RE: SOTW: BMW 740i (E38)

RE: SOTW: BMW 740i (E38)

Friday 29th July 2011

SOTW: BMW 740i (E38)

Has Shed found seventh heaven?



Given that the humble barge is a staple of Shed's diet, it's odd that the E38 BMW 7-series has never been granted the honour of Shed of the Week.

It's even more odd when you consider that Shed has featured a full 20 BMWs since the beginning of recorded Shed time (mind you that only goes back to late 2006 - we didn't keep an SOTW archive before then) and that your humble scribbler here is more than partial to a Bee-Em. We've done a few Sevens, but never the 1994-2001 E38.

That changes today, for we present you with 4.0 litres and 282bhp of creamy BMW V8 in the form of this 1995 N-plate 740i. And a car that a certain J Bond sped around in duringTomorrow Never Dies (yes, we know that was a 750iL, but this is close enough, surely?).


What's particularly tempting about this car is that it comes from a dealer forecourt rather than a private drive, so you'd (probably) have some comeback if things went all pear-shaped - which is a fine idea when you pick out a barge - this might have a £1k price, but it still has the running costs of a much more expensive motor...

...which brings us to the slightly odd wording of the advert. The dealer's ad describes it as a 'cheap runner'. Now, a V8 BMW 7-series may be many things, but cheap to run it will not be. Heck, even the advert admits to the group 19 insurance. Must have been the work experience lad who wrote the ad for that one...


Even so, 995 notes for all that power, leather and prestige, plus a full 12 months MOT, seems pretty good value for us. The sticker price in the first image also tells an intriguing tale - this car has already been reduced from £1295, so you could probably twist the salesman's arm* and knock a few quid further off that.

*Metaphorically of course - PistonHeads does not condone physical violence on car traders

Advert is reproduced below

BMW 7 SERIES 740i V8 Auto 1995
130,000 miles £995

BLUE 4 Door Saloon


3982cc

Insurance Group 19, THIS CAR WILL COME WITH A 12 MONTHS MOT DRIVES WELL, CHEAP RUNNER Electric Mirrors, Electric Sunroof, Electric Windows, Remote Central Locking, ABS, Climate Control, Power Steering, Drivers Airbag, Passenger Airbag, Alloy Wheels, Full Leather Interior, Immobiliser, Alarm, Please Call 01925 820222 For Further Details

 



 

Author
Discussion

johnpeat

Original Poster:

5,326 posts

264 months

Friday 29th July 2011
quotequote all
Proper shed but WTF is going on with the wheels/arch space

Is it running on airbags? smile

sparks_E39

12,738 posts

212 months

Friday 29th July 2011
quotequote all
Those wheels are horrible.

matt21

4,285 posts

203 months

Friday 29th July 2011
quotequote all
shedtastic

GreatCornholio

1,721 posts

172 months

Friday 29th July 2011
quotequote all
As Sebastien Vettel would say "this is what i am talking about boys". Cool shedsmile

getawayturtle

3,560 posts

173 months

Friday 29th July 2011
quotequote all
I think the E38 is the coolest car you can possibly own, great shed.

(get rid of the st wheels though)

exgtt

2,067 posts

211 months

Friday 29th July 2011
quotequote all
Nice shed, 3x the car compaired to last weeks. Also like the wheels, big cheap barges need conservative wheels if you don't wanna look like a skint gangster. Conservative wheels and ambers, it's the future!

Cheap runners says to me it's not the best up close, but for £1k!? With 12 months ticket! Bet it gets snapped up by a polish guy, all the cheap sevens round my way are driven by big bad looking polish guys!

Edited by exgtt on Friday 29th July 04:15


Edited by exgtt on Friday 29th July 04:17

oilit

2,613 posts

177 months

Friday 29th July 2011
quotequote all
not sure they are the wheels it would have come with though are they? they look wrong...maybe they are from a 3 series !

Edited by oilit on Friday 29th July 07:32

Major T

1,046 posts

194 months

Friday 29th July 2011
quotequote all
That looks very tidy from the pics.

SFan

446 posts

170 months

Friday 29th July 2011
quotequote all
The E38 is the most satisfying car I've owned in many ways. My 728 (1999) cost £2200 last March and it's covered 18,000 miles since at 31.4mpg, including trips to Austria and the Czech Republic, where it Autobahn wafted at 100mph. Costs have been £1200 for a broken fanbelt, oil separator valve, two services and four tyres, which works out at £75 a month running costs, and negligible depreciation now it's on 127,000.
It's had more positive comments than my wife's 3 series convertible at ten times the price and I can still work on it myself as it's pre-computer/Bangle takeover... heaven!

Laird

26,140 posts

213 months

Friday 29th July 2011
quotequote all
johnpeat said:
Proper shed but WTF is going on with the wheels/arch space

Is it running on airbags? smile
They're the wrong wheels (from an E36 by the looks of it).

I reckon it's a nail.

Leptons

5,108 posts

175 months

Friday 29th July 2011
quotequote all
Laird said:
They're the wrong wheels (from an E36 by the looks of it).
I'm not convinced, I've never seen those on a 3 er. I think people forget hows small wheels used to be, 15inch used to be the norm!

How reliable are the BMW V8's? Awsome shed IMO!

Olf

11,974 posts

217 months

Friday 29th July 2011
quotequote all
I bought my E38 728i as a stand in for 6 months. Cost me £2,500 from a nice chap in Sunningdale, original owner. I kept it for two years because it was so bloody good. Couple of things went wrong but nothing major, ride comfort and quietness on the motorway were supreme. Kids used to fall asleep as soon as they got in it. A whisper conversation at 70mph on a concrete road was easy. Huge boot and reclining seats made it very practical. Sold it after two years having covered 20k for, yep you've guessed it £2,500. One of my all time best cars.

Pothole

34,367 posts

281 months

Friday 29th July 2011
quotequote all
exgtt said:
Nice shed, 3x the car compaired to last weeks. Also like the wheels, big cheap barges need conservative wheels if you don't wanna look like a skint gangster. Conservative wheels and ambers, it's the future!

Cheap runners says to me it's not the best up close, but for £1k!? With 12 months ticket! Bet it gets snapped up by a polish guy, all the cheap sevens round my way are driven by big bad looking polish guys!

Edited by exgtt on Friday 29th July 04:15


Edited by exgtt on Friday 29th July 04:17
they make them all shiny?

Frances The Mute

1,816 posts

240 months

Friday 29th July 2011
quotequote all
They're the wrong size tyres. Not suprising when you consider the price and availability of OE spec. I see plenty of E38's on the lower rungs of the ladder with 3 & 5 series wheel and tyre combos.

Shed neglected to mention that being the earlier 4.0l version, it's susceptible to nikasil. As such, these are largely unloved (which is a shame as it's still a great engine) because of the documented issues.

I had a later 740 and it was a great car. Thirsty, though.

Martin 480 Turbo

601 posts

186 months

Friday 29th July 2011
quotequote all
I am not sure these rims are legal on a E38 7series.
Originally they were found on E39 5series cars.

http://cgi.ebay.de/4-orig-BMW-Alufelgen-16-E39-E34...

As stated in the Ad above they do have a different central diameter
than the ones needed.

Martin 480 Turbo

lordlee

3,137 posts

244 months

Friday 29th July 2011
quotequote all
Leptons said:
I'm not convinced, I've never seen those on a 3 er. I think people forget hows small wheels used to be, 15inch used to be the norm!

How reliable are the BMW V8's? Awsome shed IMO!
They are off a 328i. Early SE spec model.

shouldbworking

4,769 posts

211 months

Friday 29th July 2011
quotequote all
its cheap, and its a runner.. just' smile

I like it.

nav p

324 posts

186 months

Friday 29th July 2011
quotequote all
The wheel design was available on E38,E36 and E39, they were called Classics.
The ones fitted to this car are the wrong size altogether.

The ones fitted to this car look like they come off an E36..

Riknos

4,700 posts

203 months

Friday 29th July 2011
quotequote all
Very cool, great shed. I think any half decent looking car with 12 months MOT for under a grand is a bargain, but this seems like a cracking deal. Just strip it and sell the bits when it breaks!

BadgerBill

274 posts

238 months

Friday 29th July 2011
quotequote all
Good work.

I've been turning blue after holding my breath for a decent SOTW following the fiesta Puma debacle.

£900, run till it drops, weigh in, job done.

BB