Ok, I searched the forums first, and there is only a handful of posts about the E32 750iL. basically all I could come up with is the drivetrain is pretty solid, but I would assume there are the normal electrical problems as with all german cars it seems like... Is there really anything specific that I may have missed??

At any rate, I was driving by a carlot of hte higway, and pulled in and there was an 89 750iL. 160k, pearl white, new tranny, blue interior in VERY good condition, has some dinan chips of some sort (not sure what, but I saw a Dinan chip install sheet laying around).

The car doesnt run at the time, but he says it runs goofy, and when it warms up it is rough. Sounds like injectors or plugs to me?

Anyway, they want like $4000 for it right now as it is...

HE also has a 91 white/gray 750iL with 88k, perfect condition, but I dont know on the cost of that...

I am no newbie when it comes to owning expensive cars, I got a 1994 Infiniti Q45, and have dropped 2 grand into misc things, mainly suspension and tuneup related things...

I guess what I want to ask is..... What kind of gas mileage do these cars get city/highway. Im used to about 14/21 in the Q.... ALso, can you get parts about anywhere......? I would do most my own work, so if parts arent very expensive then I may be in business, as labor will be free. Looking in teh enigne bay they have to take forever to fix..\

Also, does anyone know the 1/4 mile times for these beasts. I am hoping that the V12 will help, as Im looking for something a bit quicker and roomier than my Q...

Sorry for the long post, thanks for any help......!

I'll bite, though it's a small nibble, really.

The E32 750 has a really bad reputation for reliability. From what I have heard, they aren't as bad as many suggest, though electrical problems seem to be the biggie, which as we all know, can be a b*tch to trouble-shoot.

If time and aptitude are on your side, do some online detective work to find out the price of parts. Go to e38.org and look for the list of vendors. From that, check out their websites and plug in parts for this car. I don't think they will be cheap, but shouldn't be horribly expensive, either.

BTW, the $2K figure for maintenance on your Q sort of made me laugh - I have a feeling the E32 will run you much more that that...

My GUESS on mileage is, IF you can get the car running well its MPGs should be comparable to the Q, though maybe a bit less around town. I doubt the E32 will be much quicker than the Q, don't know for sure, though.

IMHO if you are concerned about parts costs and MPG, I wouldn't buy this particular model BMW. Spend more up front to get into an E38. You might be able to find a 95 that is inexpensive - but make sure that if you are looking at a 95 you have reveiwed the Nikasil issue.

Having said all that, one other observation - if you are concerned about how fast the car is keep in mind that we are talking about a very heavy vehicle here. These cars were not designed to be 1/4 mile cars, but luxury autobahn cruisers.

Have you considered a 3 or 5 series?

Cheers,

Like I said, Im NOT concerned about MPG or parts, as from my research they are both the same or better than my Q45...

A quick comparison would be: Q fuel pump is about 250, 750 is about $130. Injectors for the Q are $120 each, the 750s are around $75...

It seems to me that the V12 produces about 300hp, which is the same as the Q, but the BMW is heavier. I would assume with the 4 speed, most of its power is on the highway, say 50-80 (where the Q shines as well)...

Basically, I looked at www.carsurvey.org at the 750 reviews, and the stuff they complain about is what I would consider "normal" maintenance items. IE water pumps, suspension components (struts, bushings, etc), alternators, etc. ALl those things fail on older cars, and are expected to, IMHO...

Basically the only reason I am looking to upgrade, is for an upgrade in class without losing any of the good points in the Q (good handling, good power, decent MPG, luxury, etc) and I wont mind a **slight** increase in maintenance.

Wheres the best place to get FACTORY service manuals? For the Q, they have an online resource to download them for a charge. They also include a service manual in the trunk (a mini version, slightly abridged, but 99% the same as the big FSM the dealers have)...

I guess what Im getting at, would it be somewhat illogical for me to get rid of the Q, in favor of a E32?

I guess what Im getting at, would it be somewhat illogical for me to get rid of the Q, in favor of a E32?

Well, you ARE talking to a group of BMW nuts, after all...

Is this your primary means of transportation, or do you have another car to get you places when you HAVE to be there?

Remember, the E32 is older than what you have, plus it's not Japanese. So it will probably be less reliable, even once you get it sorted.

However, you are right in that it is a much more unique and interesting car than the Q, which wasn't exactly chopped liver when it first came out.

If you have the resources to work on the car (time and money) and can get a decent car for a good price, grab it and get back to us.

I realize this. If I went over to my infiniti forums and asked hte same question, I would be disowned for the thought.....

On a little side note, in Central Indiana there was some sort of driving school at Putnam park, out in the boonies... They had a cadillac CTSv that I was sorta with, but it was a BMW club event.. It was cool, ive never seen so many M POWER logos before in my life! WE had a mini nissan/infiniti meet there, to watch one of our fellow memebers drive a CTS-v.....

I wouldnt say that the 750 is more unique, its just different... In 1990, the 750 was about 80+k when the Q was 38k.....

If I can get the E32 (the one for 160k) for 4000, I **might** be able to keep the Q (an extremely dependable car), but most likely Id have to sell it...... My website is www.wes.spilky.com, my Q is there and all the work Ive done to it (im pretty sure the service records are there)... Anywho, Im fairly adept at DIY. and have done quite a bit on teh Q. As it seems to me, the V12 probbaly isnt hard to work on from a complexity stand point, but its definitely from space...... Theres NO room in there, and I thought the Q was bad!!!!!!! If you look me up on my infiniti forum (www.nicoclub.com), youll find Im pretty brave when it comes to working on these thigns..... At first, the only thing that scared me was the parts cost, and thats not a big deal...

The thing you have to realize with these cars, is they ARENT SMART to own. No BMW 5/7 series, hell any BMW for that reason... My Q isnt, neither is any luxury cruiser... I guess the only smart cars are Honda's, 4banger toyota's and geo's..... I realize this, and I knew it when i was getting hte Q... However, is this car gonna cost me SO MUCH extra money and effort that its not even worth bothering. If i spent more than 4000 in the first year on the E32, Id have a supercharger for my Q...!

I know it all has to do with maintenance, but are there any common pitfalls... I did some internet searching, and all I could find is some ambient temp sensors going bad, and stuff like that. I havent found something that really religoiusly fails.. Is there a good group for E32s, or informational page that I could find... It seems most "7-ers" are E38 people....

So true, elwesso - most of us are E38 owners... However, judging from your website, I think you are ready to join the crowd here. We can't wait to read more about your purchase and observe mod fever sweep over your "new" car!

Cheers,

Well, within the next week or so Im gonna go up and drive the 750, both of them. I will od a review of them compared to my Q, with numbers, and butt-dyno readings!! :)

you will be owned by that car if you buy it- $2000 in six months :D

Ask some of your same questions here - should be more E32 V12 owners.

Let us know.

http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/e32/

(and tell them FlyingHigh sent you)!

Thanks a lot, I asked the people over there to look at this thread, and we'll see what they say!

Thanks again for the advice, this is really the ultimate BMW forum. ALl other BMW forums Ive been to, and for that matter mercedes forums, audi, etc, have plain SUCKED... This one is GOLDEN

Ok im bringing this thread back up :)

http://www.colossus-lp.com/90bmw750

Theres one im PROBABLY gonna go look at this week, it looks a little overpriced to me.. What do yuo think?

Former E32 owner here. They are very nice cars and my 740 was not too bad on the wallet. All the usual stuff you mentioned, nothing that I absolutely had to do.

However, the E32 is pretty dated compared to E38's and I don't think you will be happy with the "toys" compared to your Q. As someone else mentioned, look around for a 95/96 750IL. No Nikasil issues with the V12 and I bet you can find a high mileage car that would not be too far off from your current price range.

Here is one:

96 750IL (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6009&item=2481999124&rd=1)

Email or call the seller to see where they are at in terms of price. I may be way off, but I would think you could get a '96 with 150k in the $10k range.

Ok im bringing this thread back up :)

http://www.colossus-lp.com/90bmw750

Theres one im PROBABLY gonna go look at this week, it looks a little overpriced to me.. What do yuo think?

I agree with Joe - if you can pony up a few more thou, get the E38. If not, the car you listed looks fine - to the extent two photos do it justice (which of course they don't).

It's what we can't see that matters, of course. And I would push back on price - how long has it been on their lot?

I kinda like the idea of getting an E38 more.. It seems like an E32 might be a little bit of a downgrade form what I have.

That E32 looks overpriced there, unless its got a hefty list of new parts and a full service record.....

The E38 V12 is probably more refined and reliable... They have to be hard to find, as I assume most people got the 740s (and the really unacceptable nikasil problems)

Plus Id have more support and aftermarket items if I went E38

Ill keep my eyes out, but for that Ill probably be looking into more $$$. If you wanna play you gotta play, I guess.

This really is the ultimate BMW forum. I was cruising the internet for an audi forum (I saw an old V8 quattro i wanted more info from) and there was nothing. This place is golden, dont be surprised if you dont start seeing more of me in the near future!

I have a total of 13,000 posts in 2 other forums I frequent, so you may see quite a bit of me! :)