Hello all,
I've been reading the boards here looking for some insight, and I'm starting to freak myself out!
I've always wanted a BMW, and the e38 7 series to me is the best looking car out there - especially with the M sport rims!
In any event, I found a private seller here locally with a 1997 740i with 110k on the odometer. It's not a sport model, but he has upgraded to the sport rims. I think I can drive away for about $7,500.
I have not driven it yet, or seen it in person. Talking to the seller on the phone, he says the maintenance (besides oil changes) has been done at the local dealer, and everything is in great shape.
After readin the boards here, I'm starting to worry about all the unseen things that could be wrong with it, and all the future maintenance costs.
Maybe I'm blowing things out of proportion, but it sounds like there are a lot of issues with these cars, and that scares me for a car that costs this much brand new. Is it that these cars have a lot of issues and it takes a lot of $ to maintain them, or is it that they are reliable cars, but when something does go wrong, it takes a lot of $ to fix them?
Any other things I should be looking for when I do drive it? It sounds like there are a lot of radiator issues, so I'll for sure ask about that.
I have the VIN but have not yet done a carfax.
Any advice or calming messages would be appreciated! I just don't want to walk into a money pit!

Thanks!

I just pulled a Carfax report and everything seems to be in order. Any other tips would be appreciated!
If anyone else wants a report, PM me.

Buy it sounds good to me ...

check this out:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=672137

Take all the "horror" stories that you have read with a grain of salt. Most guys who post usually do so because they have a problem and need advice/help....hence the abundance of "problematic" cars in boards.

Every once a blue moon, someone will post about how blissful their ownership has been but those are very few and far between.

At the current mileage of the car you are looking at, things I would focus on are: front end (arms and bushings) and O2 sensors (known to need work at 100K miles). Components of the cooling system are known to fail around 60K (on average) so good idea to check on: radiator, expansion tank, hoses and water pump.

BTW, above items are covered in the link that tar.bz above posted. Another good link that will keep you occupied with reading is: www.e38.org. Best advice I can give you: spend to have a PPI done for the car. Then buy an extended warranty for some peace of mind. Best of luck.

Just to add to what kromdom said. I would test the car according to the links above.

Then before buying, get a local independand BMW mechanic\specialist to look at it. If you look on e38.org there is a link to a thread listing local independant BMW mechanics.

For sure they generally cost more to maintan than your average Ford, but the experience is a lot more rewarding as are the looks you will get!

The golden rule is do your research, take your time inspecting the car and dont rush into anything. Also, remember that ALL prices are negotiable :)

Thanks for the feedback - I copied all of the checkpoints and made a list to go over tomorrow. I also stopped at my local dealer to get some info. Lastly, I called the dealer that he got it serviced at. It looked like it was serviced regularly. Though only thing that worries me is that the dealer said nothing major was replaced. I'm thinking thin means that it might be more that I have to replace.

In any event, I think I've armed with as much info that I could have.

I'm excited (and a little nervous), but I'm looking forward to finally being a BMW owner.

I'll be back with my findings!

Look, I have to be the first to say that being a BMW owner is pretty fun, albeite expensive. I have had nothing but porblems with my 740I and it's only got 68K and a good maintenance history. I am getting rid of mine right after I fix the Catalytic converters (look these up:eek: ). It's not that they are that much $ to fix the problems it's that there are so many. Just my two cents.

PS. I absolutly love to drive my car:redspot I just can't afford to fix it any more.

If the car comes with records review them, make sure the suspension is up to snuff. Drive the car then take it to a indy or dealer for a pre inspection of some sort and then go from there. Also keep in mind you can save a lot of money on the DIY maintenance and if everything checks out okay then the choice is yours. and e38.org is a great reference.

Thanks everyone for your help with this. I went and saw the car on Saturday, and I'm happy to say that I'm picking it up tomorrow!
I printed out the checklists from the other posts you guys linked, and went through each one. While there were a couple minor issues (CD changer doesn't work), all the major stuff checked out. The guy took great car of it, and had records of all the stuff he's done since he's owned it. Most of the major stuff has already been replaced, so that made me feel so much better about everything.
Thanks again, and I'm sure I'll be back on the boards soon!

congrats and post pics soon!

Enjoy. The idiosyncrasies just add to the experience. d;-)

im new here yeah i have a 740il i am getting ready to part out and everything works it is wrecked in the rear left 130000 miles lots of power good tranny

im new here yeah i have a 740il i am getting ready to part out and everything works it is wrecked in the rear left 130000 miles lots of power good tranny


welcome! unusual FIRST post!

I tried to post a pic, but I guess I don't have enough posts yet!
Bummer!

Congradz on your E38 fungo45!
As far as the pics, go to photobucket .com and upload a few. Than just insert it as in image in your post. Easy :)

Congradz on your E38 fungo45!
As far as the pics, go to photobucket .com and upload a few. Than just insert it as in image in your post. Easy

Thanks, I tried that. It's not letting me add anything to my posts (pictures, links, smiley faces, etc.). I think I need to have a minimum post count before I get those abilities. Weird.

I'll keep giving it a try.

Thanks, I tried that. It's not letting me add anything to my posts (pictures, links, smiley faces, etc.). I think I need to have a minimum post count before I get those abilities. Weird.

I'll keep giving it a try.

That is correct, you need 20 posts to post pics, urls or emoticons and 100 to have an avatar.