FOR SALE FS: Socal. Found a cpl rare-ish, low mileage 2001 BMW 740i sports

[drunkentrader]

I imagine 500E seekers arent really cross shopping other cars, but I did a cpl years back and ended up with the Bimmer(more/better intrinsic value + modern features), so i thought id share two caught my eye today -- im a sucker for these late model E38 shorty sporties(M steering wheel and 18" rims, 16 way sport contour seats, sport susp, high stall tq converter and shorter final drive LSD, shadowline trim) = a pretty sharp german sport cruiser:



Imola Red/black leather, 1 owner 86k miles, $9500:
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/4353313596.html

Anthracite(drk gray) on black, 1 owner 42k miles, $15k:
http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/4351321307.html


I typically like these -- as a 500e alternative -- when found in the $6-7k price points(i paid $7k for my 110k mil 01 back in 2009..) with a little over 100k miles, 2001(late build with full screen nav), and the IR windshield(optional).. Shit-ton of car for the money, and IMO is slickest designed 7 series to date..

 

[KarlC]

+1 on the E38 shorty sporty, if you have not driven one you will be surprised when you do. The sport susp, high stall tq converter and shorter final drive LSD make a BIG difference over the normal E38. I found a great deal on a local one that I had for a short time in between 036's enjoyed it and have always liked the look.

DT you picked some nice cars there, I would go for the rare Imola Red !!!

Also wanted a E31 840Ci Sport or the E31 V12 with a manual, one of these is still on my bucket list.

 

[Roma_500E]

I love the body style of E38 , extremely sharp looking especially with M-parallel wheels . However, BMW is very finicky cars .

Karl, I totally agree 8 series cars are gorgeous, especially with the M package and manual is just a dream car . Almost impossible to maintain 8 series back home because of parts (hard to find) and RR (very few people know).

 

[tanger]

I imagine 500E seekers arent really cross shopping other cars

LOL, my wife would say that it's ALL i do in my spare and not so spare time. I'm looking for a good DD and have been contemplating the E38. But also looking at a '11 Jag XJ Supersport. Yes, I'm all over the map...

 

[drunkentrader]

LOL, my wife would say that it's ALL i do in my spare and not so spare time. I'm looking for a good DD and have been contemplating the E38. But also looking at a '11 Jag XJ Supersport. Yes, I'm all over the map...

havent sat in or driven a new body XJ - i know its an all-new beast from the previous generation.. From a monetary standpoint I would be very wary of late model Jag depreciation on a $50k+ used one( i would almost guarantee that buying a CPO '11 over the course of 3 years will be ridiculously similar the costs of a '14 3 year lease)... better yet, a new Audi would depreciate slower than a used Jag..

ive been keepin an eye on the 04+ Aluminum body supacharg'd XJR's are dirt cheap(lol, at least in relative "500E dollars") - ive seen them in the low to mid teens for 04/05's, routinely with avg miles.. a bit more bang for the buck than even a e38 Sport.. Probably more reliable than the bimmer too(it rivals Lexus in reliability and down market interior material quality)... not a big fan of Jags overall.. had a 97 XJR.. killer 50-150mph cruiser, nice body lines, but the interior was shite and cramped.. cool cars for the money though.. $3-5k gets a solid driver.

Yeah man, i gotta say it -- you should consider crossing the $50k+ used Jag off your shopping list and map altogether.. you will regret it.. plop down $15k on that 40k mile 740i sport and you'll thankful youre not bleeding equity on a monthly basis..

 

[drunkentrader]

+1 on the E38 shorty sporty, if you have not driven one you will be surprised when you do. The sport susp, high stall tq converter and shorter final drive LSD make a BIG difference over the normal E38. I found a great deal on a local one that I had for a short time in between 036's enjoyed it and have always liked the look.

DT you picked some nice cars there, I would go for the rare Imola Red !!!

Also wanted a E31 840Ci Sport or the E31 V12 with a manual, one of these is still on my bucket list.

Yup, solid spacious and sporty, had mine for maybe 6 months.. sold cos i never drove it --I blame it on the triumph 675 that sat next to it in the garage... the e38 had replaced a e34 M5(loved that car..) which had replaced a e36 M3(meh, ive had 3, and theyre really nothing special(with the US spec engine), aside from their balance in handling).. Of all three, the only car I would buy again would be another 2001 740i sport..

Ive looked at a few 8 series coupes over the years, but never found any nice ones for under $10k that i could fall in love with.. there always seems to be at least one 850i 6 speed for sale at any given time.. When theyre all done up in CSI bits n stuff it is one KILLER looking car -- and you can usually buy that primo car for $15-18k, but its looks is all that it really has going for it.. An e34 M5 makes for a better daily driver and unlike the 8er, its actually feels like a performance car. M5 likes to spend your money, the 8er likes to rip it from your wallet and burn it right in front of you..

 

[s38junkie]

E38 sport is a nice ride but be prepared for $3k - $4K in annual maintenance. Transmissions like to pack up at 100K miles, cooling systems are tentative, the valley pan gaskets leak, and the instrument clusters suffer from the notorious dead pixels. Suspension will likely need attention in the way of EDC shocks (standard on the sport which you can replace with conventional shocks) and self leveling rears get bouncy over time. Timing chain guides need to be addressed at around 125K miles. That said, the M62 V8 is a solid motor that can rack up big 6 figure mileages if you can afford to maintain the rest of the car surrounding it. But when everything is perfect, these are really great highway cruisers.

 

[Mejnoon]

+1 on the E38 shorty sporty, if you have not driven one you will be surprised when you do. The sport susp, high stall tq converter and shorter final drive LSD make a BIG difference over the normal E38. I found a great deal on a local one that I had for a short time in between 036's enjoyed it and have always liked the look.

DT you picked some nice cars there, I would go for the rare Imola Red !!!

Also wanted a E31 840Ci Sport or the E31 V12 with a manual, one of these is still on my bucket list.

Mine as well. A local doctor who wrote scripts for pillheads/pot growers got in trouble a couple years ago and put some cars up for sale including a very clean, well maintained black on black 72k mile 850CSi. It went as low as $25k asking, and I'm fairly certain he would have taken less at that point. I had just bought my 500E and didn't really have a place to store another car, but in hindsight I should have found a way. I'll probably never see an 850CSi that low again.

I agree about the M-sport E38's as well. Fun cars.

 

[drunkentrader]

E38 sport is a nice ride but be prepared for $3k - $4K in annual maintenance. Transmissions like to pack up at 100K miles, cooling systems are tentative, the valley pan gaskets leak, and the instrument clusters suffer from the notorious dead pixels. Suspension will likely need attention in the way of EDC shocks (standard on the sport which you can replace with conventional shocks) and self leveling rears get bouncy over time. Timing chain guides need to be addressed at around 125K miles. That said, the M62 V8 is a solid motor that can rack up big 6 figure mileages if you can afford to maintain the rest of the car surrounding it. But when everything is perfect, these are really great highway cruisers.

No EDC on the short wheelbase sport.. however, you are right on the $3-4k BMW reatail dealer bill isnt uncommon if you buy a slightly neglected 100k+ mile 740.. I did the valley pan gasket, oil seperator, vanos gaskets, injector seals, cabin air filer, and a few "while-youre-in-there" fixes with my BMW mobile mechanic and my bill was just under a grand parts n labor(he charges me $50/hr actual labor).. Transmissions and timing chain guides wearing out prematurely seems to b well documented as being a common fault... With a trust worthy mechanic a 100k mile 740i can be meticulously maintained and driven daily for under $1500 year, barring a transmission overhaul..

 

[gerryvz]

 

[boxjelly]

Hello fellow car enthusiasts, I have not posted for a long time...still searching for the right .036 and lusting over some of yours. I currently own an E38 and it is truly a fantastic machine...however, I went the long-wheelbase V12 route (U.S. Highline model)....I will keep this car for life.

Sporty Shorties are great cars, and they are currently dirt cheap (I would not pay over 7-8k for one though, too many good examples available for below that dollar amount). No E38 has LSD, the sport packet does come with a 3.15 open diff vs. the stock 2.93 open diff. Sporty Shorties also do not come equipped with EDC, they have the M-Sport suspension that slightly lowers the car and is slightly stiffer. My 750iL comes factory equipped with EDC...as pointed out not cheap to fix if failure.

Yes, definitely issues with the cooling system but there are quality all aluminum upgrades available. Be aware around 150k-175k mileage, the timing chain guides fail (on the V8 equipped cars) and need to be replaced...this is around a 3-4k repair if you are not DIY. You will also want to definitely replace the "lifetime" transmission fluid before the 100K mark.

Hopefully I will have a beautiful .036 sitting next to the E38 soon!