BMW E32: 733i...how are these cars??

[rodrigo]

I saw a very nice 1984 (E23) 733i this afternoon while taking care of some things...stopped to take a look at it. Interior needs a little love, no rips or tears. Some plastics are cracked and wood trim needs a re-finish. Paint is Ok but needs the ding-doctor.

How reliable are these cars...I have heard somewhere that the transmssions on these cars are nightmares: constant rebuilds or replacement. Is that true??

Does anyone have any experience with these cars? They are really nice looking sedans!!

[daniel]

bimmer_e30 is selling his right now. he has a couple months of experience with his.

edit: nevermind, he is selling an e32. i misread your post.

[e34john]

bimmer_e30 is selling his right now. he has a couple months of experience with his.

Car OP wants is an E23, he has it right in the body but wrong in the title. Or thats how I see it since he claims its an '84.
No real input here except my neighbor tried selling me his for 500 when the tranny went out. He ended up selling for 50 bucks and the new owner spent about 1500 getting it back up and running. I was pissed. I could have parted it or done a swap, nice looking car too it had my old bottle caps on it and it fit the car really well.

[Lars_from_Mars]

733 was a pile from what I hear.

[rodrigo]

a 'pile' in what aspect, Lars. People tell me E30's are 'piles' all the time but I dont really take them seriously.

Car OP wants is an E23, he has it right in the body but wrong in the title.

you are correct, I mis-typed the title...this is an E23! :)

[euroshark]

There is nothing wrong with the 3.2 liter M30 compared to the 3.4 liter B34 or B35 varieties. The 733i fuel injection system was a little different in regards to the idle functions, but if they start to be troublesome everything can be converted to the later electronics very easily. That said, the fuel injection systems rarely have issues since they are pretty simple. The cars themselves are very robust and well built, and tend to last forever just like the E28s. They aren't as quick or nimble but they are good, solid transportation.

[bataangpinoy]

745i cough cough.
turbo m30's are yummy.... m106 iirc?

[Ral]

I own one.. slowly getting it to DD status. It's a boat.

[rodrigo]

Any suggestions on what to look for if you were going to buy one today?

The owner of the car is telling me it has low oil pressure but iddles amd drives fine...any suggestions?

Thank you guys. :)

[euroshark]

What sort of mileage is on it? If the oil pressure is low it could be a VERY loose cam oil spray bar (likely - fix this asap), weak oil pump, or worn main bearings. I'd be fairly suspect depending on the mileage and use this to talk the price down.

It might be worth your while to pop the valve cover off and check the banjo bolts for the spray bar. They tend to back off over time and you don't get enough oil to the cam lobes, especially near cylinder 1 and 6... Also while you are in there feel for worn cam lobes.

Otherwise, if the heat works, windows work, brakes work, etc, I'd drive one no problem. They are pretty darn reliable cars.

[rodrigo]

thanks Euroshark. I will be taking a better look at thig car this weekend if everything goes well.
:)

[Ral]

Anyone know any good sources for repair info, i.e. Bentley manuals, etc?

[euroshark]

The internet is your best source for most of our old cars these days. There might be some (barely) active E23 forums out there somewhere... A lot of info you find on the E24 and E28 forums will apply as well. The Bentley is a given unless you can memorize and catalog torque specs in your head! Most of the procedures take basic common sense to figure out just like pretty much anything on an E30, E34, or E28.