thinking of buying a 7 series, thoughts? advice? common issues?

[25ezekiel17]

Hello guys,

a friend of mine has an e38 740IL that he wants to offload, the car belonged to his dad before him, and our friends dad before that so i know the cars history fairly well.

engine has been replaced with a brand new one in 2002 about 90,000 kms ago (car is a 1997), radiator is brand new, and brakes have just been completely replaced,

negatives: the paint on the trunk lid has sun damage, rear window shade screen is broken (stuck in the upright postion), roof lining is starting to drop and the air conditioner is no-longer cold. (there are a few other trivial issues that i can sort myself)

positives: the rest of the car is completely standard and in very tidy condition, and it has always been serviced at BMW.

dont really know much about these cars mechanically, and im not sure what they are worth... but i can have it for $4000, and realistically i'd be spending about $2500 on it straight away to get it how i want it.

so basically what i want to know is, for a total of $6500
is it worth it?
any common issues i should look out for on this model?

figured this would be the best place to ask.
(will get some pics up asap)

[EuroSportChi69]

I loved my 740il.

What is the 2500 you are looking to spend going for?

[BoldUlysses]

Paging pizzaman09... He's the resident E38 proselytizer in here.

-Matt

[Speed6]

$6500 Australian or US dollars?

[MANUALmobile]

Paging pizzaman09... He's the resident E38 proselytizer in here.

-Matt

This.

Just wait for him, he will sniff out your e38 post.

[dazed^]

Do you need a battleship of that size?

[pizzaman09]

Paging pizzaman09... He's the resident E38 proselytizer in here.

-Matt

Howdy!

Considering you are in Australia this is not a bad deal on an e38, or so I am told. Apparently they are quite pricey there.

The non cold air conditioning is probably just clogged old cabin air filters.

The rear window shade (I assume the powered one) can be lowered gently by pushing it down evenly on both sides. There are ways to fix it, just check out the e38 part of this forum and www.e38.org

The common issues are just like any BMW from the 90's, they have crappy engine cooling systems that like to leak. If the expansion tank, hoses, radiator,... have not yet been replaced, expect them to be replaced eventually. Also e38s have under built suspensions so eventually the bushings start to go, for most people between 100k and 130k miles. I really can't say that e38s are reliable but I can't say they are horribly unreliable either. To get a better feel visit the e38 part of this forum here: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...play.php?f=274

I would personally not buy a 1997 e38 for $6500 because I sold my 1998 e38 for $3000 but it had considerable rust on the body. I really cannot say for sure what the pricing is in Australia but from what others on the e38 forum from Australia have said, $6500 is reasonable.

Also, if you haven't driven the car yet, give it a test drive. You will probably want the car even more after the drive. These big 7s handle absurdly well for their size.

[25ezekiel17]

thanks for all your responses guys.
now to answer your questions:

yep it is in Australian dollars.
I can have the car for $4000 (the current resale value of these in western australia is $7900 - $12,500 so yes, they are expensive here)

Do i really need a battleship of this size? Oh god yes.
we dont pay as much as you guys for fuel.

the $2500 i will be spending straight away will be to sort the aircon, roof lining and paint the trunk, then repair or replace the shade screen. apart from the painting, i'll mainly be just buying parts because, among other things i am an automotive fitter by trade

Next on the list is a complete upgrade of lights HID and LED, inside and out which i can source myself, and a nice clean set of Wheels.

ps. yeah this was my mates dads car, so over the last 5 years or so i have driven it many many times.

[badwayz]

I loved my 98 740iL, it was one of the best cars Ive ever had, though it can be pretty expensive to have worked on if you dont do your own wrenching. For the year I owned it, from 118k to 130k miles, I only had two issues to deal with, the brakes and the cooling system. The brakes I was quoted around $1200 to have done at a dealership, then I decided to learn how to do them myself (ended up being very easy) and only payed $300 for all four rotors and pads and jack stands, tools, ect. Then I had a leak in the cooling system, which was fixed by a reputable shop in the area. I would buy another one again in a heartbeat.

[lkchris]

BMW Roundel tech editor says only people that should own out-of-warranty 7-series are BMW techs.

[M633CSi]

Buy it, you wont regret it. I love the way my 750il drives even with the blown shocks. I cant wait to fix it and drive it again! (no it did not break, I just smashed up my front bumper)

[Aubergine]

BMW Roundel tech editor says only people that should own out-of-warranty 7-series are BMW techs.

Ironically enough I know Mike Miller (the guy who writes tech talk). His 'go-to' tech, the guy who works on my E39 owns and E39 530i, E53 3.0 X5 and an E24 635CSi. However... his brother has an `01 E38 740i Sport pack.

Take from that what you will but after owning an E39 (528) for four years I hardly think it would cost that much more to own an E38 (740).

I can see Mike Miler's point, especially if you are not mechanically inclined and savvy on the forums. For someone who has a personal interest in maintaining the car, then go for it. If you want a nice badge to sit in your driveway and impress your neighbors than buy a 3 series. Oh, and Pizzaman09 knows what he is talking about so I agree--buy it!

[pizzaman09]

BMW Roundel tech editor says only people that should own out-of-warranty 7-series are BMW techs.

I read that short article in roundel and can't say I really agree.
My family has had two out of warranty e38s in the last 10 years. If you look at how much we put into the 98 740iL that we owned, it is sad to think we where crazy enough to buy an 01 740iL. But for the price, it is hard to get that much style, space, power, and fuel efficiency.

Also, e38s are a heck of a lot more reliable and cheaper to repair than the e65/66 7 series. My family only considered getting an e66 for about 10 minutes until we decided that the e38 was a much better looking and more practical car. We are currently shopping for another 01 740 to use as a summer car so that we can use the burgundy one as a winter beater.

[Jamesbond740il]

Like was said above, if you can't work on it yourself plan on spending a lot of money, if you can work on it yourself parts aren't any more expensive than most other cars and it won't hurt you too bad.

[rmani]

loved my 7 series, such a great car in every way possible. just make sure the maintenance is up to date. it's really like any other car things will need to be replaced with time and it's not cheap, but the cars are extremely good values for the money spent initially to purchase one.

[25ezekiel17]

Here are a couple of pics.

forgot to mention, that aerial will be deleted when i get the painting done (its for the tv) i'll get an on-glass one and hide it


Thanks again for all your advice guys.
think i'll buy it.

I studied mechanical engineering and love working on cars so im not toooooo stressed about maintenance. anything electrical or light mechanical i can handle. But in my city, parts are hard to find, and expensive. so i'll just have to hope nothing serious goes.

and like i said before, engine has been replaced, radiator and brakes have just been done.
so on that note, where the hell is the transmission dipstick hiding?!?
i wanna make sure its nice and pink in there.

[supark]

ha I think you might be kidding, but no trans dipstick. The transmission is supposedly "lifetime fill", but considering the slushbox trans in the E38 is no less invulnerable to overheating and dirtying trans fluid than any other transmission, I always try to replace it every 30-40k miles.

Timing chain guides on the M62 can be a problem area, as they are plastic and over time get brittle and can snap. Replacing the timing chain tensioners help from what I've heard - having had a 540i die from a broken guide, a cheap tensioner is as they say cheap insurance

[pizzaman09]

That is right, there is no transmission dip stick because of the supposed lifetime fluid.
If you want to read more about it there are probably over 100 post on the e38 forum on the topic of replacing transmission fluid. The general consensus is that if it has not been if the transmission has less than 100k miles on it then you might consider replacing the fluid. If the transmission has more than 100k then don't change the fluid, it will probably do more harm than good.

BTW the e38 looks good, you don't ever see bottle cap wheels on them in America.

[Tomcat104]

OP, strictly speaking, one does not need such a big limo to get around, but then again, it sure drives great and with great comfort of a big luxury flagship plus the handling you won't find in a S class or A8. If you are up to it, by all means get one.

Come to think of it, how does the 7 series last in terms of overall maintenance and reliability compared to the S class, A8 or the LS?

[supark]

If the transmission has more than 100k then don't change the fluid, it will probably do more harm than good.

This is an oft debated topic - I am in the camp though that a transmission flush at that point of a car's life is a bad idea, but simply replacing the filter and oil that is likely past its prime can only do good.

[pizzaman09]

This is an oft debated topic - I am in the camp though that a transmission flush at that point of a car's life is a bad idea, but simply replacing the filter and oil that is likely past its prime can only do good.

I don't really have a strong opinion on the topic, I just summed up the general consensus on the e38 forum. I personally has 168k miles on the original transmission fluid on my 98 e38 before I sold the car. It shifted like it was brand new. My current e38 only has 70k miles on it and I will probably not change the fluid in it.

[EuroSportChi69]

I loved my 98 740iL, it was one of the best cars Ive ever had, though it can be pretty expensive to have worked on if you dont do your own wrenching. For the year I owned it, from 118k to 130k miles, I only had two issues to deal with, the brakes and the cooling system. The brakes I was quoted around $1200 to have done at a dealership, then I decided to learn how to do them myself (ended up being very easy) and only payed $300 for all four rotors and pads and jack stands, tools, ect. Then I had a leak in the cooling system, which was fixed by a reputable shop in the area. I would buy another one again in a heartbeat.

That's how you learn to love DIY very fast...fixing your own car and gaining tools.

[2000mkoop]

Come to think of it, how does the 7 series last in terms of overall maintenance and reliability compared to the S class, A8 or the LS?

LS's are pretty bullet-proof. I've owned several over the years, and my parents have owned a few as well. The first gens are my fav (90-94)

They're stupid smooth/comfortable, but less powerful versus the E38s, not as much rear leg room, and not as classy for sure IMO

[25ezekiel17]

update:

the beast is mine

now to work through my list of issues and get it looking like new again

[pizzaman09]

Nice!
Please do visit the e38 section of the forum here: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...play.php?f=274 and introduce yourself.

Post cleaned up pics to!