Low-Mileage Original Maui Blue 1990 Buick Reatta

In 2015 I bought this 1990 Maui blue Reatta coupe from the original owner. She had received it from her father as a gift for graduating medical school. At that time it had just 36,000 miles on it. I searched for the best Reatta out there and this one was near perfect and well worth the 6 hour drive to see it. I enjoyed driving it so much that I soon made it my everyday driver. Today, 20,000 miles later I have decided to sell it and hope it finds a home that will give it the shelter and easier life it has earned.

The Reatta drives nicely. It is solid and tight. It handles well, is quite maneuverable, and can be driven assertively through corners and curves. The famously bullet-proof GM 3800 is pretty torquey and it revs smoothly without hesitation.

Every fall I have taken it to Krown for their creeping, wicking, gooey under-spray which is applied to all the hidden areas like inside doors, rockers, and other cavities. They thoroughly coat the chassis and engine compartment with their self-healing compound that protects all surfaces, seams, connectors and even the wiring from corrosion. Winter is not kind so I take precautions. Before winter I apply a layer of silicone to the wheel opening edges to protect from road spray. It rubs off like rubber cement come spring. Monthly the leather has been cleaned and treated so the seats are still soft and supple. It is pictured here with a full set of snows mounted on separate rims with Buick’s bolt on wire wheel covers. I couldn’t expose the aluminum rims to salt, but I do have the original rims and tires. The extra mounted tires come with the car, but all four may not easily fit in the car at once so please plan for that.

The inside is nearly perfect. No cracks in the original blue leather seats or steering wheel. The dash is fine as is the carpeting and the carpeted cargo area behind the seats. I switched the cover to the console with one from a Riviera so I could have a cup-holder. The color match is perfect but the original console lid will come with the car too. All lights and instruments work as they should. The original Reatta floor mats were obsessively cleaned after I purchased the car, but I never used them so they are almost pristine. The trunk is just as clean. While the car is smaller than most it can hold a lot in the wide and deep trunk with a pass-through opening between trunk and passenger compartment. The original straps for restraining cargo behind the front seats are there and unused too. The original leather bound owner’s manual and the shop manual are included as well

When I bought the car it had an ultra-clean car fax. At its first wash/wax, however, I realized that something must have happened to the car at some point; there is an eyelash in the clearcoat on the hood. The hood paint is very slightly different too. Most people never notice, you have to look for it, but it is not perfect.

Other things are less than perfect too. The trunk lock is missing. It was there and then one day when I was cleaning the taillights I noticed that the guts were not there. I use the remote so I never noticed this earlier. There is another remote trunk release in the glovebox and I have both working remote fobs so it is not an issue. The ABS light has been on since I bought the car. It is not required for the annual NYS inspection and doesn’t interfere with braking effectiveness so I never bothered with it. It is probably a sensor wire, but I really don’t know for sure. Right now the warning light for the brakes is on too. This happened when the button at the end of the parking brake cable snapped off. Somehow the car knows that I do not have a parking brake.

Though the service engine light has been off for months, it is anyone’s guess if or when it will come on again. It has never changed the drivability of the car and over the last year many electronic parts were been replaced to address this. Included were new plugs, wires, oxygen sensor, battery, ignition module, coils, body computer, IAC, MAP, air cleaner temp sensor, fuel pump, relay, coolant temp sensor, throttle position sensor, and probably some others that I am forgetting. Struts front and rear were replaced and front suspension bushings have been replaced as needed. The hidden headlights had been repaired by the previous owner and work well.

Buick’s Reatta has an unusual backstory. It was conceived as a halo-car that was unique to Buick. No other GM division had a knockoff. Though people compare it to Cadillac’s Allante and Pontiac’s Fiero, those were both different platforms. Once you become familiar with it you will agree that it is more of a cross between a Corvette and a Riviera. Reatta used a shortened Riviera chassis, but no body panels were shared. The dash is similar but the trim is different. Though lacking a back seat, the Reatta cost several thousand more than the Riviera. It was built in a special facility, the Reatta Craft Centre in Lansing, Michigan. Assembly was performed at a series of stations by a specialized team of workers. This was a low-volume production facility with a special focus on quality control. Just 56 cars were assembled in an 8-hour shift whereas most traditional assembly lines produce that many cars in less than an hour. From conception Buick’s attitude while developing the Reatta was different. In the four years of production less than 22,000 cars were produced; only 2,437 of them were convertibles.

Mine is a good solid and clean car that you can enjoy driving for a long long time. Every spring, except for this one, the car has been cleaned, clayed, and waxed, and the glowing full-width taillight strip polished until it is glossy and clear. It does, however, have a few minor marks but you have to look for them. For a regularly driven 28 year old car it is remarkable.

I want this transaction to be a good experience for everyone involved. Please look over the pictures as thoroughly as you can and ask all the questions you want. If any good information comes from this I’ll add it to the listing so everyone can benefit. If I have missed an important piece of info please ask. I have had good and bad experiences buying on eBay. One car I purchased wouldn’t run and wouldn’t even roll when it was delivered. It also smelled terrible. Buying a car is all your own decision so you must take all the precautions you need to feel confident in your purchase. The best way to reach me is through eBay’s Ask-a-question link in the Seller Info section at the top right of the page. If you want to discuss the car then give me your phone number and a preferred time to call and I will get back to you. Evenings are best but I can sometimes do this on a lunch hour.

To protect myself I ask that no one bid unless they have the means to pay for and pick up the car. You are bidding to buy. Many years ago I was burned by an all-talk but no-show bidder when I was selling a vintage scooter. It seemed then that I had no recourse at all but to let myself be jerked around for some time until eBay let me relist. Therefore, I require a $500 non-refundable deposit within 2 days of the auctions end and full payment made and cleared before I will turn over the NYS title.

If you have iffy feedback I’ll delete your bid unless I have a satisfactory sincere explanation. I think I am smart enough to be immune to scams so please don’t waste my time with them. Finally, this car is sold as-is and with no warranty of any kind. The car is 28 years old and while it is a good car it does have its faults. Things happen with an old car. I have tried to describe it completely. The final responsibility for asking questions is yours. Shipping/Delivery/Pick up is the responsibility of the buyer though I will be glad to assist as possible.The car is listed for sale locally and on other sites. I therefore must reserve the right to sell this car before this auctions conclusion.