second hand 7 series,

vector

Since I first saw it I've wanted a 7 series (the 1995-2001 sjape known as the E38)

Browsing carzone I see they are amazingly cheap, you get alot of "car" for a small amount of money

Look at this example...
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=746795
leather seats
black
dublin plates (so it doesn't scream "second hand" if you live outside of leinster)

What's the catch?
Is it because the type of person that buys this car wants to show off and the old number plate cancels the showy factor or maybe the tax of a 2.8 is considered too high?

BrandonBlock

High tax, high insurance, hard to park, low mpg ?

They're the factors that would put me off, however if you really want one and have the money then I don't see why not!

Curran

Next door neighbour had a '96 7 Series for a few months and it was a beauty.
You'd wanna here the thing take off - and it wasnt even full throtle - but with the 4.4l enfgine it would wanna!!
I'd buy one if I could tax and insure one - im 24 - so I settled for the 5 Series

SouperComputer

The catch is that they can be VERY expensive to maintain if not taken care of.

Visit www.e38.org for lots of info and also bimmerforums, especially this thread. They are a little US-Centric but most of it applies worldwide.

Don't even consider an E38 unless it has receipts of recent maintenance (last three years), no documentation, walk away. This does not have to be at a BMW dealer however. At 140K the following should have been done and if not will need to be soon:

Cat(s)
Suspension bushings and links
O2's, MAF, spark plugs
Radiator (Weak spot on V8's not so sure with the i6 728)
Window regulators
Possibly a trans fluid flush. Some will give you BS about lifetime fluid. OEM lifetime is what is meant It requires fairly expensive fluid and is a tricky operation if you are not familiar with the transmission.
Water Pump


Some 740-Specific (4.4l V8) ones

Valve cover gaskets (labour intensive job)
Radiator (plastic neck breaks around 100k)
OSV (Oil separator Valve)
Nikasil issues on certain years

Its a heavy car so don't expect mega peformance from it.

Check for dead pixels in the dash and OBC displays. They also can be costly to replace.

When you are test driving it, look out for a vibration around 55Mph. If this exists then the suspension work mentioned above will need to be done, (not wheel balancing or tracking as some will say, although they are important too!) and it wont be very cheap.

That car you linked runs the M52 with nikasil linings, ideally you will want the results of a recent leakdown/compression test to confirm all is well. Its a bigger issue with cars that have been running on UK fuel, but nonetheless its a bargaining chip.

The E38 is a lot of car for your money, just be sure to have it thoroughly inspected by a BMW expert prior to purchase otherwise they can turn into a money pit incredibly quickly. If you are willing to DIY though the car becomes much more viable.

I would say if you decide you like the E38 and this one is not up to standard, have a look across the water in the UK. But be sure to find out if the liner is Alusil or Nikasil. If its nikasil, try to get the results of a recent leakdown test. Generally if a nikasil engine has covered high miles and still idles OK then it should be good to go, but still you dont want to be replacing an engine in one of these!

/waits for unkel to chime in

Anan1

vector wrote:

What's the catch?

The ad says one owner, private sale. I'd bet any money the person selling that car didn't buy it new. A well-minded 740i might tempt me, a tatty 728 wouldn't.:)

unkel

SouperComputer wrote:

/waits for unkel to chime in

You don't leave any objective points to add, SouperComputer, so here's some subjective ones:

@OP, I've owned a '96 735 V8 petrol for nearly 4 years now. About 137k miles on the clock and I've had a great ownership experience, with very little spent on maintenance (and I do no work on it at all myself)

Have a specialist check the car thoroughly before buying. I wouldn't really recommend a 728, go for one with the later V8 M62 petrol engine 3.5l 735 or 4.4l 740. The V8 is more suitable for a car this size and the M62 does not have any Nikasil issues. It is very reliable and supposed to last about 250k miles without major trouble

Beware of 18" low profile tyres. They look nice but are not that suitable for Irish roads and they cost a fortune to replace

A general comment: If you are in the market to buy a 10 year old senior executive saloon with lots of bells & whistles, for about €4k, you know you are taking risks though

Owen

I was involved recently in the sale of a 750Li, the long wheelbase, with nearly all the bells and whistles. A 1999 model, with the V12 engine, picnic tables at the rear, shelf and phone point for a fax machine, you name it, this baby had it. It actually sold for about 10k, considering the vehicle would have been almost 160k Euro new.

Very cheap motors to buy and run, but if something breaks, they can be expensive. A colleage recently sold his 97 740i for 6k here, and it was in showroom condition, he's pedantic about the condition of his cars and keeping them original, and perfect. So, no, once they've been looked over by a specialist before you buy, there's nothing to worry about besides an un PC thirst for fuel, tarmac, and open autobahns.

maidhc

unkel wrote:

A general comment: If you are in the market to buy a 10 year old senior executive saloon with lots of bells & whistles, for about €4k, you know you are taking risks though

..still only a years depreciation on a Skoda Octavia.

If it lasts 12 months, it is a free car.

michaelanthony

The only genuinely bad thing is that they are hard to park. I thought I was a good driver and parker untill I got a 5 series. They are HUGE.

Anan1

michaelanthony wrote:

The only genuinely bad thing is that they are hard to park. I thought I was a good driver and parker untill I got a 5 series. They are HUGE.

Park radar is a huge help on really big cars. Thing is, you very quickly become dependent on it.

maidhc

michaelanthony wrote:

The only genuinely bad thing is that they are hard to park. I thought I was a good driver and parker untill I got a 5 series. They are HUGE.

Still and all, they look like the view is pretty good.

I find my parents Avensis liftback to be worse to park than a w140 S-class I drive from time to time.

unkel

As for parking, I dunno. I didn't find it that difficult really. Even with the park distance control switched off, parallel parking is easy. In fact, the bigger the car I own, the better I got at parallel parking

Obviously some multistories are tight, some spaces are smaller than the car and sometimes one needs a few extra turns to get into a space

maidhc wrote:

..still only a years depreciation on a Skoda Octavia.

If it lasts 12 months, it is a free car.

My approach too. I paid €11k for mine 4 trouble free years ago. If it dies today, it owes me nothing

SouperComputer

OP if you are worried about parking, look for a PDC button in the bottom of the centre console, it will help.

That said, the i (not iL models) are about a foot longer than a B5 passat.

maidhc wrote:

..still only a years depreciation on a Skoda Octavia. If it lasts 12 months, it is a free car.

Interesting point. Buy the right one and it will certainly outlast a year.

Curran

michaelanthony wrote:

The only genuinely bad thing is that they are hard to park. I thought I was a good driver and parker untill I got a 5 series. They are HUGE.

Funny that - its the only complaint my missus has about our 5 Series and only because her car park is an underground one and spaces are fairly tight (and no PDC's on ours)
You must have been a rubbish parker Bet you'd park a hatchback in 2 seconds in any space now tough