Nice! Those are hard to come by as well. Please post pics. That's my favorite E38 year and model down to the color (excluding the E38 Alpinas which I consider different cars).
+1 on the pics! Brad - did you ever change out the alternator? Here's a nicely done "M7" for sale $19k: https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/6179898322.html He got a lot of flack about the wheels on BaT, but explains it was done to get the most rubber on the road, plus he has a set of M-Pars if the buyer prefers: Full E39 M5 Conversion: 2000 BMW 740i | Bring a Trailer
I did, AC compressor quit due to low oil two weeks ago, was luckily able to refill and recharge and still good. Then last week, windshield wiper linkage broke leaving passenger wiper inoperable. Part is on its way. It never ends! And to top it off my check coolant light refuses to stop coming on despite having the all new aluminum radiator, new expansion tank, new pipe, etc. I think it just must not like my radiator or there is a leak somewhere. ALthough the compression tests say no leaks! LOL
Sorry, I don't know how to embed photos on Fchat, but here's a link to a few photos I took after washing it the other day: https://miatawoman.smugmug.com/750iL/i-tCKM7RT/A
damn, never heard of a wiper linkage breaking.. that sucks about the coolant light. If there's no leak it would have to be the sensor, right? Wow that looks awesome Julia!! Nothing looks better than a freshly washed black car. Until it gets dirty Best of luck with it, post up any maintenance/upgrades you do here I'd be curious how the V12 treats you.
Are S62 swaps really worth it? It would seem that the engine would be better suited in the smaller, more agile E39 anyway... I guess if you're in love with the E38 or you want a fast limo it's a good idea, but otherwise I don't see any sense behind it
E39 isn't much smaller or lighter than a 740 shorty. Honestly, I'd say the manual is the best part of the conversion. A supercharger on the M62 will give you the same hp as an S62 swap, for a third of the cost.
Crank case ventilation valve just went last weekend. Loud whistling noise when idle. Fixing it shortly. It never ends! Aghhhhh
^Mine's been at the shop for almost two weeks. A/C wasn't performing as it should and was making an intermittent terrible noise that sounded somewhat like running over a rumble strip on the highway, and there was hot air coming from the lower and windshield vents that couldn't be turned off. In addition, they found leaky power steering hoses and a possible coolant leak. I miss it.
Yeah pretty much any time you buy one of these you will be putting 2k into it right off the bat. It's to be expected. Your ac compressor is probably good, just low on oil. Have them recharge and fill the oil. If the coolant leak is from the radiator, replace it with an aluminum one otherwise it will leak again.
Changed the 5000 mile old oil in my 740i tonight. Going to send a sample to Blackstone labs for analysis out of curiosity. She's up to 138k miles now. Hearing a little clunking from the front suspension occasionally but not bad. ACs been working great in the 100F temps. Last week the CD changer sent a "no magazine" message to the dash, still ejects the mag just no music from it. Bummer as I've really been enjoying the new Monsoon speakers in the rear deck. Just need her to keep on chugging for another 6-8 months until my Tesla 3 is ready then the plan is to sell her for $5k or so. I don't really get the S62 swap in a 4100lb car, but then again my commute doesn't have many opportunity to enjoy running through the gears. The 5-sp manual is perfect and she's got plenty of power for me stock.
Struts are probably bad. If they're OEM then they definitely are. I've never had the no magazine error. Just the cd error every now and then. Maybe your magazine is broken or bad
Does anyone know what kind of wheels these are? A modern iteration of the E38 M wheels, really nice... And rather have this exact E38 manual transmission, dyed tan leather and all, but with an M73 V12... (choose your power source: McLaren F1 or E39 M5 ... hmmm... ) Everything else about the car below is beautiful though, have not seen a nicer E38. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Racing Dynamics RD2 wheels I right clicked on the image (using my Google Chrome browser to see this thread) and hit "Search Google for this image." It found the thread that pic came from: E39 (96-03) For Sale Racing Dynamics RD2 19" - BMW M5 Forum and M6 Forums It also showed the other thread it's posted in: http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e39-m5-e52-z8-discussion/530969-here-we-go-again-e38-m7-project-alpine-white-38k-32.html
They called today and said the coolant leak was found to be a cracked overflow reservoir. I should get the car back tomorrow. They said the A/C was OVERcharged, and that's why it wasn't working right. I don't know, I guess I'll try it and see.
Yeah I had my ac serviced a month ago and they said the same thing. Pretty sure it just means that it hasn't been recharged in along time. The pressure apparently builds up in there big time and the freeon expands? Overflow reservoir is more of the same plastic garbage used by BMW. Unfortunately there isn't an aftermarket upgrade that I know of. Those things are very brittle and break often. I changed mine out preemptively to an aftermarket one. They're pretty cheap and easy to replace.
While you're looking at the cooling system get a brass bleed screw so you'll never have to worry about breaking the plastic one: for BMW E36 E38 E39 E46 Brass Bleeder Screw Expansion Tank | eBay
Brad, what aftermarket expansion tank did you use? What makes you think it will last longer than the BMW one? (AFAIK, the one in my car was the original, though I don't have complete records.)
Maybe not the same one as a 750 but here's what I (pre-emptively) put in my 740 two years ago: https://www.oembimmerparts.com/BMW-Radiator-Expansion-Tank-By-Meyle-p/17111741167mye38.htm also did the level sensor because $12 https://www.oembimmerparts.com/BMW-Coolant-Level-Sensor-p/61318360876e38.htm
haha cool it's a cheap little part but I must say whenever I pop the hood and happen to see it there I feel nice, and with it bleeding the coolant system is at least 60% more enjoyable
All the ones that I could find were similar plastic junk but have to be better than the OEM. I think I paid about 60 dollars for it. I'll have to find the record. The problem is the dipstick leveller thing cracks and erodes over time, quits working.
