BMW 740i V8. How horrible?

[Lankytim]

A BMW 7 series that lived in a storage facility used by my work has found its way onto Ebay. It looks very nice, 53k on the clock and a lovely colour.

 

The big question is.... if I ever owned it would I go bankrupt through fuel and repair costs? Can they be used as a daily driver?

 

Here's the ebay ad....

 

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... Track=true

[R9UKE]

Wow. I had a 540i there for a while, it has the same engine. The "what to watch out for" list on Honest John for the 5 series scared the living shit outta me, but I took a gamble because the noise from that V8 is just incredible. One of those that sounds like a bear poked by a stick when you start it up on cold mornings - sets you up nicely for the day Well worth the MPG:

 

[cort16]

They're great! I love mine. I recon you could get 25mpg if you take it easy. I get 20 with a heavy right foot .

Parts aren't too expensive. I just bought a set of front discs for 65 quid.

They drive really nice and sounds great. Fast too.

 

 

Fuel tanks leak are and a pita to change.

[Cavcraft]

A BMW 7 series that lived in a storage facility used by my work has found its way onto Ebay. It looks very nice, 53k on the clock and a lovely colour.

 

The big question is.... if I ever owned it would I go bankrupt through fuel and repair costs? Can they be used as a daily driver?

 

Here's the ebay ad....

 

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... Track=true

 

I think they'll struggle if that's the sort of advert they think is good enough. No idea what real world MPG figures are, but I expect they're quite an 'unstressed' car and mostly motorway/bypass use should return reasonable figures.

Also would suggest they're the sort of car that would get scrapped the moment something expensive sounding failed as repair costs probably stupid.

[Lankytim]

I can believe that! Where I used to work had a recovery contract for the M6. They dragged a broken down 1991 740i in one day. It just wouldn't run so it got fragged "we've tried a fresh battery so it must be a NIKASIL problem" I salvaged the warning triangle for the Allegro and still have the snazzy metal 7 keyring.

[cort16]

Mines done 271k and it's as smooth as anything. Service parts aren't to bad from places like gsf and there's plenty of breakers out there.

They always seem to make good money with low miles.

[oman5]

I have to admit, it would scare me silly. 7 series are one of the heaviest depreciating cars out there which tells you all you need to know I think. unless of course you are capable of fixing it yourself/can get it silly cheap/have plenty of money.

[Ross_K]

Does anybody even want stuff like this anymore?

 

I think you need deep pockets to run a 15-year old 4.4 litre executive barge.

 

Never mind repairs, how much would four tyres cost - 500 or 600 quid?

[eddyramrod]

Does anybody even want stuff like this anymore?

 

I think you need deep pockets to run a 15-year old 4.4 litre executive barge.

 

Never mind repairs, how much would four tyres cost - 500 or 600 quid?

 

Agreed, it's much too new. Now the same size vehicle, 30+ years old (and preferably by a different manufacturer in a different country) oh yes, well up for that!

[cort16]

These things have got 16 inch wheels as standard. You're probably talking 50 quid a tyre.

Mine cost 400 quid. What's not to like!

[Albert Ross]

Is this the same petrol engine that found it's way into the L322 Range Rover? I have seen one throw three rods at once... and also watch for suspension bits. Dropped ARB links and slack balljoints seem to ring a bell....

[MrDuke]

I love the way the analogue MPG dial is marked up to '50'

[Ross_K]

These things have got 16 inch wheels as standard. You're probably talking 50 quid a tyre.

Mine cost 400 quid. What's not to like!

 

50 quid a tyre? I've got 16's on the 307 and I couldn't get decent tyres for 50 quid.

 

Ok, maybe Nankang or Wanli but who wants to put down 280bhp through comedy plastic Chinese tyres?

 

I love the way the analogue MPG dial is marked up to '50'

 

Hopelessly optimistic

[Cavcraft]

A set of part worns wouldn't cost much at all and when you consider that 99% of the time when you buy a used car the tyres are part worn they're mostly nothing to worry about.

[R9UKE]

I love the way the analogue MPG dial is marked up to '50'

 

Great fun when you move off at any kind of speed watching it fall to the other end of the scale within milliseconds

[gadgetgricey]

Tim.

 

Great cars, but realistically cannot be used as a daily driver due to the MPG!!

Bought a 730i after I got the Saab off you and love it to bits, but 19 mpg around town is not fun on the wallet.

 

 

Got mine on a classic policy for the weekends/fun, and use my Xantia diesel as a daily driver.

However, I love it to bits. Parts did worry me, but they are quite cheap. (seem to be cheaper than some Saab bits) and there are plenty of breakers.

 

Just check EVERYTHING works, as there are lots of motors everywhere.

 

Those are "comfort" seats as well so everything moves, including the top half of the backrest. You can angle it towards you.

Still amuses me now, with the double glazing on all the windows.

Cant see from the pictures, but if you are looking try and get one with the 90's phone in the centre armrest. Comes with a hands free kit all linked into the centre console. That;s just for added geekness though.

 

Not the best person to ask, but more than happy to give any additional info I can.

 

Cheers

 

- Dave -

[RoadworkUK]

Can't see why the appetite for fuel should be too much more daft than my Dads E39 540i.

 

On any journey where the car reaches full operating temperature he gets between 25 and 28mpg, more than he got from the 24v mk1 Mondeo he had before. The vast majority (if not all of them) were badermatics with unfeasibly high top ratios, His pulls something like 3k at 100mph; properly relaxed. It's the later 4.4 variant and the only fault it ever had was a split in the radiator header tank.

 

I say go for it.

[Spiny Norman]

 

The big question is.... if I ever owned it would I go bankrupt through fuel and repair costs? Can they be used as a daily driver?

 

Depends on how many miles you do in a day, surely? I use an old Merc E320 as a daily, it only does about 22-25mpg but I only do about 100 miles a week in it so to me it's cheaper than doing a 60 mile daily commute in some dreadful Diseasel thing that does 50mpg....

Bits for old Kraut barges can be had for not much more than for a Vectra/Laguna if you know where to go, and they're engineered to do 200k+.

 

Definitely worth spending a good hour making sure every electric toy works, but I'd have one of these no worries.

That ad's a bit pants and it's far too salty though, he'll have that for a while I reckon.......

If it all works I'd bid him £600.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

If my old 728(same shape) is anything to go by, routine parts are very reasonable, but there are a couple of odd bits (e.g. a rear suspension assembly or something like that on my old car) that can only be had from the dealers. However, even then you're just talking a somewhat salty part- they don't take the piss like Ford often seem to do.

 

I would go for it if the price was right. If you end up really liking it and wanting to keep it long-term, you could always think about a gas conversion...

[Pete-M]

I would. But we know that already.

[Lankytim]

I do 14 miles a day on my daily commute, plus a bit of 60mph motorway bashing at weekends, so I recon it could be workable.

 

When I saw it in storage I heard that the guy was trying to sell it and was going to offer him £200, on the assumption it didn't have any MOT and needed a bit of fettling to get back on the road. I never managed to track the fella down and it vanished so I thought it had gone over the bridge!

 

Whad did these cost new? 40k? 50?? I bet its bloody lovely to waft about in.

 

Wife was initially enthusiastic but as i've been talking about it for a while she has realised that i'm semi-interested and shes starting to back peddle "where the hell are we going to keep it, what about the petrol" e.t.c. All typical anti-shite properganda that i'm sure we have all had to overcome/ignore at one point or another. OBV the Volvo would have to go to have this. I now have a strict "one in one out" policy.

[dollywobbler]

Yeah, I'm on a 'one out one in' policy too. It does prevent me from contemplating complete financial meltdown I must admit! It's one reason I have such a high turnover of vehicles.

 

I really like these Big Sevens. Very tempting, though my wife has a typical 'proper' Mini owner's view of anything BMW!

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

I don't see why it should go wrong if it is in good nick and has been properly maintained, my old Jag never does. It won't use that much more fuel than your Volvo will it? It will be a lovely thing to travel in.

[eddyramrod]

my wife has a typical 'proper' Mini owner's view of anything BMW!

I like her more and more every day.... In a totally platonic manner, of course!

 

I would. But we know that already.

I wouldn't, which we also know already. Not even with yours. And most especially if it meant disposing of a RWD Volvo!

[Lankytim]

The Volvo can also carry a fridge, and is less likely to get keyed when parked on the road. But that BMW.. what a motor!

[dollywobbler]

The Volvo can also carry a fridge

 

Hold on. Aren't you scrapping a Volvo 240 estate? And can't you weld? Autoshite Solutions Ltd!

[Lankytim]

.....oh yes!

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

That's worth buying, although I'd be happier with £700 than £950. If the miles are real (with a service book and old MOT's), it won't be close to going wrong. The 4.4 is Alusil so no bore wear to fret over, and on a very steady run you'll get 30 mpg. The Steptronic* automatic box is very nice on these.

Buy it, get it MOT'd, run it for a year and then get all your ££££ back and very possibly a modest profit. There is still a market for nice tidy E38's - Christ, even the shit ones make £500. The appalling advert means that it won't get any bids so you could be lucky.

 

Things to check?

 

Fuel leaks from the tank - they're steel, and rust around the seams and where the rubber intake pipe fits. They're £1000 new with VAT and even the late Y reg ones rust.

 

It needs a very good battery - if it's shagged, it'll bring up all manner of issues including trans programme/limp home.

 

Tired rads that 'bow' downwards long the bottom edge.

 

Air con must work - even if it does, make sure the air con electric fan works. If it doesn't, the car will run hot and the A/C will fail.

 

The running gear/suspension etc should all still be tip top with 53k.

 

 

 

*That's 'Triptronic' in Ebaymoron speak.

[Rocket88]

One of the columnists who writes for "Practical Performance" magazine has bought one to use as a dailly, which associated monthly write-ups. Well worth a read, as his has been fine, after attending to a couple of niggles. Biggest expenditure was a new battery, which, as previously mentioned, needs to be the right one [£117 from Halfords, if memory serves....]

[Cavcraft]

I reckon you should buy it, Tim. If the money's right then there's only one way you can find out what it's like to live with on a daily basis and I expect it'd be a bloody nice way to waft round.