It isn’t everyday that my véhicule du jour choice leaves me wondering if today is finally the day that I’m forced to admit that I’m cracked in the head. But here we are, the 1989 Buick Reatta. One of 21,000 examples cranked out over four years in the late 1980s and early 1990s, this shrunken and tarted-up sporty take on the same E-body chassis that undersprung the Riviera, Cadillac Eldorado and Oldsmobile Toronado and Trofeo is an oddity for sure. What can I say about the example I found on eBay? It’s clean, without question…for a daily driver alone, it’s worth the $6,500 to wheel around in something that has a bit of age, some interesting lines, and the potential for a bit of sport thrown in. But that’s not why I’m enamored with a Reatta…this is:
Rendering: Virtual Models
Wow. I’m not being sarcastic or snarky in the least…I like that a LOT. I’d like it a lot better if the rear wheels were driving instead of the front, but even if you ignored that small detail, look at the rest of what you have to work with. Buick V6 that does well with either a turbocharger or a supercharger on board. Build up a 4T65E transaxle that can take the punishment. Full independent suspension. Four-wheel disc brakes and ABS. Two seats and a surprisingly large storage area behind the seats. And a body that somehow makes me think that Buick was actually trying to take on Dodge’s Daytona rather than the South Florida crowd.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’d love nothing more than to ditch the funky touchscreen computer interface in the center of the dash for just about anything else, but otherwise all I want to do to this gray example is to duplicate the rendering to a “T”. Give me about 300 horsepower or more out of the V6 and set up some rolling stock that looks that badass and yes, I’ll be back in a front-drive Buick in half a second. Bonus points if you can make the V6 sound..well, better than a GM V6. Could the Reatta actually be respectful? I’d love nothing more than a RWD conversion and a build that made me think of late 1980s IMSA cars, but the FWD supercharged build is within reality. What do you think?
eBay Link: 1989 Buick Reatta
I think it needs to be made mid engined with a Getrag 6-speed. They put the entire drivetrain at the wrong end for how that looks.
But that rendering really nails a good look for these cars.
This needs the power train from the Buick that Lohnes posted!!!
There is one for sale locally for $2800 and I’m probably going to buy it?
What a beautiful car – this is a new one for me as I’ve never seen a Buick Reattta before. All it needs is to be turned into a working example of the fine image in red and made rear wheel drive.
No CHMG what it needs is an LS swap!
Always liked these…