BMW 7 E38 - good idea?

It was pretty good, not a trunk rattler. I don't think they sell it anymore but it pops up all the time on ebay and bimmerforums. it was really solid
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I still love the wedge design of the E38. One of my favorite sedans of all time right next to the E39 M5. My favorite is probably the Alpina B12 6.0 long wheelbase version. Only 23 ever made of the lwb with 71 swb so 94 in total. https://www.alpina-archive.com/?cat=409&nmt=e38-b12-60-langversion Here's one that sold in 2019. https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/pa19/paris/lots/r0030-2000-bmw-alpina-b12-60/733305

I really want one...if anyone knows of one please let me know.

edit: my favorite car reviewer made the right choice with the one auctioned above.

 

You and me both. I love the B12 6.0

 

alpina blue :drool:
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+1. The design is sheer perfection.

I want a 99-01 at some point. Upgrade audio to a modern quality system including an Avant 4 headunit (which is said to fix all the issues the avant 3 had). It's basically the same 16:9 headunit that was fitted on release but modernised with carplay etc.

Then S62 swap with manual, modern brakes and tyres, Bilstein suspension, M parallel wheels....perfection.

 

You're going to think I'm nuts but I'm actually not a huge fan of estoril on this car. It looks okay (It can pull off almost any color) but I think the Red, white, and the other blue metallic colors are better. I had my heart set on a white one for the longest time until I found out that the imola existed. I had to have it.

Funny because Estoril is my favorite BMW color. IT looks ridiculous on the e39 m5 (custom), M3 e46 and e36, x5 4.6i and the old m roadsters. The estoril e36 m3 was the first one I fell in love with. There was a time when I would have done anything for one of those. But now that I'm in my late 30s I don't have the thirst anymore. To me it's a very pretty and great sports car that you buy in your early to mid 20s when you start making a little bit of money. Enthusiasts do have them and I respect the car, but I see way too many D-bags driving them and the e46.

 

What do you E38 experts think of this one?

I've actually been looking for a W126 Mercedes S class, but I'm thinking this might fill the bill instead...

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1999-bmw-740i-4/

 

Looks clean. Has had appropriate Radiator + hose update. Lack of nav is a ding against.
Minor accident also a ding against an otherwise nice looking car (if you like the colors of course)

 

I don't see the purpose of the 740i unless it has the sport package, which that does not. That only has the 18" M-Parallel wheels. If it was a sport package 740i I think it would be worth looking into more given the mileage and regardless of the lack of options. Since it's not the sport package, I would pass as it's missing options like the multifunctional display and HID lights. A 2000MY would be better choice to get those options as standard if you want a non-sport model.

 

I guess I'm not really looking for a sports car. I'm looking for something interesting that can be used to go to the store, out to dinner, and pick up people at the airport, that sort of thing. I actually want to keep it in the Palm Springs area, where everyone drives 25mph anyway.

As I said, my preference would be a 560SEL (which is even less sporty than the 740), but I'm having a hard time finding one that is in the condition that I want.

I am curious about the stuff you mentioned. My business partner has a 2001 740il with the navigation and multifunction display, and neither of those seem particularly useful today, and expensive when they break.

I guess HID lights would be nice, although again I'm not seeing that as all that big of a deal? I presume the headlights it has are decent?

 

I agree about passing on a sport if that's not what you're interested. I figured that if you want a highway cruiser without sport a longer wheelbase like the iL would be a better fit, but if it's just city speed driving that wouldn't be needed for sure in that case. We had a 1998 740iL from 2000-2008. It didn't have HIDs and the lighting was pretty poor and the glass lenses were basically sandblasted from highway driving. Thankfully that headlight lens was easy to change out and it improved, but HID is definitely better.

Ours also had the optional electric rear sunshade + manual side shade. Your listing has that option, which is good. The manual side ones I've seen get messed up when someone pulls them but we never had that problem and that listing one they are intact in photos. The multifunctional display imo is nice to have the CD and radio settings all on a digital display rather than the pixeled ones without. We never used the navigation disc or even the gigantic car phone the car came with (hilarious in 1998 even). You can upgrade those in-dash units to the 16:9 aspect if you'd like with modern things like bluetooth I've seen people do. I guess it's a preference thing.

 

I really like the Sport package but for a run around / daily, I don't think is needed. This is particularly given the mild MPG hit (you could also just swap the 3.15 if you really want it).

Good catch on the HID though. I also recommend everyone get the Eastern European spec uprated rear sway bar. It helps dial down the understeer.

 

Benefit of halogen is very easy and cheap to replace bulbs. The headlight housing is easily accessed from behind with the hood open, unlike some modern cars that need access via the fender well. HID lights that are 20+ years old probably need new bulb, ballasts, igniters, etc, anyway.

 

This seems like about as low-spec of a 740 as you'd find, is that right? Seems sort of odd for BaT, to tell you the truth. At the right price, it might be what I'm looking for.

 

Yes, pretty low option. The switch panel at the bottom of the center dash shows what else it doesn't come with. Here is the photo of the car you're looking at. Compare it to this BaT 2000 750iL, which has all of the heated and massage/active seat options standard in addition to S EDC (suspension adjustability) and park distance control. Yours has DSC they all come with (traction control basically) and the sunshade button for the rear electric.

 

What does the sport package give you? I see that there is now a 2000 740 with the sport package on BaT as well.

 

Is it a IL or an I? Big difference

The 740iL sport pkg only included 4 options:
1 M Parallel wheels 18in, staggard
2 EDC
3 Shadowline exterior trim
4 Vavona Redwood interior trim (option)

The short wheel base "I" got the highly desirable lower suspension, high stall torque convert, and 3.15 final drive (best part of the sport package). Interior was notable for sport seats too. Later cars also had a slightly smaller steering wheel out of a 5 series

 

It's a 740i. Pretty nice. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2000-bmw-740i-35/

I like the color combo. Comes with the multifunction display, HID, and sport package. I'd like sunshades, but that's not a big deal that it's not there.

edit: I'd ask for pics/video of whatever bluetooth mod they did that required disabling the CD changer. There are no photos of the display screen in the dash on and working. Even when the car is off and you open the door the screen turns on and on the bottom it shows the current date and time with rest of screen blank. You can turn off the display manually under the screen settings, but it was odd they didn't show it on...

edit #2: I found only one photo of the date/time displayed when the door is open (it's a yellow color bar on bottom of screen). So it works: https://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/2000_bmw_740i_1636870046208495d562000_bmw_740i_163687004595d565ef66e7dd41fe576-8e59-44c1-847c-856e348c767f-MWP37v-scaled.jpg?fit=2048%2C1367

 

That does look like a nice find. I like it much more than the earlier car that was posted. Agree on the display....hopefully not a hack job to add the bluetooth. Also I didn't skim service but at that many miles (and this many years), it should have had its control arms/thrust arms all rebuilt by now.

 

On the bluetooth thing, I had an aftermarket bluetooth setup added to my Audi A6 which also used the CD changer interface. I think it was a Parrot system. It actually worked great and was quite simple. The bluetooth input came through CD 6 (it also could do something with CD 5, but I don't recall ever using that).

I wonder if this is something similar?

 

Well, I bought the 740i. For $12k, I think it will be a pretty decent driver.

 

Congratulations! Please post some photos when you get her. I still have my E38 and adore it.

 

Congrats! Oxford green is a pretty nice color. Last time I saw it on a similar gen BMW was an E39 M5. I love it.

 

Thanks! I won't be down to California until after the first of the year, so it will be a few weeks. Seller seems really helpful and responsive, so that's a good sign.

 

Fantastic! Congratulations.

I'd get one of these: AVANT 4 Multimedia Navigation System for BMW 7-Series E38 (avinusa.com)

Their Avant 3 had issues but as far as I can tell the big ones are fixed with the 4 model. Looks factory from the outside, but has all the toys a modern system has. Win/win.

Properly responsive touchscreen etc as well.