Discussion
I'm going to treat myself to a silly car soon, and I keep coming back to a 7 series, probably a V8 (if an E38; 2.8 seems a bit pointless when looking for silly, and the V12 possibly a bit too silly (Python)... I'm not sure what's available under the bonnet of an E65).
Budget could run up to 6k, and I'm sort of surprised to see a good number of the ugly new idrive E65 7s are well down into that bracket now.
I'm still drawn to the shape and simplicity of the older E38 model (I'll be able to fix a lot of it myself; I think they're less over-complicated on the whole even than the E46 I've spent the last few years mending each time it breaks) but I guess the newer one will have its own pros and cons.
So a £3k-ish tidy E38 740, with plenty left over for petrol and servicing and to my eyes the best looks, or reach for a E65 (and learn about the engine options etc!)?
Budget could run up to 6k, and I'm sort of surprised to see a good number of the ugly new idrive E65 7s are well down into that bracket now.
I'm still drawn to the shape and simplicity of the older E38 model (I'll be able to fix a lot of it myself; I think they're less over-complicated on the whole even than the E46 I've spent the last few years mending each time it breaks) but I guess the newer one will have its own pros and cons.
So a £3k-ish tidy E38 740, with plenty left over for petrol and servicing and to my eyes the best looks, or reach for a E65 (and learn about the engine options etc!)?
I can afford to run/repair either, within the rules of shedding (ie, repair is less than the cost of buying another whole car). The MPG is simply reflected in the purchase price, IMO 
I don't spend lots of time driving high miles, I just fancy being wafted into work each day and trying something I haven't tried before.
E38s may be old, but they're properly built out of Real Stuff as far as I can tell; my E46 nightmare means I'm less convinced about more computers.
If I spotted an E65 at £3k or less though, I might be hard pushed to resist - that's throw-it-away-if-it-breaks-much-at-all land.
Another point is the looks though... not sure I'd ever get a thrill walking towards an ugly duckling E65 the way the E38 speaks to my eyes!
I don't spend lots of time driving high miles, I just fancy being wafted into work each day and trying something I haven't tried before.
E38s may be old, but they're properly built out of Real Stuff as far as I can tell; my E46 nightmare means I'm less convinced about more computers.
If I spotted an E65 at £3k or less though, I might be hard pushed to resist - that's throw-it-away-if-it-breaks-much-at-all land.
Another point is the looks though... not sure I'd ever get a thrill walking towards an ugly duckling E65 the way the E38 speaks to my eyes!
notsofast said:
There is no haynes manual though and DIY information is scarce so you are mostly in the hands of a garage (indy of course).
This is the other bit that's nagging at me. I know I could do most things on an E38 without even looking at any instructions due to owning E30/36/46. And I'm sort of planning to add a fairly good amped sound system, and I'm guessing that'll be much easier in an E38 too.Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff