New car for my dad (that I could steal)

[KenC]

The only e39s worth buying are the 02 or 03 with sport and premium packages... and you're not going to find one for $5k. $10-12 more likely.

I wouldn't touch an old e38. They look sick, but if you're going to only spend five grand, get ready for one that needs attention.

If he's looking to drop $5k, e38 and e39 is not the place to plunk it down. Quit leading your dad astray and tell him to keep the Honda.

[Acehye559]

+1

heres what you do. buy a clean one, slam it, 6 speed swap from e39 540i, some nice wheels, done!

Thats what we're about to do with this one: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1783151

However, OP if your interested my buddy doesnt turn down reasonable offers.

[smooth]

an e34.

this is my vote

[Rsully70sev]

I own two E38's.

First one is a 1997 740i my father gave me, he bought it with 25k and it now has 225k. Replaced the transmission at 150K ($5,000 IIRC) and the head gasket just blew. It's getting repaired right now, head resurfaced and everything, and the block was checked for cracks. That's running $3,000. Aside from these two things, it has not had any major problems, and if you're mechanical and can do those things yourself, cut the cost in half. Just be prepared for $150+ oil changes unless you do it yourself, and cooling issues. Both have been through several problems with the cooling systems with a price tag around $1,000.

My second one is a 2001 740il with 108,000. This has literally never had any major issues whatsoever. Aside from the $150 oil changes, it has been a very low maintenance car to be surprised. And they have been METICULOUSLY maintained their entire lives. I don't neglect anything because it just leads to something catastrophic.

Overall review, I enjoy the 740il more. It seems more "prestigious" (at least in their day, and still today) rather than sporty with the 740i's smaller wheelbase. Acceleration is quick and powerful, averages 18mpg, and they are incredibly comfortable.

Both of them are on the market actually if you are interested. I have every single recite for every single thing done, both adult driven for most of their life, and mechanically sound. The black 740i is going to be bulletproof once it's back, the motor is getting rebuilt, the transmission was purchased brand new (not a used one) the only thing I would recommend is a paint job. I already talked to Jesse and he quoted me $1,800 for body work, paint, clear, and color sanding. It would be a beast.

[InuFaye]

E39 540i/6.

Fuck the rest.

[trackjunkie21]

Sounds like someone just wants their dad to get them a more powerful car to show off at school.

To get a good e38 you need to spend 20k plus. (740i/750i sport with low miles)

20k? Are you fucking serious? There isn't even on for sale around here for close to that price, There is one with 40k miles and the guy is asking 14,500 and the car is showroom condition. My dad bought his for 7,500 with some 22" ATS wheels which he immediately replaced for some stockers. Car was mechanically solid and ran beautiful.

[VANOS714]

get the e38, lower it but some nice wide wheels and youre set. they look mighty hot :) nice luxury car with some nice power to it.

[pureaudio]

I thought about an E38 but could never find one with lower mileage in decent condition, E39 is much easier to find. With a 5k budget though, I'm not sure I would touch either of those. If I had a 5k budget for a DD, it would probably go to a e46 323i with a manual.

[Vivek]

Quit leading your dad astray and tell him to keep the Honda.

Trust me, he knows exactly what he's getting himself into. That's the reason he didn't do this years ago.

On SFbay CL there's a ton of VERY nice looking sub 6k e38's. We'll probably start looking at some this weekend or when his honda sells. M pars and coil overs would be so hot on an e38.

[bmwstudent]

my pop has a 2001 e38. I maintain it for him. It's very expensive. He has owned it since 2008 and bought it off the original owner in perfect condition. If you cannot afford to drop money on it constantly it will quickly turn into a rolling piece of shit. They are awesome cars, i love driving my pops car. Its totally pimp. Having said that, my pop make a buttload of money and he can afford to pump money into it constantly because he loves the car. Last month we did both valve cover gaskets and timing chain cover gaskets, this takes special skill and tools. Also did the spark plugs and the water manifold under the intake manifold, a real bitch. All the seals and gaskets on the way out. On the test drive i noticed the thrust arms were making some noise. After another inspection i realized he needs the left side thrust arm, not just the rubber but the whole arm because the ball joint is bad too. Not being a one side type guy, i'll be replacing both. Bottom line, IF YOU DONT MAKE A LOT OF DOUGH YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO DRIVE AN E38. Sorry

[TurboJake]

Just don't hit a deer with the car you "borrowed" from your "dad".

If you don't get it. http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...ighlight=gt500

[Vivek]

+1

Thats what we're about to do with this one: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1783151

However, OP if your interested my buddy doesnt turn down reasonable offers.

Linked car is for sale? Or "everything's for sale at the right price"?


I've been thinking, are e36 M3's less money pits than an e38? I know he doesn't like e36s, but I didn't either at some point and while they are still the ugliest 3-series (except f10), I don't hate them as much.

I REALLY want him to get an e38 though, and we can do some stuff ourselves, but we don't have any special tools or anything.

[Julien]

tl,dr

why not just keep a reliable honda as a dd? think your dad has it pretty well figured out imho

[Vivek]

tl,dr

why not just keep a reliable honda as a dd? think your dad has it pretty well figured out imho

It looks ugly as shit with the peeling clear which isn't worth it to fix, and it's just boring. All of use choose to drive e30's because they're fun...it's definitely not for their amazing reliability.

[87e30]

buy a 5k honda. It will be nicer, it will last longer, it will be cheaper to own, and it will probably less annoying to drive than a broken bmw.

Alright, I don't have any personal experience with e38s but it just doesn't sound like a good idea to me with a budget of 5k.