2001 e38 740I Sport

I've found a cheap 2001 e38 740i Sport and I intend to use it as a Daily Driver.
Pro: no car payment
Con: expensive to maintain a luxury sedan
What are your thoughts on this decision?

do it

Make sure you know of the timing chain/guide issues.

OP here
Yes, I hear that is a common problem. Definitely something to watch out for.

Don't do it. I had an e65 not really the same car but they build the 7 series and S class to break after 80k.

Yeah, I hope this model is not a money pit. It's just so aesthetically pleasing and a fun ride! I'd better just put the money towards a down payment on a real car.

The e38 is more reliable than the e65 but I'd get a 5 series before getting another 7 series.

They are cheap to run in the UK, no idea what parts are like in burgerland. Your biggest concerns will be rust on the fuel tank and if the ATF hasn't been changed the gearboxes can shit themselves. Otherwise the engines are solid and the rest of the car is pretty reliable.

prepare for wallet rape ROFLMFAO

Why not an e39? It will be much cheaper to maintain in the long run and more sporty

Great car! But check the suspensions, the E38 are heavy and you need to replace suspension parts every 60-70.000 kilometers

Are you fucking stupid? The e32 and e38 are know for running a lifetime. If you check the german forums you will finde many guys who have over 400.000km on the clock. Especially the 740i and the 750i are indestructible but expensive to maintain.

There is no such thing as a cheap 16 year-old BMW

don't go around spreading lies

Nigga you're trying to base E38 reliability on your personal E65 experience? You have no credibility.


gtfo this is why Veeky Forums sucks cuck

>That post
>That spacing
Kek

I also owned an e65, it had 150k miles, awesome car.

Depends on what you get most of them are poorly maintained and just go downhill after 80k.

if it has a good service history and the owners followed the oil/inspecition cycle, it will last for ever

do it op

clay and polish it up
clean the wheels
restore or replace and trim thats faded

it will look brand new

>Depends on what you get most of them are poorly maintained and just go downhill after 80k.
you could say that about virtually any car though. If the previous owner ragged it everwhere and never serviced it of course it is going to give trouble down the line.

Except some cars can handle neglect while others can't.

Nice digits

Safe to say this “cheap” e38 isn’t maintained though. Last fully documented e38 in good condition I saw was in the $20k range

The guy claims he was meticulous in his care, but I'd pay to get it inspected, for sure. It also has far fewer miles than the average 15k/year

God, I want to so badly. I came here to get talked out of it. Any chances this thing will be valuable to a collector, down the road, so to speak?

Some rich old man owned it, and he claimed to care for it meticulously.

I won't pretend like I know anything about that car, but they're great looking beemers

best of luck op

>Any chances this thing will be valuable to a collector,
again depends on condition
look after it, keep it stock if possible or save the original parts
make everything you touch feel new
then yes

>Yeah, I hope this model is not a money pit
Oh boy. You'll have quite an adventure

BMW mechanic here:
VANOS is no big deal if you're not fucking useless with a wrench. A rebuild is literally unbolting it and replacing seals.

PCV takes a shit sometimes, if it runs like crap and uses oil that's why. Cheap and easy.

Buy one of those cheapo eBay BMW computer tools, this will make your life so much easier.

Using a raspberry pi you can make the radio do a whole bunch of cool shit, these cars are very flexible for what they are. Navigation is fucking garbage. iL is extra comfy.

Look for wires coming off the top of the front strut towers, if you see them, get ready for agony.

If you aren't comfortable working on things yourself, don't buy this.

Otherwise, enjoy ultraboat supreme

Thank you for the advice

My dad has had 3 of these, on two of them the gearbox ate themselves and the third the engine block cracked. All around 100k mileage and well maintained. When they work they're beautiful to drive, but as soon as they break your bank account will scream

there's no such thing as a cheap bmw. It's going to be 5-8k up front or 15k in the long run.

If you take it to the shop for every thing even small stupid shit, then yes.

I had a E39 and I realized these are decently bulletproof surprisingly.

Just remember tranny fluid and filter is likely old as fuck. Change it

Timing chain may be an issue, the assembly including the tensioner (known to go soft) may need replacement at one point.

Checked

>there's no such thing as a cheap bmw
Nope, there certainly is. I’ve barely ever had to do anything on my e60 other than oil changes. Maybe stop buying cars from Jamal and José.

You probably have the reliable eurocuck engine.

Which one is that? I have the N52 which is considered to be bulletproof. Only thing I ever had to do was change water pump and hoses at 80k.

My e39 was pretty solid too come to think of it.

>my dad had 3 BMW 7 series of this type and they all broke down
Cool story bro, really inspiring.

he currently has a 735, had a 728. that's 5 E38s in 10 years. they are not reliable no matter how well maintained they are, at some point you'll have to pay what the car cost to fix it or simply buy a "new" one.

Thank you for the words of caution. Even adding 10k to the car keeps it within my budget.

Don't be a pussy and just fucking do it, don't be a bitch

if you have the cash to burn go for it, they're supreme vehicles to drive. but if you ever hear a new sound or smell something odd, don't hesitate to get it checked

even the e65s,which are the absolute rock bottom for bmw,were not that bad
either your dad is a masochist and intentionally buys lemons or he's just doing something terribly wrong
t. personally knows someone with a 740 at almost 380,000 kilometers

Maintenance costs, and common replacement parts are similar if its a 540i.

cheap 740is are very expensive
if the owner doesnt have a full maintenance history, do not bother