On the more practical side, if that's how you want to approach it, see the links in my signature below, particularly the E38.org link. (BMW's names their chassis models/body styles by Exx. The 1995-2002 7-series were E38's).
Do your research, definately, before you get into one of these cars, because these cars seem to have the technology from the space shuttle. It's not hard to fix yourself, but it can be quite tedious if you don't have that experience to DIY.