BMW 8 Series

BnA

I like my cars and I go through different obsessions of wanting to own different ones. At the moment I am on a bit of a BMW 8 series Trip. I saw a review of one of them on some classic car program a few months ago and it was love at first sight. I saw one go on E-Bay a few days ago for £4,200. That's about €6k, maybe add on roughly €3k for VRT.... Pushing close to €10k. That's not a whole lot of money these days. If I got my own cars sold I think I would seriously consider it.

Has anyone here ever owned one or had experience of them ?

This is the one from E-Bay. I think it is astoundingly beautiful. Even my wife who usually hates any car I like had to admit to it's charms. Plus, it's a manual which seems to be rare enough and which is something I would definately want.

Is this not the most beautiful thing you have ever seen ?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4647182703&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

qz

BnA wrote:

Is this not the most beautiful thing you have ever seen ?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4647182703&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

Ask a question like that and expect the thread to veer drastically off topic

I love the 8 Series, you don't see all that many of them around and that one looks like it's in pretty good shape. I wouldn't have said it had "very low mileage" though. You'd be murdered with petrol and tax would you not, and I don't know your situation but there's the insurance too!

Kersh

I want one of these too, but the vrt is extortionate...plus ya gotta watch some problem or other with soft head castings that 'cheap' petrol eats into on some engines, though i think this problem afflicted many Bmw engines, esp V8s iirc.
But lovely car..... Get the 850 v12.

Anan1

Kersh wrote:

I want one of these too, but the vrt is extortionate...plus ya gotta watch some problem or other with soft head castings that 'cheap' petrol eats into on some engines, though i think this problem afflicted many Bmw engines, esp V8s iirc.
But lovely car..... Get the 850 v12.

They used Nikasil bore linings on some engines, the 4.0 V8 included. Many have been replaced under warranty, but I wouldn't buy one that hadn't.

unkel

Beautiful car and potentially a great buy. VRT is €4k, so for around €10k it would be a bargain

Anan1 wrote:

They used Nikasil bore linings on some engines, the 4.0 V8 included. Many have been replaced under warranty, but I wouldn't buy one that hadn't.

That's a bit over-careful, Anan1. The Nikasil issue was caused by using bad quality petrol (too much sulphur) as was used in the US and some parts of the UK. Today, sulphur contents are very low. If you want to buy one that did not get a new engine, you need to do a leak down test. If it passes, it is unlikely problems will present in future. If it fails the leak down test, walk away unless you are willing to fit a new engine

The M60 engine in above 840 is the same engine I had in my last car. It is the most susceptible to the Nikasil issue of all BMW engines

Anan1

unkel wrote:

That's a bit over-careful, Anan1. The Nikasil issue was caused by using bad quality petrol (too much sulphur) as was used in the US and some parts of the UK. Today, sulphur contents are very low. If you want to buy one that did not get a new engine, you need to do a leak down test. If it passes, it is unlikely problems will present in future. If it fails the leak down test, walk away unless you are willing to fit a new engine

That's all well and good if you're buying a car locally. Dunno about you though, but I'm not in the business of putting down deposits and flying to the UK to do leakdown tests;) . Probably easier to buy either one that's already had a replacement engine or a 4.4, which didn't use Nikasil.

unkel

On a side note, I'd go another €5k and get an 840 4.4 with the new M62 engine (as in my current car - ). That engine is not effected by the Nikasil issue and it is build to last (> 400,000 kms)

Kersh wrote:

Get the 850 v12.

There's not much the V12 does over the V8 M62 4.4 and maintenance will be more expensive

Anan1 wrote:

That's all well and good if you're buying a car locally. Dunno about you though, but I'm not in the business of putting down deposits and flying to the UK to do leakdown tests;)

Fair point. Very few were sold here though

Fey!

One of the guys in www.bmwcarclubireland.com (username GR-8) regularly brings his 840 to the clubs meets. You could PM him in the Irish Region forum and ask for his advice. Alternatively, the site has a specific 8 series forum.

Mickk

Absolutely crackin car I love them, only thing tho it must be well down the years to "only" be 4k vrt. I was lookin at gettin a 96/97 and the vrt was silly. Its actually the reason I didn't buy one.:mad:

unkel

Mickk wrote:

it must be well down the years to "only" be 4k vrt. I was lookin at gettin a 96/97 and the vrt was silly. Its actually the reason I didn't buy one.:mad:

I checked the above '95 840 4.0 M60 with 100,000 miles and it was €4k as I posted. Just checked and a '96 840 4.0 M60 with 100,000 miles and it is €6k. Same for the '96 840 4.4 M62

'97 4.4 - €7.3k
'98 4.4 - €8.4k
'99 4.4 - €10.0k

dave101

foook thats nice but i really love the classic 635csi...

Mc-BigE

lovely car, but if your in the 4 litre bracket and not concerned about road tax petrol prices what about an Audi S8 like the one in "Ronan" movie. there going cheaper now ,between 5 and 10K sterling.

a lot of car for your money:
here's one, but high mileage
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AUDI-S8_W0QQitemZ4648931181QQcategoryZ9835QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Owen

I'm buying an 850 at the start of '07. I'm hoping for a manual, but I'm not fussed. I'll be buying in Germany, LHD doesnt bother me, as the car will be a Sunday plaything.

Wolverine_1999

152,000 Miles, jaysus. He must have spent half the day in the car!

SouperComputer

Wolverine_1999 wrote:

152,000 Miles, jaysus. He must have spent half the day in the car!

Thats not bad at all. Ireland seems to be one of the few countries that above 100k is "high mileage"

I remeber a while back a guy who drove jewelery around on the german Autobhans had some crazy mileage on a golf after two years or so. Anybody remember that?

BnA

qz wrote:

...You'd be murdered with petrol and tax would you not, and I don't know your situation but there's the insurance too!

That would be a worry alright. Tax is pretty high at €1340 a year. Insurance... I'm not sure how it would work out. I'm currently paying around 800 on an 1.8 MG ZS. Petrol would be mental.

Ideally I think I would like to be able to keep it as a weekend car from a cost of petrol point of view but more so just to spare it. I don't know if I can realistically afford to do that though.

dave101 wrote:

foook thats nice but i really love the classic 635csi...

I looked at those alright. A nice car as well and can be picked up a lot cheaper, but I think the 840 is a lot slicker looking.

Mc-BigE wrote:

lovely car, but if your in the 4 litre bracket and not concerned about road tax petrol prices what about an Audi S8 like the one in "Ronan" movie. there going cheaper now ,between 5 and 10K sterling.

To be honest with you Mc BigE, I am quite concerned about Road Tax and Petrol prices. If I had my own cars sold and I had the cash to buy, Tax and petrol prices would be my biggest stumbling blocks keeping me from buying an 8 series.

Also, the looks of the A8 just wouldn't do it for me at all. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice car, but not a patch on the Beemer.

Mc-BigE

I suppose a 7 series would be a better comparison to the Audi a8
anyway check this website out, some good info,
you never know maybe one of them will sell their's to you!

http://www.bmwland.co.uk/

mike65

Ugly car and verrrrrrrrrrrrry wide, you'd want to have a decent driveway.

Mike.

Seth Brundle

Kersh wrote:

But lovely car..... Get the 850 v12.

Naw - get the 840Ci - much lighter

dave101 wrote:

foook thats nice but i really love the classic 635csi...

I presume you mean the M6.
ooh yeah baby, give it to me.

mike65 wrote:

Ugly car and verrrrrrrrrrrrry wide, you'd want to have a decent driveway.

the 8? You heathen!

phoenix_nights

personally i think they look a bit pimp to me. would expect to see a guy with a gold chain driving one. Now a CSI is a different matter

Seth Brundle

you need all the trim then...