RE: SOTW: BMW 740i (E38)

[cat220]

sparks_E39 said:

It does look good for its age. For all we know they could all have been very kind miles at 70 on a motorway. I think the public ignorance to high mileage cars is great! Makes them a hell of a lot cheaper for us lot

High mileage is fair enough but IMO that needs to be backed up with a decent service history, a 100k gap is considerable.

[VeeFour]

dbdb said:

Given his name, I'd say it is a very good 'plate.

Instantly becomes a chav plate due to illegal spacing, though.

[Merle]

Buy this car for 1000 quid, then part it out. The seats alone might fetch that. Think of all the bazillion outrageously priced bits on a beemer and you could make a small fortune with a little ambition and patience. Use a sawzall to cut up the hulk and dumpster it.

[Bacon Is Proof]

HON2A said:

OT but... Czechs consider themselves Central European Slavs (Prague is geographical to the west of Vienna) and EU members, with their own culture and outlook on life. It's the Soviet Iron Curtain that divided Eastern and Central Europe, both exploiting and holding back the Czechs for over 50 years. Czechs tend to remember Chamberlain's appeasement, giving them to Hitler with the words "that far away country of which we know little", yet retain an enormous admiration for the concept and potential that is Britain. Although we hate being unable to travel in taxis that state "No cheques" which is why we hoon about in old 7 series sheds. I don't wish to ruin a good thread with history, but you did ask BTT: The wheels are definitely wrong.

You Balkans are so touchy.



PS. Jan?

[Huff]

fluffnik said:

It does.

The adaptive 'box of the M60 cars is prescient.

Exactly! waftmatic excellence.

In fact the ZF5HP30 used is a stonking-good match and great to pedal in the 540s and 740s of this era whether out for a blat or being wafted home. To insist on 'manual' is to entirely miss the point.

[sprinter11]

Interior was spot on
bodywork as well

all electrics worked including sat nav
complete toolkit

fired up first time and sounded very healthy

[HON2A]

dbdb said:

Old Gregg said:

VeeFour said:

Old Gregg said:

SFan said:

O/T, I'd quite like the plate off the E38 on my Integra

Fancy selling?

Belongs in the 'Real Chav Plates' thread, that one....

Only in as far as how it's spaced, and I wouldn't have it set out as such.

How much did you pay for the plate, HON2A?

Given his name, I'd say it is a very good 'plate.

£1210 plus all the extras, I'd rather not say but the internet gives it all away now: http://dvlaregistrations.direct.gov.uk/search/prev...

Yes, it's technically "chav plate" territory due to spacing, but it still reads well as "HON 2A" so not worried if I have to revert it. Amusingly, the DVLA printed tax disc and MOT certificate show it closed up as HON2A. Oh, and Czech truckers like it judging by their horns.

Bacon Is Proof said:

You Balkans are so touchy.

I assume you've been in a lift with me then?

"Three men, 254 kilos, that was the deal" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qcMQ7Db5ag

[ess]

VeeFour said:

dbdb said:

Given his name, I'd say it is a very good 'plate.

Instantly becomes a chav plate due to illegal spacing, though.

Never understood the personal plate thang.
Style over substance

[B'stard Child]

ess said:

VeeFour said:

dbdb said:

Given his name, I'd say it is a very good 'plate.

Instantly becomes a chav plate due to illegal spacing, though.

Never understood the personal plate thang.
Style over substance

There is already a thread for you (probably more than one TBH) go find it and leave this thread to run it's proper course

[VictorMeldrew]

dbdb said:

johnpeat said:

J4CKO said:

There are a lot out there but I don't know why people saw the brochure and thought "Yes, Baby Poo beige interior, that will look great", though PHers seem to have all got the nice colour/trim/wheel combos judging by the photos.

Black leather isn't for everyone - it makes for a darker/less welcoming interior and it shows-up damage sooner too.

I don't mind the darker shades (oatmeal - or baby poo if you prefer), the only thing which makes me run a mile are the lighter 'beige' shades or GOD FORBID, WHITE!!

Beige doesn't seem to be very fashionable at the moment and I really don't grasp why. I always choose the lighter colours for the interior, they are so much more inviting and feel more luxurious. Walnut goes well with beige and the spray painted plastic bits so many cars come with just look cheap.
BMW's beige is a really nice beige too; I like it and the interior parts on the 7 Series are high quality so won't feel cheap. Very light beige (magnolia) is my favourite beige though.
Black is forgiving of poor quality which is presumably why manufacturers like it so much. A car with a black interior would have to be seriously cheap for me to consider it. I like little wheels too.

Have to agree with DBDB, I only ever buy cars with leather and would not even consider one with black leather at any price. Still, it probably goes well with black plastic if you really want an interior with that special 70s Skoda ambience.

My last 5 cars have had Cream, Grey, Magnolia, Magnolia and Grey interiors - A8, A8, TVR Chimaera, TVR Chimaera and Senator 24v. I prefer the lighter colours for a more airy and spacious feel. I feel I owe myself something with a proper tan leather now.

Back on topic, I've always quite admired the 7's, the proportions are right unlike the rather dumpy smaller BM's, and a clean 750 would be a very good way of spending a grand.

Edited by VictorMeldrew on Saturday 30th July 12:09

[m0gsi]

Garlick said:

Are you on the brakes there? Was it about to go wrong

Yup! tehe.



Best shed ever imo. Mine owes me £500 I've put 27k , 215k on the clock and it drives amazingly well. Running costs are a little err high though...

[yinujim]

Merle said:

Buy this car for 1000 quid, then part it out. The seats alone might fetch that. Think of all the bazillion outrageously priced bits on a beemer and you could make a small fortune with a little ambition and patience. Use a sawzall to cut up the hulk and dumpster it.

Interior is worthless as every E38 has leather. There worthless to break.

[m0gsi]

yinujim said:

Interior is worthless as every E38 has leather. There worthless to break.

This isn't the case. As the electric motors and switch gear can go wrong there is a strong demand for nice working replacement seats. Msport seats can go for £300 ish.

[johnpeat]

Merle said:

Buy this car for 1000 quid, then part it out. The seats alone might fetch that. Think of all the bazillion outrageously priced bits on a beemer and you could make a small fortune with a little ambition and patience. Use a sawzall to cut up the hulk and dumpster it.

I tackle this one on a weekly basis but once again - selling a car as 'parts' is far, far, far harder than you think.

Yes, there are people who need various parts from any given car - but the hurdles in connecting your bits with their needs are nor inconsiderable.

Listing stuff on eBay costs money and attracts 50 idiots and freeloaders for every genuine buyer. Using freeads etc. reduces the total without affecting the idiot:buyer ratio

Then there's the scammers who will claim your parts were faulty and get their money back through PayPal (and keep the parts usually).

Then there's the people who expect stuff to magically travel the length and breadth of the country 'free of charge' and be in their garage yesterday...

Frankly, in 99% of cases, it's not worth the effort...

[FCK]

SFan said:

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!

Hahahahaha, that reg on the Beemer. Feels soooo wrong.

Edited by FCK on Saturday 30th July 15:37

[FCK]

But other than that, some nice collection you have.

[Old Gregg]

HON2A said:

£1210 plus all the extras, I'd rather not say but the internet gives it all away now: http://dvlaregistrations.direct.gov.uk/search/prev...

Ah, a touch more than I thought then to be honest!

Fair enough, you keep it and enjoy it.

[BountyHunter]

louismchuge said:

Riggers & Co

I think it's time for the winds of change! How about upping the budget?

Blame inflation, blame the scrapage scheme, but I think 2k would see a lot more diverse and interesting metal

£1500 wouldnt be a bad idea.

[johnpeat]

BountyHunter said:

£1500 wouldnt be a bad idea.

I was browsing some old SOTW posts and noticed a general shift from £500 cars to more expensive ones around 2007ish - and certainly things have gone-up in price since then (not the least of which, the value of the fuel in the tank!)

Given that we've had a spate of 'less than sheddy', 'tatty' or even 'outright broken' sheds, I think some increase might be sensible.

£1000 is still a line to cross when you're selling a car - some people will cling onto £1100/1200 if, for no other reason, to suggest they're selling a solid/decent car (and may even dip below the £1000 when haggling kicks-in)???

[shithotfast]

I had one of these from new in 1998, did 200k in it, the best, most silent, most comfortable car I have ever had. Goes like a rocket right up to 150 mph ish, still silent at 150! This is a £40k car new at least..... what a lot of car for (more or less) free....