Thinking of buying 740IL

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Rtrn2Sndr

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Hello all. I'm new to the forum. seems like some have some good advice to offer. I am considering purchasing a 2000-2001 740il. Are there any 740 owners or other members with 7 series expertise that can help me with my decision??
I would like to know if certain years are better than others? (I remember a BMW mechanic a few years ago telling me not to buy a 740 pre-1998... supposedly it had some engine issues...not sure).
Do these cars require a lot of maintenance, and are they expensive to maintain?
What would be a difference in features between the 98,99,00 and 01 model years?
And lastly, does the car only come with an automatic transmission or could I find a manual tranny?

Thanks,
-alex
 
K

KingMagnus

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740's are amazing!

I own a 95 740 iL and it is an incredible car. The 740's between 95 and 01 are the third generation and as all cars may be the later models are always better because they have usually worked out most of the kinks by then.

As far as maintinence goes there not so bad but I tend to over do things. I use only the best oil, and I keep regular maintinence and it deffinetly shows. The transmissions are all automatic but they can be put or used in a manual mode by the switch next to the shifter. There is also a rather fun sport mode accesed by putting the shifter into the fourth gear.

One tip I would like to pass on is before you buy check everything! Feel for a rough idle, make shure all windows work, check for fluid leaks, etc. Be extremely anal about find out anything you can. I first bought mine and it had a slightly off idle. A short time later I ended up dropping more than eight thousand dollars in repairs. so be weary but don't be discouraged because they are absolutly amazing cars. I am actually thinking of trading or selling my 95 for a 00 or 01 so good luck and I hope I helped in some way.
 
B

Big Daddy

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Welcome to the board. It sounds like you have been given some good advice. If it all works now and runs good than you should be ok, it's the little things that add up.
 
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Rtrn2Sndr

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Thanks for the advice.
I've been doing some research over the past week into the 740 and the only differences I've found between the 00 and 01 are the clear rear lights and a full screen navigation system.
I had the chance to test drive two 00's this past week. They are definately nice cars. I found an 00 with very low mileage (36,500) and a great price. I had my mechanic take a look at it, and he loves it. He is convinced the miles are real, and to him, the car looked and sounded great. It looks brand new.

I'll update you if I end up buying the car.
Are there any BMW owner clubs other than this site?

also, do you guys send your cars to the BMW dealership for service or to a shop specializing in European cars?
 
J

JohnR_in_LA

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I am in the same boat, I used to own a German Model 1979 728 ( 4 barrel Carb!)
and am now looking at 1999-2001 7 series...

My 728 was bulletproof ... and several leagues over anything I had ever driven at the time.

I own a maintenance-free Honda, thats boring as heck, but my last experience with a German car was Mercedes S-Class 1995 S320 which was in the shop every 45 days :(

So its tempting that I can buy one of the best MY '00 cars in the world ( 7 series) for under $20k, I know that the 8 cylinder BMWs have had a spotty record.

My Mechanic works mostly on German cars, and he says that a good rule of thumb is this:

3 Series = $3k a year maintenance
5 Series = $5k a year...
7 Series = $7k a year .....

That scared me a bit .. . thats about what my MB S320 was costing...


Also, I remember one of my mechanic's customers calling his 7 series a POS one day, so that memory is lurking.. .

LOL man I want one though ...
 
S

simple guy

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Buying Sight Unseen

Hi Guys --

i am a newbie to BMW ownership. I am about to buy a 2001 E38 that I have settled on after many months of looking for the right "value" (price, mileage, options). I have a slight dilemna though: I haven't physically seen the car. I've seen the pics and have gotten a good "feel" from the dealership, if this is possible from a user car dealership.

The car is on the West Coast (SoCal) and I am on the East coast (DC). I would much prefer to buy something more local to me and physically see and feel the car but it is not possible right now. Nothing local has has good "value."

One other question that I have that I know nothing about is the California emissions standard. Since it is a California car with California emissions standards applied to it ( I am assuming), will the performance from my potential e38 be affected?

What are your thoughts about buying such a car sight unseen and having it shipped. Any advice or experiences to share would be very appreciated from this anxious and nervous buyer.
 
R

Rtrn2Sndr

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JohnR_in_LA said:
I am in the same boat, I used to own a German Model 1979 728 ( 4 barrel Carb!)
and am now looking at 1999-2001 7 series...

My 728 was bulletproof ... and several leagues over anything I had ever driven at the time.

I own a maintenance-free Honda, thats boring as heck, but my last experience with a German car was Mercedes S-Class 1995 S320 which was in the shop every 45 days :(

So its tempting that I can buy one of the best MY '00 cars in the world ( 7 series) for under $20k, I know that the 8 cylinder BMWs have had a spotty record.

My Mechanic works mostly on German cars, and he says that a good rule of thumb is this:

3 Series = $3k a year maintenance
5 Series = $5k a year...
7 Series = $7k a year .....

That scared me a bit .. . thats about what my MB S320 was costing...


Also, I remember one of my mechanic's customers calling his 7 series a POS one day, so that memory is lurking.. .

LOL man I want one though ...
Click to expand...

I spoke to a mechanic in Baltimore specializing in Bimmers and he told me to expect to pay around $2K a year for maint. (~$1.3K for brakes and tune ups and the rest on oil changes and small stuff)
I hope not to have to pay anywhere near $7K a year for maint. that's ridiculous!!
 
R

Rtrn2Sndr

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simple guy said:
Hi Guys --

i am a newbie to BMW ownership. I am about to buy a 2001 E38 that I have settled on after many months of looking for the right "value" (price, mileage, options). I have a slight dilemna though: I haven't physically seen the car. I've seen the pics and have gotten a good "feel" from the dealership, if this is possible from a user car dealership.

The car is on the West Coast (SoCal) and I am on the East coast (DC). I would much prefer to buy something more local to me and physically see and feel the car but it is not possible right now. Nothing local has has good "value."

One other question that I have that I know nothing about is the California emissions standard. Since it is a California car with California emissions standards applied to it ( I am assuming), will the performance from my potential e38 be affected?

What are your thoughts about buying such a car sight unseen and having it shipped. Any advice or experiences to share would be very appreciated from this anxious and nervous buyer.
Click to expand...
I'm also in the DC area...Baltimore, to be more exact. I will hopefully be buying a 740 this coming Sun. in Jersey.
I saw a few bimmers in the DC area on eBay. here are two that may interest you...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...d=1,1&item=4580907011&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...d=1,1&item=4580196721&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT

The car I wil be getting is the one mentioned in one my posts above, a 2000 740IL with 36,700 miles and its Silver on Grey. Its a pretty basic package and will be costing me ~$24K. I think thats a good find for such low miles.
-Alex
 
S

simple guy

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Thanks for the reply Alex.

I am wondering if my problem is that I've become too specific in my requirements. Because I've been looking for so long (~11 months) and have been willing to wait, I think I've gotten to the point where I feel like I have to have certain things in the car. Maybe I'm being a little crazy about it.

I've been in the market for specifically:

Tier I
2001 740iL
Sports Package
Silver exterior /Black interior
Wide NAV
less than 50K miles

Tier II
Convenience Package

I've been looking with Tier I items being "required" for me. Tier II are "nice to have". The Wide NAV is not required out of the gate knowing that I could add it so I always factor another $3500 into the price of any car with the "short" NAV.

Maybe I am being too specific and am looking for a sanity check.

Any thoughts out there?
 
R

Rtrn2Sndr

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dont forget, the longer you wait, the harder it wil be to find the <50K 740IL...
btw...how do you plan on getting all that for less than $20K?? That will run you closer to $30-33K

I just wanted a 740IL (00 or 01) that will be solid and reliable. I would have liked a dark blue with tan interior... but couldnt find a good one. I spent 3 weeks looking....
-Alex
 
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