Jump to content

BMW 840 - what am I doing?


Recommended Posts

Posted

Having not posted here for months, I'm now shamelessly barging in to demand commonsense-advice/physical restraint regarding my sudden urge to buy a BMW E31 (you know - the bankruptcy-welcoming shark-faced pop-up headlight 90s supercar). NOT SMALL COCK MIDLIFE CRISIS 

 

I'm going to see this one tomorrow near Swindon: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201405043915215/sort/priceasc/usedcars/postcode/w43nh/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/radius/1500/page/1/make/bmw/model/8_series?logcode=p 

 

Bloke's dropped the price by a grand since first listing it three weeks back. Most of the others in that price range (my ceiling is 5 grand) tend to be barried up and/or obviously neglected.  

 

The ad is pretty hopeless, but I've been in touch with the bloke and he seems a very decent fellow - he's had the car for 8 years and it's obviously looked after (18 stamps in the book - 16 of them main dealer). I'm getting the whiff of kindly semi-gifferdom (he appears to have retired and when I asked if that was a big scab of wheelarch rust I could see in one of the tiny pictures, he sent me a massive version and I saw to my shame it was the reflection of his bald head SOZ M8).

 

Certainly wasn't looking for LPG but figured it's a bonus. Is it? Or just a pointless potential ballache? I've had my 406 V6 koop for 18 months and only done about 4000 miles.

 

All the owner has fessed up to is a bit of a crack in the nose cone and a scab on the sunroof. Wheels aren't perfect but are also in better nick than those on any car I have previously owned. He's recently had the a/c overhauled and a new pas pump (combined cost - a colon-draining £2,700), plus new cats and exhaust. Driver's seat looks much better than most (he's sent me a load of big pics). 

 

Can anyone add to my checklist of possible they-all-do-that issues?

 

1) Potentially unsolvable front-end shimmy at 50-60mph

2) Suspension rebuild hell (bushes, track  rod ends and assorted shiz)

3) Milky windscreen corners

4) Leccy seat woe

5) Erectile dysfunction

 

NB: I don't know what the fuck I'm doing, and will inevitably be reliant on ruinous specialists to sort out anything even remotely involved (there's one in Surrey not too far from me).

 

CAN YOU HELP?

Posted

Winning. That's what your doing. Get one bought.

  • Like 3
Posted

^ What he said.  These are solid gold win and you should buy it immediately.  One of the best looking cars of the last 20-30 years.  It must be bought.

Posted

Do it. I cannot foresee anything that would make it a bad idea. 

Posted

Fabulous looking cars but I have always been too scared to seriously contemplate buying one

  • Like 1
Posted

These do 75 mpg and never need servicing. Do it!

Posted

Fabulous looking cars but I have always been too scared to seriously contemplate buying one

 

" That's more like it. Especially as I know from the Rover75 forum that your technical competence towers over mine like a giant metal bastard.  

Posted

when I asked if that was a big scab of wheelarch rust I could see in one of the tiny pictures, he sent me a massive version and I saw to my shame it was the reflection of his bald head SOZ M8).

Major LOLZ! Sorry!

Posted

+1 for the incitement to financial suicide- you can't take it with you.

 

I recently had a Dutch and Italian in my car and we were next to an red 850 in traffic . The Dutch guy said laughing, 'that is known as a pimps car in The Netherlands' the Italian agreed that that was the case in Italy too. How many cars are disreputable across Europe?

  • Like 2
Posted

What can I say, look at my fleetlet, I am firmly in the auto-financial-suicide camp.

GLWTP.

Posted

Whatever happens I will have to come back without it. Hoping a deposit will perusade him to keep it in his massive, gravel-fronted garage while I flog the 406.

Guest Breadvan72
Posted

Far be it from me to play the Voice of Reason, but DON'T DO IT.  I have driven three of these.  They are goppingly shit.  They were goppingy shit when new.  I once drove one around the Silverstone GP circuit with a pro racing driver.  We agreed that it was goppingly shit.    Executive Summary: goppingly shit.

 

 

Get a 635i instead?  Have the prices on those good nutso now?  

  • Like 2
Posted

Get a 635i instead?  Have the prices on those good nutso now?  

 

I just so happen to know where a quite reasonably priced one could be obtained.

Posted

Started out looking at 635s, but the ones in my price range looked well ropey. Plus 99.99% of them have awful chin and boot spoilers (same reason why I'm not looking at 840 Sports). Plus: NO POP-UP LIGHTS.

 

Voice of reason is off the mark! Playing catch-up though.

 

I don't want to drive it round Silverstone - I want to smoke about west London indulging my inner Dutch pimp!

Posted

Some of us have LHM running in our veins and any car with just numbers for a name will not do.

 

Edit: If this seems off the wall to you I thought I was still in Jonathan_Dyanes thread. Soz.

  • Like 1
Posted

I've driven an 850 a few times that a mate used to own. I liked it's easy power and kinda laid-back attitude. And it's got pop up headlamps, it's a winner.

 

TBH, most standard, unmodified road cars are gonna be shit on a racetrack, I wouldn't let that put me off.

Posted

Peer pressure challenge!!!!DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT!

  • Like 1
Posted

Aye do it. Check for rattly timing chains and it holding onto gears too long. Gearbox is sealed for life, which means the oil and filter needs changed about 90k. Its 100 quid just for the flippin oil.

I had a 740i with 270k on it and it ran great and went fast.

I'd be interested to see if it has the 56mph shimmy every post 1990 BMW I've hands bar 1 5 series has done it.

 

That sports interior in that one was a really expensive option. If you can get the Vin there are online vin decoders that will give you the full build spec .

Posted

LPG'd too, what a lump of lovely icing on the cake.

 

Proper bloody car that costs the same to run as any cloned automotive washing machine.

 

You HAVE to buy it.

Posted

I really like these and considered getting one a few years ago. I think they look GREEEAAAT!!!!!!! However, do some research as they are ruinously expensive to maintain. Can't remember now what it was that put me off in particular (electrics/computers?) but I recall that whatever it was, it was not uncommon....

 

I second the previous poster suggesting a 635. Had four of them over the years and each one was a total joy to own/drive. Had a wierd spec one with manual and velour interior (nearly unsellable!) and the dogleg box was brilliant and they are quick and not to thirsty.

Posted

The only car that would tempt me away from one of these would be a Porsche 928. But that's another step up in potential borkage.

Posted

I'd love 928. With an 8 cylinder car the cheap way to do the is to stick 1 injector down at maf, which will be shit. If it's setup like this it'll be a waste of time. Make sure it runs okay on both systems.

Posted

You are being very sensible.

If you were being silly you would be going after an 850.

Posted

Its a no brainer (with your money).

 

Autoshite cast iron* wcpgw guarantee* will* pay out* in the event* of wcpgw going wrong, you CAN'T LOSE.

 

Also, in less made up news, POP UP LIGHTZ IZ 4 WINNAZ

  • Like 2
Posted

My Dentist had one of these and loved it. The same day I drowned my 2CV in the river Dee (to be fair it was 12" deep over the road at the time) he drove through two feet of water in it (must be in 2000 I think) - He said that he got worried when the water came up to the windscreen and all the dashboard lights came on, but kept going. It seemed ok, and he sold it for a 911 turbo after that.

 

2CV was going well in the flood to be fair - up to the sills, but then a white van went the other way at full pelt and the bow wave went over the bonnet and steam came out of the heater vents. I got out and pushed it to dry land, wafted wd40 around and got it going again pretty quickly. I was sitting in the dentist's waiting room dripping wet though!

  • Like 2
Posted

lots of 7s and e39s with that engine so they cant all be that bad watch out for stuff specific to the coupe and ya should be fine - sounds like its been cossetted

 

id change the box oil first job we do that on dads e39 manual even tho like said it supposed to be sealed - there is a dextron equiv of the ker ching bmw fluid tho :D

 

lpg sounds good least if ya smoke it it would be too bad juice cost wise

 

who on here bough a bwm with a similar engine?

Posted

I like these simply because the council estate turds hav'nt cottoned on to them.

 

They chose rangie p38's instead.

 

Its a BMW. What could possibly go wrong?

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...