Show your ride thread

[bavin]

Wow, that was a lot of work you have done on those cars. They look great. Cool read..thanks for sharing.

[Thresher]

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Just out with the family tonight in my E38. This was taken in the Mission Valley area of San Diego...

[E24man]

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Just out with the family tonight in my E38. This was taken in the Mission Valley area of San Diego...

That's lovely - what colour is that?

[Thresher]

That's lovely - what colour is that?

Biarritz Blau

It is an interesting shade of blue in various levels of light.

[Nisaja]

Here is mine, a 1997 BMW Alpina B12 5.7 Langversion (lwb), number 40 of 59 cars ever made and one of just cars ordered for the UK.

For those who don't know the Alpina E38 B12 cars were based on the 750i or 750iL cars. Alpina changed the engine, gearbox and suspension and allowed all manner of choices from both BMW Individual as well as their own upholstery department. The engine was enlarged to 5.7 litres to produce 387bhp and 413ibft up from the 326bhp and 361 ibft of the 750i - the gearbox received SwitchTronic steering wheel gear control as well as torque convertor lock up in every gear to allow an almost manual gearbox feel.

Back in 1997 in the UK a 750iL would cost £75,000 before you ticked any options and a B12 5.7 Langversion listed at £108,000 before options. The person who ordered my car obviously went on a box ticking spree as after ordering Individual Montreal Blue paint and Individual Champagne Nappa leather with blue piping also ordered the luxury rear seat package, rear entertainment, rear air conditioning, tandem GSM telephones, full TV, sat-nav, DSP and many other options to ring up a total of about £140,000 - to put that in perspective that would be around £280,000 today.

I bought my car eight years ago after a two year search to track down as many of the very few UK E38 Alpina cars that I could. UK customers only ordered eight swb B12 5.7 cars, two lwb B12 5.7 cars and six swb B12 6.0 cars. No UK customers ordered lwb B12 6.0 cars although at least one rhd B12 6.0 Langversion has been imported from Japan as well as a couple of rhd B12 5.7 Langversion cars too. During my search I had discovered that the B12 6.0 car had an achilles heel in that being a stroked 5.7 engine it had incredibly short pistons which with the 0/40 specified oil led to bore scoring which led to almost half the engines needing factory rebuilds at huge cost. Since the problem was discovered Alpina specified 10/60 oil for all their V12 engines but while the 5.7 engines can run almost endlessly (some European cars have hit 350,000 and 400,000 km) their still seems to be a question mark over the bigger engines.

While I narrowed my search down I considered why I wanted a big seven series - did I want a big sports saloon, or did I want a big luxury saloon - I decided it was the latter and so thought, if I'm going to buy a Seven, I want as many toys as possible and long wheelbase for the luxury and space, so when I was offered one of the two long wheelbase UK Alpina cars, and the better equipped, better condition and much lower mileage one of the two, I took my chance.

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Absolutely gorgeous car! I've always wanted to ask an E38 Alpina owner, how's the ride? Are they more comfortable than regular E38s or firmer?

[Somerset Jim]

Just had this beauty delivered from japan this week and I’m itching to get out in her…

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[Deadman Nate]

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Just bought my first 2001 750iL

[Btkeenan]

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Just bought my first 2001 750iL

Welcome and congrats!

[msc01by]

Just picked up. Drove 2+ hours home 80+ mph, not a hiccup.

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[board57796]

Ashamed to say I've only put a few hundred miles on the E38 in the last year or so. But starting today I am pledging to get it out more! She sure is pretty though.

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[xkcxcrusader]

Hello everyone, I’m Crus and this is my bagged and 6-speed swapped 740iL. I look forward to learning about this platform with the forum since this is my first BMW!


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[Hattat]

Here is my 1998 750i.
Although it was in a very good shape with only 180kms on the clock, it became an extensive restoration project.

Converted to facelift,
Alpina softlines, front lip and stripes,
Resprayed to mora metallic,
All gaskets, trims, bumpers, glazing replaced,
All interior reupholstered and wrapped,
6 speed manual swapped,
3.23 rear end with LSD,
KW coilovers,
Eisenmann catback with Xpipe.

Before






Restoration process




After










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[board57796]

That needs its own whole thread! Beautiful.

[E24man]

That needs its own whole thread! Beautiful.

Agreed - that is stunning.

In the UK there is (somewhere) a genuine B12 6.0 car in Mora metallic with a champagne leather interior.

[Hattat]

Correct. Very beautiful one. Instagram @m635bmw


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[Hattat]

That needs its own whole thread! Beautiful.

Will do it.


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[blackairforce1]

Got an opportunity to cop a 1998 740iL for cheap so I can be chauffeured by my friends. Single owner, 73K miles.

First BMW clapper I've owned and the coolant reservoir leaks less than 1k mile. -_-
Low quality plastic seems to be in their DNA.

Changed oil, air filters (except recirculation), spark plugs. Needs new brake fluids, and driver-side sunshade pull-tab broke off, and instrument cluster pixel repaired.

When do we change the transmission filter? Any modifications to make this car more comfortable/plush? Like bluetooth/carplay mods?

Also the parking brake warning doesn't turn off until I drive off at like 30 mph. Does parking brake sensor need to be replaced?

[w12a3d]

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[clarkitect]

Got an opportunity to cop a 1998 740iL for cheap so I can be chauffeured by my friends. Single owner, 73K miles.

First BMW clapper I've owned and the coolant reservoir leaks less than 1k mile. -_-
Low quality plastic seems to be in their DNA.

Changed oil, air filters (except recirculation), spark plugs. Needs new brake fluids, and driver-side sunshade pull-tab broke off, and instrument cluster pixel repaired.

When do we change the transmission filter? Any modifications to make this car more comfortable/plush? Like bluetooth/carplay mods?

Also the parking brake warning doesn't turn off until I drive off at like 30 mph. Does parking brake sensor need to be replaced?

For bluetooth connectivity you can get a Bluebus. Specifically made for BMWs by another forum member. For the parking brake, there is a gas strut cylinder that goes bad so the parking brake pedal may not pop up all the way when you release it. Simplest fix is to just pull up on the pedal with your toe when pulling the release handle. Nice car.

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Also nice car. Love the blue.

[w12a3d]

Thanks. For me is just too common here in Europe. Lovely would be a brokatrot or some sort of beige.

[kzcan]

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1998 740iL Limonite Metallic on Magma Leather

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if you can also help me identifying those rims that would be great. look custom made to me...

[bavin]

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1998 740iL Limonite Metallic on Magma Leather

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if you can also help me identifying those rims that would be great. look custom made to me...

They look like e39 style 5's that have been refinished.

[kzcan]

I have that on the e39 right behind ot and it is different. The cebter piece bent differently and the deep dish is also different shape

[laadlifauj]

Here is mine.... 2001 740iL, color is Biarritz Blue. Just a little dusty after a recent drive up a mountain.


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stunning!! new to the forum, joined to learn as much as I can before I purchase my first e38.

[clarkitect]

Last day before snow fell. No salt yet so hopefully I can keep driving it for a while longer. Put a few hundred on this past week. Drive so nice like butter.