decisions decisions decisions...

[LOCKDOWN1986]

im about to buy my friends dad's 98 740 iL with 99k miles. i went and saw it (in dallas) and mechanically it is perfect, he has all papers of perefect maintenance and it has just had its tune up. I was wondering about how these things last and how reliable it will be down the road at like 120 or 150k miles, should i expect problems?

im driving a 93 nissan 300zx TT right now, which i cant afford insurance on so im moving on to bigger and more luxurious (afordable LOL) things. his dad is asking 10k for it, which seems like a steal (looked at nada). the front bumper has a pretty bad crack in it and it is scuffed all over (notin u can see from a like 10 feet away tho) it has a few chips on it 2. the interior needs a lil cosmetic work. so to answer my question should i got for it? i drove the car.. and it hauls i was surprised how a 4400 lb hunk with just 282 hp could go from 30 to 70 haha. turns awsome 2. anyways just seeking some advice. the car looks pimp (especially imagining 20's and a W7 heheh) so i really want to go for it.

[LOCKDOWN1986]

o yeah hey, i was wondering if there where some favorite websites for parts such as interior replacement and cosmetic (bumper) also any after market. cant seem to find any good ones that have anything of use to me.

[ibew595]

Don't get it if you can't afford the insurance on a 300z then you won't be able to bear the cost of some of the inherent problems of these cars. It is a good deal though.

[LOCKDOWN1986]

so they have lots of problems? his dad said he has never had one problems, it is smooth and seems really solid. so you think at like 120 or by 150k miles it will be having problems a lot? damn.. i want it so bad. please tell me what kind of problems are comon and how often they occur and what are the chances of it bein messed up. i thought bimmers where made excellent and would last really well w/o complications.

[ibew595]

Look up common problems at E38.org
If you want it bad then be prepared to not commit any crimes to toss the $1k to your mechanic.
Don't get me wrong these are not POS cars. If you maintain and do preventive actions then it won't kill you. Drive it like a honda and you will pay dearly. You can't drive a honda into a wall and survive. E38s will have a helluva better chance.

[bigb114]

It sounds like a great deal to me. The best part is that you know the owner and you have records of how he kept up the maintenance. As far as a comparison to your nissan, BMW's are a little more termpermental. I've had 4 nissans and aside from regular maintenance ( oil changes, etc.) they are pretty trouble-free. BMW's take a little more to maintain but as long as you keep them up and don't dog them out they are good for around 300k before a major overhaul.

Also, you should know that repairs and parts are going to cost more that your nissan. I recently purchased a 1994 740 il with 119k miles, one owner and in great shape. The only problem was the "check engine" light was on and it idled rough until it warmed up. Diagnosing and fixing that problem cost me about $500. It was worth every penny. It runs great now.

One last thing....Don't just buy it because it is a good deal. Owning a BMW is an experience. It is a car like no other.

[dpoelstra]

I traded my 96 Jag XJS for a 97 740iL with 153,000 miles on it.

I was nervous because of the miles, but I had documentation of good service history and this car has been picture perfect!

Find a good BMW mechanic (not the dealer) and you can get great quality service for a reasonable, although still high price (but still much cheaper than the Jag).

Example:
Brake job: dealer $675, same job with my mechanic: $375. If you use aftermarket parts it can get even cheaper, but you can get what you pay for.

Couldn't be happier with my first BMW. Not so much as a hiccup or a burp.

If you have a good service history, I would go for it in a second, then take good care of it and check out www.e38.org. After owning a Jaguar, this is nothing!

Happy beaming!