Good morning! Today’s musical-and-automotive tour stops at 1988, with a pair of low-mileage two-doors and a New York City band known for heavy riffs, social commentary, and a little bit of yellow Spandex. Get ready to damage your speakers and open your mind with Living Colour’s 1988 debut album, Vivid.
But first, let’s finish up with yesterday’s matchup, also featuring two coupes. I’m not sure what I was expecting with these two, honestly; I like them both and would be happy to find either one of them in my garage, but I think I have to give a slight edge to the Storm, just because it’s the one that got away, and because of the color. I mean, how often do you get a chance at a magenta car?
You all went the other way, however, and picked the more expensive Probe, despite its cosmetic deficiencies. The siren song of that Mazda V6 is hard to deny, I admit. Quite a few of you thought it was “overpriced,” but that’s subjective. A car is worth exactly what someone is willing to pay for it at the moment of its sale, and not one penny more or less. If this car sells, it wasn’t overpriced.
In the summer of 1988, a song called “Cult Of Personality” appeared on MTV, and I was mesmerized. I didn’t know what to make of it. It was four African-American musicians, playing metal, but not metal like I was used to. This was more complicated, more melodic, with a little jazz thrown in, along with some stuff I couldn’t categorize. But was it meant for me? I couldn’t tell. I listened to a little bit of rap and hip-hop, but I felt like an outsider when I did, like I was trespassing on music that wasn’t mine. It wasn’t until later that I realized that, yes, I was supposed to listen to it, but also to take the time to understand it.
I was hooked. I bought Vivid on cassette that summer and it pretty much lived in the Blaupunkt tape deck of my VW Scirocco during my junior year of high school. And to my delight, the rest of the songs on it were just as good, if not better, and dealt with some themes I wasn’t familiar with: race relations, poverty, drug addiction, and gentrification. “Glamour Boys” gave me a laugh, because it seemed to be written about half of the guys at my school, the ones I couldn’t stand. And I’ll admit that it was several years later that I found out that my favorite track, “Memories Can’t Wait,” is actually a Talking Heads cover. I still like the Living Colour version better. I got some funny looks – a skinny long-haired white kid blasting weird hard rock with Public Enemy on one track – but I also converted some of my friends. And maybe the only thing better than finding new music that instantly hooks you is sharing it with your friends and having them go “Yeah!”
So now, we turn our attention to a couple of cars that have nothing at all to do with any of that, except hailing from the same year. Let’s take a look.
1988 Nissan 300ZX 2+2 – $6,995
Engine/drivetrain: 3.0-liter overhead can V6, four-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Norfolk, VA
Odometer reading: 88,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
It can’t be easy for an automaker to have an icon. It’s a big burden to carry, especially if it was the original version of something that attained the iconic status in the first place: think Beetle, Mustang, Viper, and so on. You have to update the design eventually; you can’t just keep building the same thing for decades any more (unless you’re Lada). But get it wrong, and you’ll hear about it; iconic status is as easy to lose as it is hard to gain. Nissan’s original Z car, introduced in 1969, is an icon. So, too, is its 1990s twin-turbocharged monster. But the models in between tend to get forgotten, especially the less-desirable versions like this automatic-equipped, long-wheelbase 2+2 300ZX.
The 300ZX marked the switch from inline 6s to V6s for the Z car. The VG30E V6 is a solid engine, though not exactly a fire-breather in non-turbo form like this. If you want a “fast” Z car, look elsewhere; this one is a cruiser. It has very low miles, only 88,000, and the seller says it “starts right up.” We don’t get a lot more information about its mechanical condition, other than that the air conditioning works.
It looks pretty clean, as you would expect for such a low-mileage car. I do wonder if those seats have been replaced, though – did Nissan really put gray and blue seats in a red car? I like it, even where the blue is fading to purple, but it seems like an odd choice. That leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel looks really familiar to me; I pulled one just like it out of a 300ZX in a junkyard to install on our old Pathfinder. This one needs the cheesy Pep Boys cover taken off it.
Outside, it has a few clearcoat issues, and some faded paint and trim, but overall it still looks sharp. I personally prefer these later facelifted 300ZXs to the earlier models; I think the design looks better with a few softer lines. And it has T-tops! Hopefully they don’t leak.
1988 Buick Reatta – $5,700
Engine/drivetrain: 3.8-liter overhead valve V6, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Staten Island, NY
Odometer reading: 33,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Throughout most of the 1970s and 80s, the cars of GM’s four mainstream divisions – Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac – were very similar, with only minor trim differences in some cases to tell them apart. In many cases, even Cadillacs were the same as the “lesser” brands, at least under the skin. But each division also had, at various times, a “halo” car, a vehicle all its own, something you couldn’t get at any other dealership. For Buick, starting in 1988, that car was the Reatta, a two-seat coupe and later convertible.
The Reatta, like other GM specialty cars, is a parts-bin special: It rides on a shortened Riviera platform, which means it has four-wheel independent suspension, Buick’s legendary 3800 V6, and front-wheel-drive. You might think, to look at it, that a manual gearbox option would be a natural, but the Reatta was only ever available with a four-speed automatic. This one, with only 33,000 miles on it, isn’t even broken in – though it may need a few things replaced due to age.
The seller says it does have new tires and brakes, however, so they have done some work to keep it roadworthy. Inside, it’s as clean as you’d hope, and appears to have a fully-functional touchscreen. Space-age stuff for 1988, and it’s impressive to see one intact and working all these years later.
Outside, it’s clean, straight, shiny… and for some unknown reason, has a giant non-functional aftermarket hood scoop stuck on it, like a zit on the prom queen’s nose. And they went to all the trouble of paint-matching the damn thing, too, which somehow actually makes it worse. The Reatta is such a clean, sleek design; why gum it up with some tacky shit like this? With any luck, it’s just stuck on, but I fear someone drilled mounting holes.
Neither one of these cars is a speed demon or a canyon-carver. But sometimes it’s nice to just lay back and cruise, and these will do that just fine. And you can virtually guarantee you won’t see another car like yours at a typical car gathering in either case. So what’ll it be – the awkward version of the Japanese coupe, or the one-off American two-seater with one tacky modification?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
The Z is an automatic 2+2 which makes is a poseur in every regard. The Reatta is what it was always supposed to be and I can fix that hood scoop debacle. Buick FTW.
I remember when the Reatta came out… many in the press raved about it and how great it looked.
I never shared that opinion. I always thought it looked okay, but a little stubby and it’s just a shortened version of a regular Buick. The only thing special about it was the CRT touch screen.. whoop dee doo. And parts for that aspect of those electronics are unobtanium now.
It looked like a coupe that was inferior to most other coupes in its price bracket… either in terms of luxury or performance.
Hell, I personally thought the FWD Buick Regal GS coupe was a nicer looking car and a much better deal.
https://blog.consumerguide.com/1992-1996-buick-regal-gs-sport-coupe/
Hell… even the Buick Riviera was a better car.
So No Thanks to the pointless Reatta and the unobtanium outdated electronics.
I’ll take the 300ZX.
It looks better, likely drives better and likely has better parts/service support overall.
Tough Choice. Reatta for me, but just because I also loved the idea and could never afford one. I might have wished for the Riviera supercharged 3.8 and of course a manual, but I think this was always intended to be the more gentleman’s daily semi sporty car it ended up being.
In college, I used to drive over to the local Buick dealer and drool over the Reattas on the lot, wishing I had the money to buy one They were amazing to see in a sea of large sedans. The exteriors still look fresh to this day; interiors, not so much.
This is a depends on what you want case. The Buick is a lovable oddball that I would drive as is. It’ll mosey along and ask little of you in return. The 300ZX has faux sports car pretensions and would benefit from some suspension and brakes upgrades to add some more fun to the mix. I wouldn’t have much interest in an engine swap or slapping on a turbo. Just sharpen up the handling and I’ll be happy. I would buy the Z car and see what I can do with some aftermarket parts. I completely understand why the Reatta is running away with the vote today, however.
While I usually go rwd every time I can, in this case I’m going fwd because I’m a sucker for a 3800, and the Reatta was just such an innovative and unique car. This is one of those examples where GM shot for the moon and made it, then didn’t apply what it learned. Still a hit in my book!
I have an unhealthy infatuation with the Reatta. Lose the hood scoop and it’s damn near perfect, in my heart and mind. The only thing to make it better would be if it were the drop top that came in later years and/or that majestic late-80s/early-90s burgundy. Of course, the convertible means losing the touchscreen, so I could truthfully go either way.
If you’re going with a late-80s V6 cruiser with an autobox, FWD vs RWD doesn’t matter as much. The Reatta is cheaper, looks better, and is more unique. Easy win.
The 2+2 is sweet, but the Reatta would be neat to buy and do a series 2 SC 3800 swap, and lose the hood scoop. It would be cool to have that and my 91 Riv I already did the swap in, almost like a matched set of engines in cars they should have been in but weren’t.
So we have a Z-car vs. a halo car, but unfortunately it’s the worst possible Z-car vs. Buick’s 1988 version of a halo car. Ugh on both counts. The Z-car looks ungainly to me, although add a couple of bookends and that rear bumper would be handy in a house like ours that has way too many books. The Reatta never really looked good to me, although it was at least somewhat distinctive for a US car of that era.
I guess go with the Z-car. RWD and those seats win it by a held nose.
Oh, man, I love that Reatta. The only thing I’d worry about–besides figuring out how to get rid of that weird hood scoop–is that it has the little CRT touchscreen all the early Reattas came with to control the radio. That just seems like a bear to source when it burns out. IIRC, later Reattas came with a more standard Delco radio head unit.
Minus the T-tops, that’s the worst spec of the worst Z. It’s a cruiser embarrassing itself as a fake sports car. Plus I knew a guy who had one and he had Nothing but Trouble (at least it wasn’t as bad as that cocaine fever dream Dan Ackroyd movie).
I always had a fondness for the Reatta’s looks and the drivetrain is robust with no shortage of parts. It’s also the one of the two that the automatic goes well with, being an honest cruiser, and the color is fantastic, reminding me of the Majestic blue of my old Legacy. I’d figure out the scoop problem and call it a day. I was looking at them about a year ago just wondering what people were asking for them and that price seems like a steal compared to what I was seeing.
https://youtu.be/oizl5KF0e2E?si=NXWN82BaePn6Chap
I guess “I’d really rather have a Buick.” And being a native Staten Islander has not influenced my vote one bit. Nuh uh.
Dad had an ’84 300ZX Turbo, with 5-spd, T-tops, 2 seats, and the digital dash, and 16 y.o. me thought it was the most awesome car on the road. Probably why I prefer the rectilinear design of the earlier Z31’s over the softer later 80’s version, and is one case where 2 (seats) >>> 2+2. But I’d still take it over the Reatta, even for $1200 more.
The Reatta just seems like a very sad attempt at making an SL Mercedes competitor for middle American retirees who played it too safe with their IRAs.
Every car is a compromise. In this case, it’s the Reatta’s vestigial egg tooth, or the blurple accents in the 300ZX.
If the hood scoop on the Buick is removable without need repairs to the hood, I’d go that route. It’s just such a cool, yet understated car. That said, I was desperately wanting to see what was in the rear floor-flush cubbies. I clicked the link, but there would be no satisfaction.
In the case of the Nissan, it’s just so rad. I can feel the weight and texture of those rubberized interior plastics and the chunky shifter in my mind. I wonder if they make interior fabric re-dyeing kits…I bet they do.
I’ll take the Reatta trying to look like KITT. Because I need a unique ride and lots of compliments
Living Colour is a great band and very underrated. I remember when both their videos came out and the songs were good. They were better than a lot of the hair bands that started coming out at the same time. I’ve never heard the whole album but I will correct that shortly.
the Buick owner that put that scoop on should be beat with it when it’s pulled off the hood. Hopefully no lasting damage was done.
I loved them immediately.
When their second album came out, I hoped they weren’t a one-hit wonder. “Type” proved they weren’t.
https://youtu.be/1HbF3EAt3ck?si=BEgArkK0Pnd8UOCb
Sweet jeebus, that riff….
Even with a roof guaranteed to leak, the ZX is a very much better car for the money.
I still picked the Buick.
I feel like there’s much less to expect from it, so I’ll be much less disappointed? I’d hate to have to repaint the hood to remove the “scoop”, so I’d probably plan in advance for a broad white vinyl stripe, even though that’s not my preferred look.
I voted for the Z only out of spite for the loathsome goof who put that hood scoop on an otherwise great looking car. Seriously, who does that? I will put even money on that thing being drilled in place and practically impossible to correct.
This is the correct response to todays choice.
I’ve seen what looks like that same “scoop” on several redneck hoopties of that era. It’s almost certainly a cheap stick-on and very correctable.
But the paint color will probably be noticeably darker underneath, so it won’t be cheap to fix unless you just apply a stripe or something like that. Or a screaming chicken decal, to be just as tacky.
Screaming chicken you say? Now you’ve got my attention!
What is your favorite colour?
Blue…no, red.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
I’m going for the classic Z.
I owned an ’87 300ZX 2+2 automatic back in the late 90s. Mine was gold exterior with a tan and red interior. The thing was sporty to drive in the corners, but it was dog slow and the T-tops leaked like a screen door on a submarine. Mine (fortunately) had the analog gauges instead of the failure-prone digital dash.
I’ll take the Reatta, but only because it is cheaper and I have never owned one (nor ever wanted to own one, if I’m honest).
The Z is the better car. It also has T-tops 😀
I didn’t much care for living color and have always disliked that generation z. Buick with a scoop for the win for me and I’ll see if I still have my bon Jovi tapes.
You had me at “3800”. The Reatta is such an underappreciated car. If the Z was manual, MIGHT have a different thought.
I’m a card-carrying member of the Church of 3800, but a manual in the Nissan would swing it for me. Having a back seat- even a useless one- is also a big plus.
Now, a Riv in the same condition as the Reatta would probably tilt the balance back toward Flint.
All hail the great and mighty 3800!.
The correct answer is always Reatta. No wait, that can’t be right … I’m so confused!
I kinda like this generation of Z car as a cruiser, so it was an easy choice over the Regretta. Especially with that terrible stick-on hood scoop. Seriously, who thought that was a good idea?
That’s where the mice that eat the wiring harness live.
Well, perhaps it was in preparation for a Supercharged 3800 swap that never happened. Ram-Air Buick?
That 3800 SC would make a very nice swap. Plenty of those engines and transmissions available, although it would still be a lot of wrenching.