Hi, newbie here and looking for some wisdom. I posted this in the "For Sale" forum, but I think this may be a better spot for it.

My previous car, a 1985 BMW 528e, suffered about 2 feet of water during Hurricane Wilma. It was a beloved car, and I kept it as long as I could in the driveway, even emptying the glovebox of water just as a parting goodwill gesture. When I finally had it towed, water poured out the exhaust pipe as the tow truck hauled it away...

Now I am in the market for a replacement, and am looking at this:

cut and paste into browser: cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=013&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=230076832872&rd=1,1

I don't have a lot of experience and have seen some things pointed out on this forum that I never would have caught, so I am looking for some advice and possible pitfalls I might be overlooking.

Also, will maintanence costs be sig. higher with the V8? And will the auto trans give me problems down the road that could be avoided with a manual? This car is for my wife, so the auto is not a problem.

And finally, in my price range, (7-10,000), am I overlooking a better choice, such as a different model or year?

I am also looking at Pener's E39 on here, but it is a bit over my budget and I don't need the incredible sound system his car has.

cut and paste: forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=551141

Any thoughts or wisdom on the ebay listing would be much appreciated. Thanks,

Greg

Do you really want an auto tranny? If you get that much hp its a lot of fun with a 6 speed. Just a thought

I would rather have a manual, but it's for the wife 90% of the time, so it is not a deal breaker.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=540888

Thanks, I actually read that whole thread earlier today. Some good info there.