Buying a V12 blind - am I crazy?
Discussion
I have somewhat of a problem when it comes to E38's.
Bought my first one back in 2006 and have had 20+ since then and tried them all. I have an E38 instagram page, contribute to various forums, facebrick ... etc you know. A proper problem, an experienced problem.
Currently run two - a super low miles almost concourse Jap import SWB sport, and a not-so-perfect daily 728 in poverty spec. The latter I bought for £500 off an elderly guy local to me who had looked after it well - but it was in dreaded t'rans failsafe prog' aka limp mode/3rd gear.
So my reputation is now such that someone dropped me an email offering me a 750 for a price I can't refuse. It hasn't run in 7 years but everything else about it shouts YES.
My problem has either got the better of me, or this is going to be a big YES.
The level of excitement is extraordinary. The lack of fear is maybe a bit of a worry, albeit not something I will take ownership of - my closest friends think i am a bit nuts and asked questions about it that didn't even occur to me - like does it turn over, whats bodywork like?
Question is, do I take a battery and try turn it over? This will be my first E38 non-runner, and not wanting my excitement to get the better of me or the car - I do want to be cautious about recommissioning it. Thinking i bring her home, drop the oil and leave plug out overnight then top her up with some fresh oil. Drain the petrol tank, replace fresh. Anything else I should do that doesn't involve the medical profession?
Bought my first one back in 2006 and have had 20+ since then and tried them all. I have an E38 instagram page, contribute to various forums, facebrick ... etc you know. A proper problem, an experienced problem.
Currently run two - a super low miles almost concourse Jap import SWB sport, and a not-so-perfect daily 728 in poverty spec. The latter I bought for £500 off an elderly guy local to me who had looked after it well - but it was in dreaded t'rans failsafe prog' aka limp mode/3rd gear.
So my reputation is now such that someone dropped me an email offering me a 750 for a price I can't refuse. It hasn't run in 7 years but everything else about it shouts YES.
My problem has either got the better of me, or this is going to be a big YES.
The level of excitement is extraordinary. The lack of fear is maybe a bit of a worry, albeit not something I will take ownership of - my closest friends think i am a bit nuts and asked questions about it that didn't even occur to me - like does it turn over, whats bodywork like?
Question is, do I take a battery and try turn it over? This will be my first E38 non-runner, and not wanting my excitement to get the better of me or the car - I do want to be cautious about recommissioning it. Thinking i bring her home, drop the oil and leave plug out overnight then top her up with some fresh oil. Drain the petrol tank, replace fresh. Anything else I should do that doesn't involve the medical profession?
Edited by torx_whisperer on Friday 19th July 16:17
mattswan said:
I have somewhat of a problem when it comes to E38's.
Question is, do I take a battery and try turn it over? This will be my first E38 non-runner, and not wanting my excitement to get the better of me or the car - I do want to be cautious about recommissioning it. Thinking i bring her home, drop the oil and leave plug out overnight then top her up with some fresh oil. Drain the petrol tank, replace fresh. Anything else I should do that doesn't involve the medical profession?
If you're serious about buying, bring it home first without starting it - change oil & filters, then consider trying to start the motor. If it's been standing for 7 years it's safe to say that what's in the sump won't be much good as lubrication. I'd also be tempted to change the plugs before starting, just in case they've decayed sufficiently to disintegrate and drop small pieces of metal into the cylinders if / when the engine fires up (a mate of mine had this happen to a car he'd bought in similar circumstances...
Question is, do I take a battery and try turn it over? This will be my first E38 non-runner, and not wanting my excitement to get the better of me or the car - I do want to be cautious about recommissioning it. Thinking i bring her home, drop the oil and leave plug out overnight then top her up with some fresh oil. Drain the petrol tank, replace fresh. Anything else I should do that doesn't involve the medical profession?
If you're serious about buying, bring it home first without starting it - change oil & filters, then consider trying to start the motor. If it's been standing for 7 years it's safe to say that what's in the sump won't be much good as lubrication. I'd also be tempted to change the plugs before starting, just in case they've decayed sufficiently to disintegrate and drop small pieces of metal into the cylinders if / when the engine fires up (a mate of mine had this happen to a car he'd bought in similar circumstances...
Gary29 said:
Are you a man or a mouse?!
Get it bought and get the photos up.
This is happening - of that there is no doubt. Recovery truck booked for the 70 mile trip home (ouch! £££). 10 litres oil, 2 air filters, 12 plugs and 10 bottles of brake cleaner ordered. Spare battery charged up and ready. 2 spare alloys packed in boot. What have I missed? Get it bought and get the photos up.
Will leaving the sump plug off over-night do the trick or do I need to run some sort of chemical flush through it?
No photos yet, am buying this 100% blind. Vin number does suggest it won't disappoint though.
mattswan said:
This is happening - of that there is no doubt. Recovery truck booked for the 70 mile trip home (ouch! £££). 10 litres oil, 2 air filters, 12 plugs and 10 bottles of brake cleaner ordered. Spare battery charged up and ready. 2 spare alloys packed in boot. What have I missed?
Will leaving the sump plug off over-night do the trick or do I need to run some sort of chemical flush through it?
No photos yet, am buying this 100% blind. Vin number does suggest it won't disappoint though.
Chemical flush never hurts - especially if you can rinse the sump through without starting the engine. It will 'rinse' all the crud out of the sump, but I wouldn't start an engine that hasn't run for seven years on flushing oil.Will leaving the sump plug off over-night do the trick or do I need to run some sort of chemical flush through it?
No photos yet, am buying this 100% blind. Vin number does suggest it won't disappoint though.
Lord.Vader said:
Join us over on the Barge 1-5 thread.
Buying V12's, importing a Toyota Century and generally advising each other to buy TTV12 Mercedes or an aging unseen Bentley for under £5k.
You will fit right in, plus there is a wealth of knowledge.
Is that the general smokers one? Will def join in. Barges all the way! Buying V12's, importing a Toyota Century and generally advising each other to buy TTV12 Mercedes or an aging unseen Bentley for under £5k.
You will fit right in, plus there is a wealth of knowledge.
Excellent, just the sort of thread we all like to see on here!!
I'd change the oil and filter, put some fresh petrol in, squirt a small amount of diesel in each of the bores and turn over by hand a couple of times, then with no plugs in and fuel pump relay taken out I'd turn over on the starter until you get oil pressure and the diesel has blown out of the plug holes. Pop the plugs back in and you're ready to go assuming you have spark and fuel in the right places
I'd change the oil and filter, put some fresh petrol in, squirt a small amount of diesel in each of the bores and turn over by hand a couple of times, then with no plugs in and fuel pump relay taken out I'd turn over on the starter until you get oil pressure and the diesel has blown out of the plug holes. Pop the plugs back in and you're ready to go assuming you have spark and fuel in the right places
Gallons Per Mile said:
Excellent, just the sort of thread we all like to see on here!!
I'd change the oil and filter, put some fresh petrol in, squirt a small amount of diesel in each of the bores and turn over by hand a couple of times, then with no plugs in and fuel pump relay taken out I'd turn over on the starter until you get oil pressure and the diesel has blown out of the plug holes. Pop the plugs back in and you're ready to go assuming you have spark and fuel in the right places
Diesel? In a petrol 12 cylinder rolls-royce creation? What kind of sorcery is this?? I'd change the oil and filter, put some fresh petrol in, squirt a small amount of diesel in each of the bores and turn over by hand a couple of times, then with no plugs in and fuel pump relay taken out I'd turn over on the starter until you get oil pressure and the diesel has blown out of the plug holes. Pop the plugs back in and you're ready to go assuming you have spark and fuel in the right places
CHuck in some fresh fuel, make sure there is oil in it, and see if it'll start. All this poncing about with oil down the bores and flushing may be required on starting a Triumph or some other British crap that's been sitting for more than 3 days but that BMW will be fine. Maybe you'll take the life of the engine before it dies from bore wear from 4,000,000 miles to 3,800,000.
Start it with a big bootful of throttle too
Start it with a big bootful of throttle too
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