 Convertible Buick Reatta - White / Burgundy Interior / 54,000 Miles
1990 Buick Reatta Convertible Description
I have not bought or sold on eBay for quite a while, so if I am missing some key information, please inquire and I will get it for you.
The Buick Reatta was a luxury sports coupe produced by General Motors from 1988 to 1991. Front-wheel drive was standard on all model years. The Reatta did not come with a manual transmission or offer it as an option. The Reatta was equipped with a 3.8-liter, V6 engine; 170 horsepower. The Buick Reatta was exclusively manufactured in Lansing, Mich..
The 1988 Buick Reatta, the first model year, was only available as a two-door coupe. In 1990, the introduction of the convertible option allowed consumers to choose between a cloth or vinyl convertible top with glass rear window. The vehicle came with many standard features that other manufacturers only offered as options, making the Reatta attractive to people who wanted a luxury car with the latest features but not the additional cost. Standard interior features included power bucket front seats, power windows and locks, and keyless entry. Exterior features included a power antenna, tinted glass and fog lamps. Leather seating and steering wheel trim was standard, as was a premium audio system with AM-FM/cassette player that could be upgraded to an optional CD player.
This 1990 Convertible is my FOURTH Reatta, though it is my first convertible Reatta. Because of an upcoming move, I will no longer have the space to keep/store it. The car runs fine and only has 54,000 miles on it. I believe that I am the 3rd owner (but could be the 4th).
I know that the car came from a dealer in Louisville, KY. I believe the original owner lived in southern Indiana. I bought it from a gentleman who was living in SC and FL at the time and I know that he had it only in the south. After I left SC in 2010, it has been here in AZ. There may have been one other owner between the original buyer and the guy I bought it from, but I am not sure.
In my past experience with other Reattas that I have owned, I have had issues with Air Conditioning, Alternators, Instrument Panel, Antenna and Headlamps. Here are a few things that do need taken care of with this car. They are:
1) Left turn signal bulb needs replaced. Just went out.
2) CD Player - Radio works fine but it spits out CDs.
3) Antenna does not go up. - see notes below.
4) Instrument Panel - see notes below.
There have been issues with some wiring needing replaced. For example, I thought the Air Conditioning was having issues and found out that a short was keeping the Air Conditioning from properly engaging. Once that wiring issue was resolved, the Air Conditioning works fine again. I am describing this because I believe that this is the same kind of issue with the Instrument Panel. Having had to replace an IP on a previous Reatta, I know that when they die, they go OUT. This one goes back and forth between normal operation and the Error Message screen (see photos in the listing - they were taken just a couple minutes apart) and the “dummy light” says that there is an electrical issue. Everything works and it even continues to detect that the Cruise Control is engaged when the Instrument Panel returns to normal.
The antenna is something that I have not gotten around to looking at yet. For that reason, I do not know if it is the Antenna Motor or another wiring/short issue. Because I almost never use the radio, I have not worried about it.
I have the original “know-how” brochure for the convertible top as well as an after-market brochure. I have wondered if the top might be an aftermarket top. I do not know if there is an easy way for me to tell.
As long as I have had it, there have been no accidents. The guy I bought it from said he had no accidents (old friend of family). With the convertible top manuals, I have a Car Fax report that the previous owner had purchased. It shows no significant issues as of te time he purchased it.
I am not a car expert. I am just “a guy who loved his original Reatta and wanted to keep on driving them”. My wife crashed my first one (not her fault), and the second and third ones were pretty beat up when I bought them. This is the first Reatta since my original 1990 Reatta that has been in good shape. I am happy to check anything you know about the car if it helps you make a decision, I’m just not a “car guy”.
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