Considering selling the 87 325i and getting a 95 740i

[the bob]

Hello all,

I am a car nut whom gets board with cars after I fix them up. I have a 87 325i that I have near perfect conttion, 187K all significant maintenance is up specs. EVERYTHING

I have a friend whom will be selling a 95 740 with 135K that was well maintained. She will sell it to me for 5500. It has a dent in the quater panel but that is about all the negative. I drove the car and she is aweaome.

Here is the problem My car is perfect but small. My car is cheap to fix the 740 will not be. I hear that the 740 are not that relieable. Now I can fix alot of stuff on cars but have my limits.

what have been your experences with the 740i and should I just keep my little 325i. SHe drives like a little go cart.



thanks for all the opinoins.

I am turning into a big fan of the bimmers i have own old benzes I must say I love them both

the bimmers are alot more fun



thanks

bob

[M3 Ryan]

Well, being a BMW dealer tech, I see a LOT of 740's that need work.
At 135k miles, expect the rear ball-joints to start wearing and adverse tire wear will result.
The waterpump's go out every 75k or so. The valve cover gaskets leak pretty often, and if you get a valley cover leak you are going to spending big bucks (6hrs minimum on this job, we are $110/hr, parts are $50... ect).
They are nice cars, but they do have their share of mechanical problems.
If you are not mechanically inclined enough to do these jobs, then you might not want to get into that car.

[the bob]

I am fairly savey mechanically.

I am willing to brake just about anything. They are beautiful cars and would scratch the itch of I want nice things in this life but I am dabating if a 95 or so e320 benz or a mid to late 90's 5 series would be a better way of doing it. They seem to be more stable, less problematic cars.

That 740i does drive nice. I feel like wolf on pulp fiction when I drove it.


Thanks

bob

[e9nine]

Sound like you are a candidate for an e34 ;)

Do one up, a 740 is just pure luxury cruising even with sport mods. An e34 with some susp mods gets you closer to the best of both worlds of space, reliabilty and sporty feel in a bimmer. The only e34s I will not get are the m20 ones (unless I got one dirt cheap, even then just drop a used m50 or m30 in it). The V8s are not MY preferred bag of chips for cost to benefit (notice this is MY opinion). An m50 or m30powered e34 is where it's at.

For e34 info, www.bmwe34.net is where you want to go. Tons of info for feasibility research.

[Fred]

Damn Ryan, you guys charge 6 hours for that? Last one we did on a 540i was 4 hours billed.

[surebimmer]

Yes fred that is the going flat rate for are shop for the valley pan in San Mateo as well. The E38 Air Flow meters as go bad alot. P/S hoses leak alot, mainly from the pump to steering box. Also thrust rod bushings torn about every 50k. That is 3 hours flat rate. Check the car over. I have seen some nice ones with alot of miles. My dad has a nice 2000 E38 with 90k miles on it.

[trent]

Damn Ryan, you guys charge 6 hours for that? Last one we did on a 540i was 4 hours billed.

Then you guys didn't charge enough :roll:

[Fred]

Then you guys didn't charge enough :roll:

Yeah, guess so. We mainly do MBZs and Porsches, and whenever we get a BMW I don't work on em.

[bmwm3n528]

Isn't this a m60? If so, wasn't there issues with Nikasil?

[mgold]

Isn't this a m60? If so, wasn't there issues with Nikasil?

If its got that many miles on it, its probably been replaced with an Alusil block. My father-in-law's '98 540i started having a host of problems after it went over 100k. He's getting rid of it pretty soon.

[bmwm3n528]

Isn't this a m60? If so, wasn't there issues with Nikasil?

If its got that many miles on it, its probably been replaced with an Alusil block. My father-in-law's '98 540i started having a host of problems after it went over 100k. He's getting rid of it pretty soon.

Well, usually they've been replaced if they're higher mileage, but... my mom's M Tech 540i still retains it's org. Nikasil w/ 130k and no signs of any problems (knock on wood). It seems that the really late model 540i's like after 10/95(All M Techs) seem to have less problems with the Nikasil issue, as i've seen/heard of lots of them riding around with their org. Nikasil w/ over 100k.

[uofom3]

i'd pick it up for 5.5k if pure driving enjoyment isn't your deal

[the bob]

that is the hardest part about it.

I can't see me having a more fun car to drive than the 325i.. Not only that, if is brakes who cares. It is cheap and easy to fix. the 740i will not be as nearly as nice on the wallet.

I think that I am going to put new tires on the rear of the e30 and call it quits and keep the e30. I never had a car that was so easy to get into a controled drft. WIth the old tires on there I can do it at will

Also as a llittel project car it will keep my interest as something will always break which is half the fun.

If I do sell the e30 I will post it up here to see if some lucky guy grabs my used car.

thanks

bob

[E30ownerwithanopinion]

Bob stop being silly its like standing in the Vatican and telling everyone you want to be a Pentecostal go over to a board where people actually own the car you are planning to buy and not the one you are planning to sell to see if you should.

[the bob]

thats what I did and I got a bit scared from them.

It seems like alot of horror stories. 7000 grand for a transmission. ect.

I am just a car nut who spends too much time thinking about what car to buy. I am also thinking about buying a pickup truck.

I drive most of my friends and family crazy with it.


Thanks for the advice

bob