old 7 series

lnoton said:
What do you think its worth having seen it? I was going to go today, just didnt have the time.
http://www.gmscars.co.uk/bmw_728i_sport_oxford_green_ii_-_details.html - this one has less mile..worth the extra 2k?
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The 750i is a beauty but the seller is having a laugh - it's worth half the asking at best IMO - the GSM 728 I'd gladly pay asking price for.

The other one, 54k, qualifys for bmw's warranty (bloody expensive on the e38 IMO) I'd put the £2k in the bank toward running costs on the higher mileage example were it me.

Caveat, I love e38's ;)
 
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airwave99 said:
I notice on that one it says "Full Service History" and "Serviced @ 9k, 22k, 45k, 54k". Surely a 13 year old car should have had more than 4 services?
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Serviced according to the cars requirements via the service indicator....
 
Is there something to be particular concerned about with the 5.5l V12 as opposed to the 2.8l? Are they much more to maintain, more likely to blow up etc.?

I feel a trip to Guildford coming my way…just need to get the suitcase of cash sorted and someone to come with me…the girl doesn't drive.
 
The v12 will surely be massively more expensive. The 2.8 M52 is well known for being reliable except for perhaps their cooling systems. The v12 requires twice as many plugs, twice as much oil, no doubt uses entirely bespoke electronics and ancillaries.

I wouldn't want one if you gave it to me to be honest.
 
Depends how much you are willing to spend on maintenance I guess. But V12 will have a much higher likelihood of throwing up scary bills. They are much more complicated, obviously.

A 740 makes a good compromise which is why they were so popular.
 
Number 1 difference is obviously keeping it in fuel, but you know that! Obviously double the number of plugs leads etc, so general servicing more expensive. High milers sometimes have niggles with rough running that might need parts and time throwing at it. But nothing too crazy expensive that I'm aware of - it's just an engine afterall. People just like to think OMG must be money pit because V12. Best to check with an E38 forum for more specific advice. There are a few on BMW5.co.uk who have them or have had them but haven't reported any problems.

With the car as a whole, most bothersome would be the fact that most 750s are fitted with S-EDC, the electronic damper control. That means expensive suspension per corner if something goes wrong. Then again there's nothing to stop you abandoning the system and fitting conventional shocks if something went wrong.

Probably bigger more expensive brakes but I'm not really sure.

Other than that nothing really. It's fitted with more toys than lower spec models, but they are generally reliable and there are so many breaking it's easy to fix stuff if you want.
 
The V12 is a money pit though if you want to maintain it properly. I would imagine an inspection II is massively expensive. Simple jobs such as changing the plugs have to be done from below the car, or at least thats how its designed to be done. In all honesty I would rather have the 740.

S-EDC replacement would be in the thousands. Remember also, these cars suffer from leaking petrol tanks, and at this age its very common, so you will need to check them because its a fairly large job to have one replaced, and costs around a thousand pounds.
 
lnoton said:
Is there something to be particular concerned about with the 5.5l V12 as opposed to the 2.8l? Are they much more to maintain, more likely to blow up etc.?

I feel a trip to Guildford coming my way…just need to get the suitcase of cash sorted and someone to come with me…the girl doesn't drive.
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Both engines are unlikely to just blow up, the main differance with the v12 other than it will feel an awful lot faster, is servicing costs, everything will take longer or require twice as many parts, petrol and oil will also be consumed in far greater quantity

That said i'm not sure if i'd be keen on a 2.8 either, i'm sure it's a lovely motor, but in a large heavy 7 series it might feel a bit dare i say it underpowered...

This kind of car is not going to be cheap whatever way you look at it, but if you really are set on a E38 7 series then i'd say the 735/740 would be your best bet, the 740 probably being the best overall in terms of running cost vs performance.

The V12 seems a lot more expensive for another 40hp, and at the other end of the scale i'm not sure if being nearly 100hp down is going to make up for the savings on offer from the 728, it's up to you but i always figured part of the appeal of a big executive barge is the relaxed cruising and refined/effortless performance.
 
I think the 740 is always the one to go for, though apparently the 728 handles itself remarkably well for it's size. I wouldn't imagine impressive performance, but it probably cruises more than adequately.
 
You're probably right - if you're being sensible. But then what's sensible about buying an old E38? Especially paying top money for one from GMS. Nothing - so, may as well do it properly :). I mean they're a bit pov spec those 740s and 28s - you wont get the nice every square inch covered in leather option that 750s have, or the electric rear seats, etc, etc. If you're gonna pauper it up, may as well just get an E39, cos they look better. :)
 
I always wanted one, been thinking about going to view that 728 with 112 for a couple of week now, but I have chickened out. I don't want to spend 4 grand on it and it be realistically worth 2 the minute I drive it home. Nor do I fancy doing a petrol tank at some point. Nor do I need such a big car.

They are awesome though.
 
Plenty of people running E38s cheaply enough. If you have an itch to scratch just pick up one of the many available for not much more than 1k. I wouldn't pay 4k for a 728 either.
 
its soooo hard.

they'll look awesome, but as someone earlier said, as soon as they lose that showroom condition they are pretty much worth nothing. cost lots keeping look like that i'm sure.
 
lnoton said:
its soooo hard.

they'll look awesome, but as someone earlier said, as soon as they lose that showroom condition they are pretty much worth nothing. cost lots keeping look like that i'm sure.
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Yes it does, thats why it's not really worth it unless your talking about the rare Alpina ones.

If you really must, just buy a more well used example, scratch your itch and sell it on after a year or so, to keep these cars pristine is lots and lots of cash and is just not worth it, unless it's a motor like that B12.
 
rare said:
I always wanted one, been thinking about going to view that 728 with 112 for a couple of week now, but I have chickened out. I don't want to spend 4 grand on it and it be realistically worth 2 the minute I drive it home. Nor do I fancy doing a petrol tank at some point. Nor do I need such a big car.

They are awesome though.
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I wonder if he has redone the seat leather in that car. The drivers is like new for 112k.
 
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