Thinking about buying an E32 750i
Discussion
As above, im getting unnerving thoughts about adding an old skool Bimmer V12 to the RetroWheels stable 
.
Question is, do these 750's have the legenendary BMW build quality i've heard so much about ?
Currently own a couple of Tivvers, couple of Land Rovers and a Triumph Stag , so im not unfamiliar with the odd reliability "issue"
..
Expecting high running costs and complexity , but a quick trawl through the web suggests the e32 v12 is rather more problematic than , say an equivalent mileage/age six or eight cylinder 7 series.
Realise that vehicle history and provenance are very important but can any of you Bimmer folk offer further guidance/links etc.
Thanks,
Darren.
. Question is, do these 750's have the legenendary BMW build quality i've heard so much about ?
Currently own a couple of Tivvers, couple of Land Rovers and a Triumph Stag , so im not unfamiliar with the odd reliability "issue"
.. Expecting high running costs and complexity , but a quick trawl through the web suggests the e32 v12 is rather more problematic than , say an equivalent mileage/age six or eight cylinder 7 series.
Realise that vehicle history and provenance are very important but can any of you Bimmer folk offer further guidance/links etc.
Thanks,
Darren.
740 is a better car, more developed engine, cheaper to run, no difference in performance in the real world and cheaper to buy / run. The model is however a great car, just look out for electronic gremlins which can be costly to fix, and a shortage of good specialists willing to work on them! Fuel costs are high too!
Edited by belleair302 on Sunday 22 April 22:59
Subject of the engines (suitability for transplants) came up on another forum I'm on and a very knowledgable chap Ed said the following
Ed said:
They're about 300bhp as stock, first gear in glemsford built a supercharged stock engine with about 600 ponies in it for the gumball.
thing is, apart from porosity or forcing to much boost through 'em, they're nigh on bullet proof, its everything else that's around them goes wrong. £500 for 6 plug leads sir? (there are others that fit
) and yes, they do snap! fly by wire throttle bodies go wrong almost alarmingly, we (at the bmw specialist I work for) get about £200 upwards for throttle bodies. none in stock ATM.
2 ecu's, 2 TB's, 2 air flow meters, 2 dizzy caps= 2 head aches every time. there are ways to simplify it though
and manuals? forget it! unless you can adapt something else (not really that difficult) manuals are very few and far between. also a pattern part clutch is £320
if you want any more info etc., just ask, been doing bm's for nearly 10 years now.
thing is, apart from porosity or forcing to much boost through 'em, they're nigh on bullet proof, its everything else that's around them goes wrong. £500 for 6 plug leads sir? (there are others that fit
) and yes, they do snap! fly by wire throttle bodies go wrong almost alarmingly, we (at the bmw specialist I work for) get about £200 upwards for throttle bodies. none in stock ATM. 2 ecu's, 2 TB's, 2 air flow meters, 2 dizzy caps= 2 head aches every time. there are ways to simplify it though
and manuals? forget it! unless you can adapt something else (not really that difficult) manuals are very few and far between. also a pattern part clutch is £320
if you want any more info etc., just ask, been doing bm's for nearly 10 years now.
Edited by B'stard Child on Monday 23 April 11:04
belleair302 said:
740 is a better car, more developed engine, cheaper to run, no difference in performance in the real world and cheaper to buy / run. The model is however a great car, just look out for electronic gremlins which can be costly to fix, and a shortage of good specialists willing to work on them! Fuel costs are high too!
I went the 740 route rather than 750 too - similar real world performance and better mpg
Shame it doesn't have a V8 burble
Have a look at www.bmw7resource.co.uk of if you are brave
www.tridem.han-solo.net/auto/erich
dont laugh but its an excellent site for 7 series owners.
or ask the guys at www.bmwcarmagazine.com for their thoughts.
www.tridem.han-solo.net/auto/erich
dont laugh but its an excellent site for 7 series owners.
or ask the guys at www.bmwcarmagazine.com for their thoughts.
Thanks for the input and links chaps - gives me something to look into.
The car wont be a daily driver so normal fuel service costs are'nt a big factor.
Im looking for something big ,fast (cheap!) and comfy to keep in the garage,polish - and drive to car shows - on the weekends when im not arseing about with TVR's.
With regard to cost , the greatest percieived bargains( ) of any of the older big saloons are the V12's - whether it be Jaguar, Mercedes or BMW , cars that were 50 to 100k , ten to twenty years ago now available for a grand or two 
, when i see this sort of stuff on ebay and in the classifieds , reasoned intelligent thought goes out the window unfortunately 
.
That said , im thinking that IF i can pick up a good e32 750i for <2k , and IF it doesen't faint on me within the first 12 months and IF im really lucky in getting a good'un.......
Then what an absolute hoot it will be
, a big assed V12 Uber Saloon , for the price of two sets of Tuscan race car tyres - in fact i think i've just convinced myself 
.
Edit - on slightly more mature reflection , im going to look at one i've got in mind at the weekend - get a clearer idea and spend this week researching on the net
.
The car wont be a daily driver so normal fuel service costs are'nt a big factor.
Im looking for something big ,fast (cheap!) and comfy to keep in the garage,polish - and drive to car shows - on the weekends when im not arseing about with TVR's
. With regard to cost , the greatest percieived bargains(
) of any of the older big saloons are the V12's - whether it be Jaguar, Mercedes or BMW , cars that were 50 to 100k , ten to twenty years ago now available for a grand or two , when i see this sort of stuff on ebay and in the classifieds , reasoned intelligent thought goes out the window unfortunately . That said , im thinking that IF i can pick up a good e32 750i for <2k , and IF it doesen't faint on me within the first 12 months and IF im really lucky in getting a good'un.......
Then what an absolute hoot it will be
, a big assed V12 Uber Saloon , for the price of two sets of Tuscan race car tyres - in fact i think i've just convinced myself . Edit - on slightly more mature reflection , im going to look at one i've got in mind at the weekend - get a clearer idea and spend this week researching on the net
. Edited by RetroWheels on Monday 23 April 21:23
I have an E32 750iL & it has FBMWSH from new - has done 88K.
When it comes to servicing you have to treat it like the £60K car it was back in 1988.
They vary from being quite reliable to an absolute nightmare.
When I turn-off the engine, for the next 30 seconds I can hear a multitude of electric motors shutting down. All I can do is remain in that beautiful buffalo hide seat & quietly pray to God that none of them needs replacing! One day an electric seat had a frenzied fit contorting itself into a totally anatomically impossible shape - ther's another £600!
Mine's been good - but then I've had the odd big bill like £4K to rebuild the EDC suspension etc. Still bargain on £2k pa in maintenace costs at a BMW dealer. Some years it won't cost you anything other than standard servicing, other years you'll overhaul the airconditioning, fix oil leaks, replace worn bushes, dampers, hydraulic pumps, rebuild the heated electric seats etc.
People take short-cuts - but who are they fooling - it was things like the self-leveling suspension, electronic damper control etc which made it the car it was. Throwing Bilsteins at it might improve the handling but it won't be as BMW intended.
The V12 is in another league to the BMW V8 for refinement, low & mid-range torque, character & sound. It's turbine smooth in the way that only a V12 can be. Flooring it is like prodding a Lion with a stick - a flat growl & then it just sucks in the horizon - no historionics! I bought the 750iL off my brother who replaced it with an E38 740i because he needed the deeper boot for his kids' prams.He always maintained that the 750iL was completely in another league to the 740. I remember cruising to Belgium with the cruise control set at 130 mph in airconditioned comfort with four people & their luggage on board. It was a Bentley turbo competitor. At the 155 mph limiter its turning over at 4800 rpm & apart from fuel stops it'll do it all day! The 750iL is an aristocrat, its all class- it's just a pity that VERY FEW are maintained as BMW intended. Yes, mine is in for new fuel & brake lines plus an oil change at the BMW dealer & I'm told to expect a bill for £1400 excluding the oil change (I provided the Mobil 1). Aristocrats still need money, even when they're old & have few friends!
When it comes to servicing you have to treat it like the £60K car it was back in 1988.
They vary from being quite reliable to an absolute nightmare.
When I turn-off the engine, for the next 30 seconds I can hear a multitude of electric motors shutting down. All I can do is remain in that beautiful buffalo hide seat & quietly pray to God that none of them needs replacing! One day an electric seat had a frenzied fit contorting itself into a totally anatomically impossible shape - ther's another £600!
Mine's been good - but then I've had the odd big bill like £4K to rebuild the EDC suspension etc. Still bargain on £2k pa in maintenace costs at a BMW dealer. Some years it won't cost you anything other than standard servicing, other years you'll overhaul the airconditioning, fix oil leaks, replace worn bushes, dampers, hydraulic pumps, rebuild the heated electric seats etc.
People take short-cuts - but who are they fooling - it was things like the self-leveling suspension, electronic damper control etc which made it the car it was. Throwing Bilsteins at it might improve the handling but it won't be as BMW intended.
The V12 is in another league to the BMW V8 for refinement, low & mid-range torque, character & sound. It's turbine smooth in the way that only a V12 can be. Flooring it is like prodding a Lion with a stick - a flat growl & then it just sucks in the horizon - no historionics! I bought the 750iL off my brother who replaced it with an E38 740i because he needed the deeper boot for his kids' prams.He always maintained that the 750iL was completely in another league to the 740. I remember cruising to Belgium with the cruise control set at 130 mph in airconditioned comfort with four people & their luggage on board. It was a Bentley turbo competitor. At the 155 mph limiter its turning over at 4800 rpm & apart from fuel stops it'll do it all day! The 750iL is an aristocrat, its all class- it's just a pity that VERY FEW are maintained as BMW intended. Yes, mine is in for new fuel & brake lines plus an oil change at the BMW dealer & I'm told to expect a bill for £1400 excluding the oil change (I provided the Mobil 1). Aristocrats still need money, even when they're old & have few friends!
My boss had a 750i for several years. It was sublimely smooth and did everything effortlessly. You had to check the rev counter to make sure the engine hadn't stalled. It was in a different league engine wise to the 540 V8 that we also had at work.
When he first got it he lost half the engine, something to do with the liners, and it had to be rebuilt, luckilly under warranty. Also the electronic dampers were replaced at a cost of over £2K shortly before he got rid of it.
Superb piece of kit though, fantastic selection of toys.
Regards
Chris
When he first got it he lost half the engine, something to do with the liners, and it had to be rebuilt, luckilly under warranty. Also the electronic dampers were replaced at a cost of over £2K shortly before he got rid of it.
Superb piece of kit though, fantastic selection of toys.
Regards
Chris
Yes the E32 was the first 7 Series V12. I've only driven the E38 in 740i form but they're quite different animals. The E32 had firmer suspension & heavier steering - in short it's a "sportier" drive if not quite as soft & luxurious as the E38. The E38 was definitely targeting the Mercede S Class rather than trying to be a big 5 Series like the E32. The E38 750iL always looked like it would be driven chauffeur whereas the E32 had more of an owner/driver character.
My old machine has the buffalo hide option so it has leather all over the door liners, interior door handles,glovebox, lower dash & central console whereas my brother's E38 740i had plastic in all these places.
I always felt that the E38 did a better job of being the luxury limo & the E32 was a more involving drive.
My old machine has the buffalo hide option so it has leather all over the door liners, interior door handles,glovebox, lower dash & central console whereas my brother's E38 740i had plastic in all these places.
I always felt that the E38 did a better job of being the luxury limo & the E32 was a more involving drive.
Hello again 
i had a look at the car i initilally posted about and (unsurprisingly really) it was a bit of a squib..
The interior/exterior were as battle scarred as , say , any old G reg car would look today
I think i expected too much of a <£2k / 17 yr old car , eagerly wanting to check out something fit for BMW Mobile Tradition's historic collection.
It would have made sense at less than a grand - i keep having this vision of driving to a track day (no trailers, no prepping days in advance etc)having a good time on circuit in this highly innapropriate barge , and driving home again (having not stuffed it or blown up).... i can dream
.
Real deviance would see me trying out a Drift day in a 750
- assuming the e32 is as well balanced as the smaller Bimmers ???
It would really be russian roulette though, every good track/drift day that the car survived would be a bonus - i never abuse any car on track - but if the engine/trans popped and £grands were involved , it would be
On the other hand ,i keep envisaging a well kept E32 750 , with gold centred BBS (ebay
) ,10 mpg and all the toys which i could polish,take to shows and just pimp it up in the manner of a '90's East European pornographer ..
There'd be no track days for this baby
.
I think that's been the problem lately (that, and not actually havin a spare 10p recently - never mind a grand or two -plus running costs) i know i want an E32 750i , i just dont know what i want one for.
I know i dont want the later E38 - no doubt they are superior in all aspects - they just dont do it for me -dont know why - not really the cost.
I think i need to ruminate on the E32 750 issue some more..
i had a look at the car i initilally posted about and (unsurprisingly really) it was a bit of a squib..The interior/exterior were as battle scarred as , say , any old G reg car would look today
I think i expected too much of a <£2k / 17 yr old car , eagerly wanting to check out something fit for BMW Mobile Tradition's historic collection
.It would have made sense at less than a grand - i keep having this vision of driving to a track day (no trailers, no prepping days in advance etc)having a good time on circuit in this highly innapropriate barge , and driving home again (having not stuffed it or blown up).... i can dream
.Real deviance would see me trying out a Drift day in a 750
- assuming the e32 is as well balanced as the smaller Bimmers ???It would really be russian roulette though, every good track/drift day that the car survived would be a bonus - i never abuse any car on track - but if the engine/trans popped and £grands were involved , it would be
On the other hand ,i keep envisaging a well kept E32 750 , with gold centred BBS (ebay
) ,10 mpg and all the toys which i could polish,take to shows and just pimp it up in the manner of a '90's East European pornographer ..There'd be no track days for this baby
.I think that's been the problem lately (that, and not actually havin a spare 10p recently - never mind a grand or two -plus running costs) i know i want an E32 750i , i just dont know what i want one for
.I know i dont want the later E38 - no doubt they are superior in all aspects - they just dont do it for me -dont know why - not really the cost.
I think i need to ruminate on the E32 750 issue some more
..Personally I would say go with a late E32 V8 if you can, but look up to see if the Nikasil liner problems have been dealt with!
They do have a fantastic V8 burble (albeit not as deep as a tivver) when sports cats have been fitted
Guy on the 7 series register (petetina) has an E38 V8 with sports cats..sounds nice
They do have a fantastic V8 burble (albeit not as deep as a tivver) when sports cats have been fitted
Guy on the 7 series register (petetina) has an E38 V8 with sports cats..sounds nice
I'd have thought a banger of an E32 750iL would be a very expensive car to take drifing & would provide for a very brief drifting career. The diff, transmission & suspension might not appreciate the extreme exercise! It sounds to me that you love these monster saloons - whether it be an E32 750iL, 600 SEL, 560SEL, XJ-12 etc. The price difference between a pristine one & a banger is minimal. The cost of restoration is potentially huge so people are just running them into the ground. A banger would cost a fortune to bring up to the standard of a minter & yet a minter might sell for £1 - £1.5K more!
All I can say is that the "feel good factor" of driving a mint old "dragster-limo" makes it great value of money. All these types of cars are pretty heavy, so if you hurl them into corners flat-out everyday you will race through suspension consumerables such as bushes.
All I can suggest is you buy a minter (cheap to buy but hard to find) & enjoy the refinement knowing that as a motorway cruiser there are few finer.
I can remember crusing down a motorway at 140 mph in convoy with a Bentley Turbo R, 560 SEL & Lotus Carlton - luxuriating in the luxury of a motor I had bought six years earlier for £5K!
My brother commented that the 750 was probably only worth as much as the alloys on the Bentley - but here it was doing the same job beautifully & for peanuts!
There's a side of me that loves these monsters - starting with the 300 SEL 6.3, then the 450 SEL 6.9 & going on to the Merc, Beemer & Jag V12s. The antithesis of lightweight sports car - but I love both ends of the continuium.
My only word of warning is that if you buy a pristine car the purchase price is merely the entry level - to keep it that way would requiring budgeting £1.5 - £2K per annum. I couldn't bring myself to abuse my machine or run it into the ground, its like a member of the family!
All I can say is that the "feel good factor" of driving a mint old "dragster-limo" makes it great value of money. All these types of cars are pretty heavy, so if you hurl them into corners flat-out everyday you will race through suspension consumerables such as bushes.
All I can suggest is you buy a minter (cheap to buy but hard to find) & enjoy the refinement knowing that as a motorway cruiser there are few finer.
I can remember crusing down a motorway at 140 mph in convoy with a Bentley Turbo R, 560 SEL & Lotus Carlton - luxuriating in the luxury of a motor I had bought six years earlier for £5K!
My brother commented that the 750 was probably only worth as much as the alloys on the Bentley - but here it was doing the same job beautifully & for peanuts!
There's a side of me that loves these monsters - starting with the 300 SEL 6.3, then the 450 SEL 6.9 & going on to the Merc, Beemer & Jag V12s. The antithesis of lightweight sports car - but I love both ends of the continuium.
My only word of warning is that if you buy a pristine car the purchase price is merely the entry level - to keep it that way would requiring budgeting £1.5 - £2K per annum. I couldn't bring myself to abuse my machine or run it into the ground, its like a member of the family!
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