How much equipment does it realistically take to restore/modify an older car? I'd like to buy a 735i with a manual...

well then let me tell you why you're wrong

also, this is kind of a bummer because the USA didn't get a manual E38. but people have had success swapping in the manual from a 5 series

>shitting all over someones aspirations because you never had any of your own

don't listen to these jerkoffs, man. Yes, it is something you can do, but you're gonna have to realize that a mid-aged bmw, particularly a fucking 7 series, is going to be insanely out of your price range if you're going to overhaul it. I'd say you're looking at roughly 3-5 grand for a new suspension alone. Also doing any interior mods to these things are a bitch an a half, and if you break any plastic bits (which realistically you will, they're so brittle at this point) you will NEVER find a replacement unless you go on the prowl for some junkyard 7's.

try for some yankee/nip barge if you can. much larger/easier aftermarket to work with for mods like that. Plus you won't have to deal with dickhead mechanics who will try to take advantage of your because you're not a lawyer looking type (probably).

>>shitting all over someones aspirations because you never had any of your own

>telling someone they can do something when its clear they are completely clueless and are going to end up with a broken 7 series and an empty bank account

i actually have the same build goal,to completely overhaul an e38,i'm not trying to talk down to the guy but doing something like this is not easy
so far i'm just putting some money aside every once and a while and planning it out till i feel like i can comfortably do everything myself,i'm not starting till i have everything planned and sorted out
don't give the guy false hope

if you have to ask, don't bother replying

money isn't the problem, i just don't know what sort of equipment i'll need besides a box of tools, a torque wrench, and jack stands

Perfect starting point then. If money isnt an issue just buy what you need as you need it. Id start with a single garage with 2 walls worth of worktop area and a sturdy bench vice, with pleanty of shelves underneith.

A gazebo/covered area to work on the car (what , you thought thats what the garage is for? :P) is also esssential. This will take you years, i assure you.

Then, how are you going to accomlish these goals for this car? You need to buy the car, then research and buy the parts you need to do what you want to it. Then start spinning the spanners and bolt stuff on. I am assuming you are building this car from available aftermarket parts and not custom building anything yourself... Otherwise youre into mig welder, bench grinder, pillar drill, angle grinder sheet metal ect ect territory. Double garage easy.

Also, i hope you like getting filthy, rained on, cold, and have a moderate to high tolerance for constant deep flesh wounds, skin splits, bruises and blood leakage.

Not sure why i put this much effort in to this post desu, the very fact you are asking these questions signals you are a neurotic car wannabe who will be off the idea in a fortnight and will never actually pull the trigger on anything. Im not saying that to be offensive, but everyones seen it time and time again and the few guys who ever start a project much fewer ever end up finishing it. Hoping you can prove me wrong.

Also, it may pay to ask yourself WHY you want to do these things. If it has anything to do with the end result, and not the fun of the journey, i dont think you're going to make it.

Ive learned all the lessons dude. I have the best words.

Not sure why i put this much effort in to this post desu, the very fact you are asking these questions signals you are a neurotic car wannabe who will be off the idea in a fortnight and will never actually pull the trigger on anything. Im not saying that to be offensive, but everyones seen it time and time again and the few guys who ever start a project much fewer ever end up finishing it. Hoping you can prove me wrong.

This so much

Fuck off OP

good luck trying to FIND a manual 735i
because most people who bought them found moving that side of the body too energetic.

however everything else can be done at home in a garage IF you have the skills, tools and whatever else needed

where are you located?
there is this already restored e38 740i for sale here with a manual transmission, LSD from an M5, fresh respray, individual interior, M throwing stars etc for 7000 euros.

bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/71397

honestly it doesn't look like they're -that- bad about reliability

>replace the radiator
>check the transmission filter to make sure it's OEM
>replace catalytic converters
(kinda moot considering I'd like to put on something sportier)
>replace power steering hoses
>check loose bolts on the oil pump
>check the steering and suspension for worn parts
(again kinda moot considering that it would be getting a once-over anyways)
>electronic displays might have missing pixels

if that's all I have to worry about, that's not too bad. and for those of you who keep telling me to just buy a different car, or why this car, or whatever, i think the E38 is one of the best looking cars of all time, and you can get it with a strong engine and a super nice interior for $10k cheaper than anything comparable. I'm guessing I'm going to put in about $20k into this project when it's all finished and done (over time) which isn't stupid crazy

All these guys are only semi retarded, and as gay as it sounds really only just want the best for you. However, if you're dead set on it, then you can get a 735i, and manual swap it with the transmission from an e39, the zf 6 speed specifically. It bolts right on and works with stock ECU, until after 96' and cars after that throw a transmission code (car still works fine, just throws code)
After that, you'll just want to find random shit from ebay or bimmer specific websites that sell suspension components for the 7er. I don't remember if they have air suspension, but if they do you'll want to coil over swap it so it doesn't cost as much in the long run. Find out what shit is compatible with the e38, like how the e39s 6 speed is compatible with the e38. It shouldn't be too bad if you dedicate yourself, and do the research you just did to learn about the car.

also in general the e39 shares a lot of parts with the e38. just as a side note.

FURTHERMORE, from a forum i found

You can always verify or check if parts are compatible by using any of the online part databases like www.realoem.com . You can look up any BMW part nbr then paste that nbr into the PARTS NBR APPLICATION SEARCH box...and you'll get a whole list of other BMW models that use the same part.

All three of the major online part databases allows you to do a part cross reference search as well as the BMW ETK (if you have it):
realoem.com/bmw/select.do
bmwfans.info/parts/catalog/
bmwmobiletradition-online.com/bmw/

thank you so much. thankfully the e38 has traditional suspension so a swap won't be difficult (and i don't need to worry about changing it every 60k miles like an s class).

i also really want an e38, so i've done a bit of research already myself. "racing" coilovers exist on ebay, but they're not cheap.

If you are going to spend huge $ on restoring an e38, do it with an e31 instead. You can still find well priced projects out there. Sorted e31's with all the usual problems worked out and the right suspension set up are starting to sell for a good dollar.

ive never seen an 8 series that wasn't wrecked in my area in my entire life

With that said, I would buy this one even if I was in the US;

suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/details.html?id=250517070&damageUnrepaired=NO_DAMAGE_UNREPAIRED&isSearchRequest=true&makeModelVariant1.makeId=3500&makeModelVariant1.modelGroupId=24&maxFirstRegistrationDate=2003-12-31&maxMileage=200000&pageNumber=2&scopeId=C&transmissions=MANUAL_GEAR

Holy fuck the want is strong.

to young to import. i'd buy the shit out of that though. sell at like 100k kilometers to someone who wants it before it becomes a real money pit, but for the time being enjoy a real german limo.

30000 total made, all models. Do you think looking for a decent one worth putting money into it won't pay off in the long run???

And another:

suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/details.html?id=247611425&damageUnrepaired=NO_DAMAGE_UNREPAIRED&isSearchRequest=true&makeModelVariant1.makeId=3500&makeModelVariant1.modelGroupId=24&maxFirstRegistrationDate=2003-12-31&pageNumber=1&scopeId=C&sortOption.sortBy=searchNetGrossPrice&sortOption.sortOrder=DESCENDING&transmissions=MANUAL_GEAR

a decent 8 series is like 20 grand off of ebay at least.

A low mileage 735i:

suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/details.html?id=249162142&damageUnrepaired=NO_DAMAGE_UNREPAIRED&isSearchRequest=true&makeModelVariant1.makeId=3500&makeModelVariant1.modelGroupId=24&maxFirstRegistrationDate=2003-12-31&pageNumber=1&scopeId=C&sortOption.sortBy=searchNetGrossPrice&sortOption.sortOrder=DESCENDING&transmissions=MANUAL_GEAR

ebay.com/itm/1992-BMW-8-Series-Coupe-/162682593498?hash=item25e0a360da:g:o6IAAOSwpC1ZxHQX&vxp=mtr

this one is 17 grand.

No, you should still be able to find a mid to high miler for around $10-12k.

idk if i would buy an old v12 with more than 100/150k on it, honestly. as much as i love 850s and think the 850CSI is a god machine.

autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=465920812&zip=57702&referrer=/cars-for-sale/searchresults.xhtml?zip=57702&startYear=1981&sortBy=derivedpriceDESC&incremental=all&firstRecord=0&seriesCodeList=8_SERIES&endYear=2018&makeCodeList=BMW&searchRadius=0&startYear=1981&numRecords=25&firstRecord=0&endYear=2018&makeCodeList=BMW&searchRadius=0&makeCode1=BMW&modelCode1=840CI

A shop near me has two that pretty much just sit outside all summer and then get tucked away when the snow comes...they rarely move.

The M70 is about as rock solid as any other bmw inline six. Its just two 2.5 liters welded together. Lots of them out there with 250000 miles on the clock. The trick with the e31's is the electronics.

shit dude, i'm glad i'm being proven wrong.
that's a nice fucking 850.

That is a 20k Euro car all day long in Germany. I follow the e31 market, that is about as good as it gets for a deal. As long as it runs and brakes and turns off without melting down.

Note where the market starts and the mileage of bottom of market cars:

suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/search.html?dam=0&isSearchRequest=true&ms=3500;42&vc=Car

I've noted the 840's are selling way too cheap in the US, and especially up in Canada.

it's honestly because people see >bmw
>v12/v8
and immediately think it's going to break 10 miles after you buy it and become a money pit, because that's just sort of the meme in america. even without the badge, old german v8s and v12's are scary to people. so they don't go for much.

Not so much. A lot of us out here can appreciate a 300 km/hr rocket ship. This one sold in Colorado for top dollar. Nice colour, but an automatic none the less.

bringatrailer.com/listing/1991-bmw-850i-11/

oh, for sure cit/o/zens know about bimmers, and so do enthusiasts who are into them. just not the general population, and honestly 8 series are already a little rare.