E38 740i - good mile eater and tow-er?

Yeah, I'm picking up a caterham for this year :-)

Likely ff2000 for next, just need to get to some meets to make my mind up on that one.

Then... The enviable conclusion will be a radical sr8... I have naughty dreams about that car :-)

Doing various experience days this year too plus the odd club 100 race... Driving an e92 round brands hatch tomorrow :-)
 
crinkleshoes said:
Yeah, I'm picking up a caterham for this year :-)

Likely ff2000 for next, just need to get to some meets to make my mind up on that one.

Then... The enviable conclusion will be a radical sr8... I have naughty dreams about that car :-)

Doing various experience days this year too plus the odd club 100 race... Driving an e92 round brands hatch tomorrow :-)
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Let me know if you give club100 a go, I have a couple of friends who still race in it who can help you out on the day.

Same applies for the FF2000, I'll be doing a few rounds this year so let me know if you head along to one.
 
pcoltrane said:
Let me know if you give club100 a go, I have a couple of friends who still race in it who can help you out on the day.

Same applies for the FF2000, I'll be doing a few rounds this year so let me know if you head along to one.
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I'll probably pop along to the May race at Silverstone :)
 
e38 turned up on your drive yet? or have you gone for something else / given it up as a daft idea?
 
I'm still contemplating / testing various things.

I'm leaning more towards a 5 series though now, they feel worth the extra money to me.

That's not to say the 740 isn't a good car... incredible value for the money, especially compared to the 5 series... it's just the 5 series is a bit more me.
 
crinkleshoes said:
That's not to say the 740 isn't a good car... incredible value for the money, especially compared to the 5 series... it's just the 5 series is a bit more me.
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I'd completely agree with that, the 740 is excellent imo, but the 7 as a whole to my mind has a little of "too much" about it, surprising to some that I hold that view perhaps, I'm an out & out fan of the e38 for what it is.

Many people have commented to me that my e39 is much more "me" than my e38 was, and they'd be right.

The e38 used to feel almost out of place, where the e39 does not, no matter where I take it, it does not look out of place in the yard parked at work, I often felt that my e38 did...

The ultimately, I prefer the looks of the e38, and actually like the bigger feel of it over my e39! although, as I'm sure you appreciate, they both still feel like Fiesta's compared to my truck!
 
Yeah - can't imagine it compared to a truck, never had the chance to drive one.

I still remember jumping back in my first 1.6 n/a 1990 MX5 after doing 500-600 miles in a LWB van... I had no sleep for 24 hours (naughty) and it felt like a go-kart. Wish that feeling could have lasted longer :D

You must get that quite a bit switching between as frequently as you must.
 
crinkleshoes said:
Yeah - can't imagine it compared to a truck, never had the chance to drive one.

I still remember jumping back in my first 1.6 n/a 1990 MX5 after doing 500-600 miles in a LWB van... I had no sleep for 24 hours (naughty) and it felt like a go-kart. Wish that feeling could have lasted longer :D

You must get that quite a bit switching between as frequently as you must.
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I make a point of letting the car warm up before I leave the yard,its stood for the week and I always give it a bit on the way home - the "rocket powered roller skate" feeling you get for the first few miles, still brings a smile to my face! :o :D even after all these years....

As well built as an e39 undoubtedly is, it feels like its made of paper compared to the Scania!

One thing I can't stop myself doing, for the first few miles in my car I'm trying to change gear with my wiper stalk as this is where the gearchange is on my HGV... :o
 
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Time to man up be laughed at by Fox... lol

I've gone the devil fuel route :(

I can make £300-400/month on the mileage... it's just worth putting that £3.5-5k/year in to something more fun rather than pointlessly burning it on the motorway :(

It's a sad but sensible decision.

I want a V8 back in my life - but the extra money means more toys that can be driven properly.

So... picked up an '04 320d at trade price... it's slow, but it'll do.

*note to self* keep reminding myself why I'm doing this...

/dead thread :(
 
You have gone from one of my first choices as a towcar to my last.... :(

Enjoy it - it should be cheaper than the e38, I thought fuel was no issue though? :confused:
 
rodenal said:
Ah well, do the swirl flap mod asap and enjoy it for what it is. Not a bad car the 320d
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Already been done :)

R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
You have gone from one of my first choices as a towcar to my last.... :(

Enjoy it - it should be cheaper than the e38, I thought fuel was no issue though? :confused:
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It's not an "issue" as such... I can just make money on it, if I choose this route.

I have the choice of fuel on company credit card or pence per mile... if I choose ppm, with my average mileage it works out with me being between £300-400/month "up" using this as my daily. It'll still have enough torque for what I want to tow.

I'm very conflicted with this.

Last week, I almost went through with an E92 M3 lease - I'm all over the place :rolleyes:

Will see how long this lasts - I'm not sure how long I can live with diesel doom.
 
How the heck did this thread end up with a damn 320d?! You ask us to provide lots of information about wonderful 8 cylinder cars and you then buy a 4 cylidner diesel?

I'm sure a 'trade innit' 320d is a particularly wonderful example, too :p
 
[TW]Fox;21473395 said:
How the heck did this thread end up with a damn 320d?! You ask us to provide lots of information about wonderful 8 cylinder cars and you then buy a 4 cylidner diesel?

I'm sure a 'trade innit' 320d is a particularly wonderful example, too :p
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Dodgy re-do on BMW lacquer fail combined with ex-NHS attachments leaving the dash a bit shoddy are the reasons for the discount - seems good mechanically with good history.

Just had the suspension overhauled, recent discs and pads... had the swirl flap mod (even though 2004-on isn't supposed to need it).

I definitely did not visit one of the dodgy asian dealers round Luton - makes me shivver when I think about that :D

Remember looking for a shed for the other half ages ago, she saw this convertible renault POS she wanted - so we took it out for a test drive... died within 400m of the stealership :D
 
All these people who overhaul their suspension just before they sell up, eh? Probably done the timing chain too. Got receipts? ;)

Oh well - you do have a good reason to choose what you have, I guess, and the money is going towards proper toy cars, so that makes it OK.

Enjoy the tractor. :)
 
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