Opinions on a e38/e32?

[Alfonso Bedoya]

Are there any members on here that have any experience with this vehicle? Road worthiness repairs etc...I was thinking bout putting the e28 out to track or rally. And getting into the Transporter mobile! 735i or il either one. Thanks in advance.

[mooseheadm5]

Bring money with.

[derrith]

Run.

[Alfonso Bedoya]

Seriously? run towards it or away from it? BMW I thought that stood for Break My Wallet? There's a 94 740il black on black, with 250,000 km's for 3885 from a used car lot.

[option00002]

My '01 740i has been exceptional thus far. It had 59k clicks when purchased and I am at 95k now.

I am confused though... The e38 was not available in a 735 version. Do you mean an e32?

[mooseheadm5]

Run far, run fast.

[Alfonso Bedoya]

O.K. thanks Moosehead, what would be a good family DD replacement for my 83 eta? I think the eta is getting a bit worn out now. Another e28? I would prefer a BMW.

[Alfonso Bedoya]

My '01 740i has been exceptional thus far. It had 59k clicks when purchased and I am at 95k now.

I am confused though... The e38 was not available in a 735 version. Do you mean an e32?

e32 or e38 the body styles are pretty damn close don't you think and the e32 has a smaller engine as well, M30 I do believe?

[mooseheadm5]

Body styles are nowhere close.

No M30 in NA E38. You could get a V8 or a V12.

You can get an M30 in an E32 up to 1992.

Realoem.com or BMWfans.info can help you figure out what models and engines we got and when.

[derrith]

My '01 740i has been exceptional thus far. It had 59k clicks when purchased and I am at 95k now.

I am confused though... The e38 was not available in a 735 version. Do you mean an e32?

The e38 was available with a 3.5l v8 elsewhere in the world. Kind of want.

[Alfonso Bedoya]

To me they are very similar as they are both longer bodies, and both carry the 3 in their BMW body codex e32/e38. One is slightly more sleek. I think of it as comparing a e12 to a e28 similar bodies. No face palm needed.

[mooseheadm5]

The e38 was available with a 3.5l v8 elsewhere in the world. Kind of want.

Do not want.

[Matt]

I am really jonesin for an E32 750il lately. I want to throw a pair of turbos on it, megasquirt, and eventually a manual gearbox. Shoot for 500 very smooth HP, with lots of room in the back, and a huge trunk with a ski sack for... longer barrels

IMO the E32 was the last BMW built before they got into cost cutting / recycling mode. The E38 is certainly a prettier car inside and out, but the E32 represents the height of BMW going-overboard on making the best car it could.

[Avec]

The E32/M30 would be a good car. There are some out there with a 5-spd. Find one of those, and you are good. The M30 is solid, and the body electronics can be dealt with. The weak point to all E32 is the transmission (automatic). If you are comfortable working on nearly everything, you can keep an E32 going. Be prepared to spend for parts, or scavenge from the junk yard.

I have had my 93 740 for more than 10 years, and I still love to drive it. The M60B40 is very strong, and is actually preferred by some over the larger B44 due to better torque. I think the change over to B44 happened in 95 or 96, so early E38 had the B40.

There is an ongoing debate over the differences between the two on Bfc. The consensus is that the E38 is more modern, with more amenities and electronics (such as navigation system), while the E32 is much more solid, including and especially the interior. My car has 213,xxx on it and the interior, even the driver's seat, look showroom new. The only problem is a slight curl of the passenger side air bag cover. Once I take a heat gun to it to lay it back down and get new floor mats - it will be a 9.5 out of 10, easy.

[mooseheadm5]

To me they are very similar as they are both longer bodies, and both carry the 3 in their BMW body codex e32/e38. One is slightly more sleek. I think of it as comparing a e12 to a e28 similar bodies. No face palm needed.

Except that the E12 and E28 are so close you can actually swap the doors. There was no huge leap between the two. The E38 is as different from the E32 as the E36 from the E30 (despite the fact they both have a 3 in the body code ) They are fantastically different cars and require vastly different tools and skill sets to work on. The early ones share engines and transmissions with the late E32s, but that is it. 96 and later is a whole new ball game.

[rlomba8204]

I've owned a '94 740i since late '98 or so. I have had to replace the transmission at 100k plus miles, and BMW put two Nikasil shortblocks in it before figuring out the issue and putting an Alusil shortblock in. The car now has about 135k miles on it. Appearance-wise, I think it is still very nice, especially given the fact that I use it all year round -- including snow -- and it has spent much of its life with me, and the prior owner, living and driving in cities. Moreover, the interior has held up wonderfully. The seats are still supportive, the trim and interior pieces have aged very well. The leather also appears to be of higher quality than other BMWs and car's I've seen, and it has aged superbly as well -- it almost looks new. And it sees dog and kid use. The car also has a solidity to it that new cars don't quite replicate, even new cars of the same caliber. People getting out of my 740i will often comment that the door has the weight of a vault door, and it closes like a tank. You don't realize this, until you drive another car, but it is true.

Frankly, if not for the transmission, which can be a weak point on any aging car, and any older BMW, this has been a very reliable car, more reliable than the E28s and the E23 (low bar to hurdle in the latter case, at least with my E23). Obviously the car is on par with an E34 because it is largely the same.

I also have found that the things that require overhaul on the E32 are very similar to the E28 -- cooling systems, various front end parts, etc. One of the bigger expenses associated with an older V-8 I have probably avoided because the engine has been out of my car for the block replacements -- and that would be the intake gaskets, valley pan gasket, and separator valve. This is, however, pretty much a once every 100k mile overhaul item (I say "item" singularly here because you generally do all three of these things together to avoid further issues), and frankly if you offset it against the time and cost of 30k mile valve adjustments on an M30, I am not sure if the difference is significant.

Overall, I think it is fair to say that if you want a heavy car like an E32 (it's a moot point with the E38 because you could only get a V-8 or V-12 obviously) the V-8 is the more appropriate engine choice in terms of power. It is a "just right" fit for the weight and size of the car, and even by today's standards the car is plenty quick. That being said, like anything else, the additional performance is not free, and you trade away the ease of service associated with the M30 and some of the likely cheaper running costs associated with the M30 being more DIY friendly -- the M60 is not nearly as friendly or easy to work on -- for one thing access is much more difficult. But then again, given how long I have had the car and that I paid for it immediately, I don't worry about the odd repair here or there. But if a $500 or $1k repair bill is going to be a significant issue and you can't handle the car yourself, you should generally speaking steer clear of a 7 series. Hopefully I don't come across as a snob saying that -- this coming from the guy with the 16 year old car -- but the car doesn't know it's old and so the repairs are commensurate with the original purchase price of the vehicle. That's why so many 7 series cars fall into disrepair, and that is also why you hear so many horror stories -- here and elsewhere. That doesn't mean they are bad or unreliable cars, but rather it's a result of the economics of expensive cars falling into the hands of second and third owners who don't understand the issues involved with maintaining any older high-end car, but in particular a 7. You see the same thing with the S class cars as well.

[option00002]

By and large the avg. cost of owning an e38 is $1,500-$2,000 over 5yrs. I would presume a late model e38 to be the better bet. Some years are gold some are lead. Well wishes...

[davintosh]

Are all the votes to run away referring to the e38 or the e32? I can see being leery of the e38, but an M30 e32 is only slightly more complex electronics-wise than the e28. I've been driving my $1,200 5-speed 735i for a year now, and it's a fine machine. I've put a few hundred $s and some time into R&R on the neglected suspension components, but that's about it other than fluid refreshes. Great ride, good handling, reliable as all get-out (there was that issue with the deadbolt mechanism, but I digress...) Much of what I learned about the workings of my e28 was directly applicable to the e32... Knowing what I know, I'd gravitate towards the 735i rather than the iL because the iL models have the LAD shocks on back that can be troublesome at this age, and I'd also steer away from the V12 for a daily driver (unless you're a glutton for maintenance; some say it costs as much as two M30's to maintain.)

I am really jonesin for an E32 750il lately. I want to throw a pair of turbos on it, megasquirt, and eventually a manual gearbox. Shoot for 500 very smooth HP, with lots of room in the back, and a huge trunk with a ski sack for... longer barrels

There was somebody on the e32 BimmerBoard talking about a project like this, except dropping a V12 and a 6-speed in an e34 Touring. Somebody mentioned turbo, but not sure if that was a serious consideration or not. Still, a V12/6spd Touring would be hot.

IIMO the E32 was the last BMW built before they got into cost cutting / recycling mode. The E38 is certainly a prettier car inside and out, but the E32 represents the height of BMW going-overboard on making the best car it could.

^^^^^^ This ^^^^^^

The E32/M30 would be a good car. There are some out there with a 5-spd. Find one of those, and you are good. The M30 is solid, and the body electronics can be dealt with. The weak point to all E32 is the transmission (automatic). If you are comfortable working on nearly everything, you can keep an E32 going. Be prepared to spend for parts, or scavenge from the junk yard.

I have had my 93 740 for more than 10 years, and I still love to drive it. The M60B40 is very strong, and is actually preferred by some over the larger B44 due to better torque. I think the change over to B44 happened in 95 or 96, so early E38 had the B40.

There is an ongoing debate over the differences between the two on Bfc. The consensus is that the E38 is more modern, with more amenities and electronics (such as navigation system), while the E32 is much more solid, including and especially the interior. My car has 213,xxx on it and the interior, even the driver's seat, look showroom new. The only problem is a slight curl of the passenger side air bag cover. Once I take a heat gun to it to lay it back down and get new floor mats - it will be a 9.5 out of 10, easy.

^^^^^^ And this ^^^^^^

[Patrick McHugh]

If you can afford to take care of it it's going to be awesome. If you can't but you buy it Anyway it's going to suck ass.

[booker]

M30 E32s aren't too bad. They have niggling electronic issues and downright crappy HVAC issues, but the drivetrain is comparable to an e28, I'd say.

They drive like a dream, too.

[Kyle in NO]

Yep, nothing wrong at all with an M30 powered E32. M60 cars are another story...

[Tammer in Philly]

There was somebody on the e32 BimmerBoard talking about a project like this, except dropping a V12 and a 6-speed in an e34 Touring. Somebody mentioned turbo, but not sure if that was a serious consideration or not. Still, a V12/6spd Touring would be hot. :up:

Such a beast exists. I saw one at Koala Motorsports once. It was a customer car; I know nothing of its history.

-tammer

[mooseheadm5]

Are all the votes to run away referring to the e38 or the e32?

The original post was only about E38s.

[wkohler]

I really like E28s. Like REALLY like E28s. You know. REAAAAALLLLY like them.

Everything else mega sucks. Like REALLY mega sucks. Well, some things are meh. E28s aren't though!

[cvillebimmer]

+1 for m30 e32.

I'd like to get into a late e38 740i sport, but I'd have to convert to a manual trans. Then I'd be broke having to throw a blower on it.

[davintosh]

Are all the votes to run away referring to the e38 or the e32?

The original post was only about E38s.

That explains it; first time I saw the title it said Opinions on a e38/e32?

[Alfonso Bedoya]

Are all the votes to run away referring to the e38 or the e32?

The original post was only about E38s.

Yes and no moosehead, I should've posted it as early 7 series or 735i-750il, Anyway thanks for the reliable info guys, I appreciate it, I'm really digging the bigger vehicle idea, I was rear ended at 70kms, on the highway in my e28 and drove home while the car that nailed me was written off on the spot(laugh at the diving boards will ya?). Having 2 kids ride with me most days, the bigger the better. I could pick up a 84 735 in pretty decent condition locally for 1k, I'm gonna check out some sites with a run down of e32 common issues before any purchase, but I thought I'd run past the e28 clan first! Cheers eh?

[davintosh]

... I could pick up a 84 735 in pretty decent condition locally for 1k, I'm gonna check out some sites with a run down of e32 common issues before any purchase, but I thought I'd run past the e28 clan first! Cheers eh?

Oops; that '84 735 is an e23. Decent cars, but quirky HVAC in them too. '88 was the first year for the e32.

[Alfonso Bedoya]

I thought this was an e32?? Ad is listed as an 84 735i??

Quote from the ad LOL

"This car is nice but I need to sell it to someone who can fix it, and it will greater than it is! as I am driving it now and have been for the past 6 months. but its a forgen car which my buddy dont work on.which means No free oil changes or
anything!"

I think it looks pretty nice we shall see how it is in person, I think that steering wheel looks newer that an 84 style, I could be wrong though.

[Alfonso Bedoya]

A quick search found an 84 735i interior from bring a trailer dot com. A totally different interior, and exterior from what I gleaned from google image search, meh the seller I think has the wrong year posted up with the ad.