A 7 seies for the credit crunch!

[Nick2]

Just bought this 1996 735i for £1000 from a friend as a sort of stop gap car for my wife. Its done 171k miles and everything works.

It seems unbelievable for the money and I just love driving the thing - its like a motorised armchair and the V8 is so creamy. I reckon that if it lasts us until February we will be quids in compared to a newer car due to the depreciation and the amount of money tied up in the thing.

It will be a very interesting experiment for me as I have generally had new cars but I am confident of it working due to the low miles it will do and the fact that it will be hard to lose more than £1000. Really suits me in these credit crunch times!

It really is a lovely car and I am smitten!

Are there any good sites for more information on this series please?

Thanks

Nick

Edited by Nick2 on Sunday 26th October 19:32

[benezere]

A bag of sand?
Great buy, lots of car for the money.

Ben

[Kinky]

A fantastic buy.

As for it being a stop gap .... it'll be a very long stop gap

Nice buy - and yes - I'm envious

[Sheriff JWPepper]

Very nice, love the shape, so much nicer than the latest 7.

£1000 what's not to like.

[Nick2]

Thanks for the PH seal of approval - I too suspect that we will have it for some time. Its so much more comfortable than my new 5 series (run flats and sport set up have a lot to answer for....). It drives like a much newer and certainly a much more expensive car - I am now an addict and my wife thinks I have become a bit obsessed!

The radio/info display pixels have gone a bit and I wonder whether anyone knows how much it would be to repair and who might do it in Slough/High Wycome area as this is the only minor irritant I can find?

Thanks again for your support

Nick

[Mark V8]

As for forums and links here you go.....

http://www.bmw7resource.co.uk/

http://www.e38.org/ is VERY useful indeed.......

http://www.the7seriesregister.co.uk/forums/index.p...

Style 42 alloys too. Nice. Staggered fitment ?

Don't worry about the pixels unless they are very bad. Almost every E38 has this problem and when you come to sell, any clued up buyer will grudgingly accept this as the norm.

You will love this car and I'm sure you'll keep it for more than a few months. Unless you test drive a 740i Sport, that is.

Welcome to the best kept secret in motoring. Enjoy.

Edited by Mark V8 on Sunday 26th October 21:03

[Nick2]

Many thanks Mark - great sites

What does staggered fitment mean BTW?

Thanks again

Nick

[Mark V8]

Nick2 said:

Many thanks Mark - great sites

What does staggered fitment mean BTW?

Thanks again

Nick

Simply that the rear wheels are wider than the front. I think yours will be 9/9.5 front and 10/10.5 inch rears....
What size are the tyres ? 235/245 on the front and 265 rears ?

You can swap the +/- on the steptronic box very easily too. To give you the full touring car experience.
Much better IMHO and as you've not had her long enough to get used to the current setup well worth doing ASAP....

Ask on the sites and someone will provide a 'how-to' link.....

[Nick2]

235 fronts and 255 rear I think

They do look good and as I have said the ride is soooooo much better than my 5 on dreaded runflats.

I will no doubt post my experiences in due course

Nick

[littlemidgetgem]

As I said in "show us your BMW" I really like it

Do enjoy it! You can keep cars running forever, don't be bothered about any pixels. Next thing you know you will start looking at older cars rather than new ones.

Excellent car for credit crunch lol hate those two words

[Nick2]

littlemidgetgem said:

As I said in "show us your BMW" I really like it

Do enjoy it! You can keep cars running forever, don't be bothered about any pixels. Next thing you know you will start looking at older cars rather than new ones.

Excellent car for credit crunch lol hate those two words

It was worth buying just to see the look on my friends' faces when I tell them that I have just bought a 7 Series for my wife as an economy measure!

[richyb]

Got mine a month a go. If this is what the credit crunch brings then come on!!!!

[downthepub]

Golly. Good work.

I've always liked the shape of those and one day I'll get my mitts on one. I read somewhere recently that they are judged to be one of the best designed saloons ever.

[richyb]

Well ever since my days of having a E36 I wanted one so took the plunge. Real bargains to be had.

[MitchT]

Gorgeous car. I'm very tempted to do the same. As I only do 3,000 miles a year the consumption wouldn't hurt me the way it would an 'average miles' driver and the glory of wafting around in that thing would surely makes me look and feel rich. The fact that I'm not could be mine and the car's little secret!

[welwynnick]

I had already owned an E34 and an XJ40 by the time I bought my E38, and in many ways it seemed like the best of both worlds. I thought it was a great car at the time, and I still miss it, but I didn't realise how good it was until it was gone. There's nothing else in my experience that can go down a motorway and make it seem like you're standing still (or going very slowly at any rate).