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Buick Reatta?

QueBert

QueBert

Lifer
My neighbor is selling one and offering to give me a good deal on it. I honestly don't think I'd seen or even heard of these before I saw his a few years ago. I Google and apparently this car has some sort of small, but dedicated cult following. He's asking $7,500 which seems crazy. I don't know this is one weird looking car, ugly might not be the right word but WTF has anyone here driven one of these? I'm tempted to ask him to let me test drive it just so I can see. This is just an awkward looking car, reminds me of a Cellicas red headed step brother or something. He's really trying to talk me into buying it, maybe because nobody else wants it lol? I wonder if any members on here actually had one.
 
NutBucket said:
$7500 is way too much. Isn't that car at least 10 years old anyway?
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21 years old actually, which I guess makes it a uhh classic? lol, it's a convertable. Which I guess is one of less than a thousand made. I found a similar one on Ebay and it's going for more. So I guess his asking price isn't out of line, but I'm failing to see why these cars are worth over 7k. They're not great looking and I can't see them performing like a Vette or something. I mean it's a Buick they're not known for making high performance cars.
 
It's probably sorta like those turbo Dodge Daytonas, people will pay a ridiculous amount for one in great shape.

That being said, $2-3k, max imo - especially since you don't already want one.
 
The Reatta is definitely an interesting car, however it has some quirks. Like a touch screen computer. And touch screens 21 years ago definitely weren't as reliable as ones now. $7500 is crack pipe realm.
 
buick&
 
SpatiallyAware said:
$2-3k, max imo - .
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MAX! The Reatta is definitely "interesting" given it's sporting pretensions and rarity, but . . .


  1. The electronic dash if fugly, stupid, and didn't work well new. Imagine it's practicality 21 years on.
  2. Performance is just not there, and never really was. What you would have is a boulevard cruiser, which is just fine if that's what you want.
  3. That V-6 is right out of the Buick/GM parts bin, so if there is space under the hood turbocharging it would be theoretically possible -- though doing so might well overwhelm it's auto transaxle not to mention give you fierce, FIERCE I SAY, FIERCE torque steer. 😉
  4. The real value in this car anyway would be keeping it stock as an historical artifact. Rarity has it's own value.
  5. Just don't get into an accident. Finding replacement body panels would be an Odyssey worthy of Homer -- not that Homer, the Greek one! 🙂
  6. There's no true downside to staying in that guy's ear with a persistent $2,000 offer. Over time, he might just spazz out and let it go for that. Assuming the car is mechanically ok, you'd have a tame little conversation-piece drop-top for Sunday drives in the sun.
  7. Given its rarity, @ 2-3 thou, you would always be able to recoup your investment on fleabay.
  8. I added this one here because I felt my list just wasn't long enough. Old Buick Reattas, important stuff! :awe:
 
it's a rare car that you don't want.

it's more for someone to buy and say 'look at this interesting old toy i got.'
 
$7500 will get you a nice, clean, fast MR2 (ie. Gen3 engine swap, 245hp factory).

Just sayin'. 😉
 
The Reatta is rare enough (and the convertibles especially so) that if your neighbor is willing to wait it out, he'll eventually get his price for it. They weren't bad cars, but they weren't really anything special either. By the time the convertible came on the scene, Buick had given up on the touchscreen and gone to a more conventional setup.

Personally, I find Reattas interesting in a sort of "I can't believe that this is what people in the 1980's thought the future would be like" way but for $7,500 there are a hell of a lot of other cars I'd rather buy to actually drive. 🙂

ZV
 
GM put those touch screen computers in several cars, I test drove an Oldsmobile Toronado "Trofeo" that had one. Still worked fairly well, sadly the brake system on the car was seriously messed up otherwise I would of bought it. 🙁
 
CrackRabbit said:
I test drove an Oldsmobile Toronado "Trofeo" that had one.
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ZOMG, that Buick/Old/Cadillac series pretty much represented GM's styling/engineering/quality/marketing nadir imho.

My Dad's g/f had the Caddy version, I forget what it was called, but it was undistinguished on the outside and tacky on the inside. Second worst Caddy EVAR -- only that Cavalier based abortion was worse.

The olds and the buick versions were supposed to be "halo" personal luxury coupes and were priced and postioned accordingly, but any casual observer had trouble them apart from their own marks' basic mid-sized offerings.

Bad memories.

Ugh.

Edit: The Caddy was still called an Eldorado! Blasphemy! http://www.murrayco.com/90_eldo/90Eldo6.jpg

Pic comparison of a 1990 Riviera and a 1990 Regal, yet the Riviera was NOT just a trim variant of the Regal!

1990 Riviera: http://www.edmunds.com/pictures/VEHICLE/1990/Buick/574/1990.buick.riviera.1302-300x189.jpg

1990 Regal: http://www.edmunds.com/pictures/VEHICLE/1990/Buick/622/1990.buick.regal.1299-300x189.jpg

Why, GM, why? 🙁
 
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Yea I like them but not $7500 like.

My grandmother had one and it was a nice quick car. Handbuilt and good all round. Kinda rare now.
 
Would not even consider it. This car though rare and has it's following, but getting parts for it is really a tough task. A friend in college inherited his from his ant and it was a money pit, which he was more than glad to trade it in for a cavalier.
 
I always liked the looks, but keeping a 20+ year old collector car on the road is pretty painful, particularly a relatively rare 20+ year old car...

I love the Miatas and MR2s myself, much better cars, and you can nearly build a Miata from aftermarket parts alone...
 
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