Test drive BMW 7 E38 1998 - 2001 sedan

$3500

We all do not really mind buying a penny of heel, without thinking what problems the acquisition of a 10-12-year-old car can be fraught with, for example, BMW 735i.
It would seem that a large and powerful car with a bunch of options. In addition, BMW. And you get comfort in abundance, and vanity is amused. But the price of samples of 1987-1991 is now comparable with the price of a domestic production car, which, in fact, has only the advantage that the new one. Tempting.
It looks decent. Of course, this machine should look decent. And although the E32 body, in which the BMW of the 7th series was produced from 1986 to 1994, the thing is very reliable and strong, it is very doubtful that for a decade it can be preserved in its original form. Therefore, the stories about the dad who bought a car from a rich grandfather in Germany and carefully kept it in the garage, occasionally using it for representative purposes, it is better to just skip past the ears. On people like the 7th, they go, and there are a lot and actively. And here it is simply impossible to preserve the virginity of the body. No matter how paradoxical it sounds, but the less new a paint and varnishes look in the sense of the presence of patches, scratches, even small dents on it, the better. And the ideal or close to the ideal appearance most likely indicates that the car was painted, or, even worse, slopped in a garage from pieces of several similar ones, which the author of these lines has been witnessed more than once. The car is not a fake picture, and no one has thought of artificially aging it. Why is it all? But what. The native anti-corrosion processing and painting of bodies of the 7th series is so good that even after a decade and more it, despite the possible clouding of the upper layer, retains the metal in excellent condition. But surgical interventions will soon entail rapid corrosion.
It sounds decent. Of the few engines that the E32 body was equipped, we will dwell on a 3.5-liter in-line six M30. This motor uses the well -deserved glory of the indestructible and, as experts note, is capable of nursing 400 thousand km or more. However, let's soberly look at things and do not deceive ourselves with the declared 150--160 thousand km for a car for more than 10 years. We will proceed from at least 200 thousand exceptions, of course, there are, but they are so rare that it is hardly worth talking about them. It is not worth looking at the testimonies of the odometer, which, incidentally, are fixed in the electronic brains of the machine. Moreover, now the APDETA service for these indications for the corresponding computerized craftsmen costs no more than $ 100.
The attitude to the potential object of purchase should be determined by its specific state. We must entirely trust your experience and/or take with you for an inspection of an expert. The motor should be dry, without large signs of oil. Work exactly and without extraneous sounds. The presence of characteristic clicks in the area of \u200b\u200bthe intake manifold should alert - one nozzle costs about $ 25, and the work on their replacement will result in at least $ 200. As well as unstable work at idle, failures can serve as a hint of a dying state of the same nozzles and/or a pressure distributor. At least $ 500. The glorification of the pump means that the unit is preparing to alleviate your pocket for about $ 50-60. It is imperative to check the work of the fan thermuffa: this part is extremely important, when replacing it makes no sense to put used, and the new one will cost $ 150. If there are no clear signs of anything criminal, we would still advise checking the state of cooling. Especially if the liquid in the system looks too fresh. The fact is that the head of the block of this motor is very sensitive to overheating. It leads, and, as a result, the gasket breaks through. The absence of emulsion in the oil does not mean anything - maybe the situation when exhaust gases break into the cooling system, and this happens only at high speeds. Not deadly, but with details and work it can result in a tangible amount, so it is better to conduct an elementary check: at idle with an open cover of the expansion tank, to briefly promote the engine to 3000 revolutions. If bubbles appeared in the tank, the liquid closed and its level went up - it’s bad.
The undoubted advantages of this motor include high maintainability and the ability to even make a full overwricking with the hands of just a competent master: inexpensively and not necessarily in the conditions of the BMW specialized center, where very fat chips will be removed from you.
He does not thunder. The seven with a mechanical transmission is preferable, since repair or replacement of a worn 4-speed machine, which was equipped with these machines, will result in an amount comparable to the price of the entire machine. As for the mechanics, then you should pay attention primarily to how the programs are turned on. In the seven, this unit works clearly and softly, it is very durable, therefore, the difficulty inclusion is an alarm. Either this is a working clutch cylinder ($ 30-35), or a squeezed bearing-also about $ 30, it happens, it sometimes cuts ears, which, then dangling on the clutch card, can fall under the flywheel and simply break through the crankcase. Therefore, there is a reason to inspect the car on the lift. Where, by the way, it will immediately be seen whether there are leaks through the boxes of the box and the gearbox of the rear axle. Both of these units are very reliable, but they cannot work without oil, oddly enough. The loss of oil only in the gearbox will mean at a minimum of $ 50 for a used gearbox, not counting the labor -intensive work on the removal of the exhaust system and the cardan. Well, a dubious quality box used will cost $ 100-150.
The car is heavy, our roads are far from perfect, and most often in the seven years of those years the suspension was killed. Consider: shock absorbers in a circle-about $ 360, central steering rod-$ 85, steering tips with rods-$ 30-35, front levers-at $ 30-40. Be sure to pay attention to the position of the rear wheels. If they stand in a house, levers or a beam are damaged or bent, which is often a result of a lateral blow. A minimum lever is $ 30-40, a used beam-$ 50--70. One thing is pleasing: such restoration work does not require sterile conditions of a special service.
So what's the question? It is clear that we are not talking about machines with a smoking engine, buggy computers and a stuck body in this case. It seems to be relatively inexpensive: bought for $ 3,500-$ 4000 seven of the line of the 90s as a result will cost about $ 5000-5500. However, everyone knows where free cheese is located. And problems of a technical nature are not the most important thing that a potential buyer of such a car can face for the indicated price. If you are offered not frank trash, you should take care of a large -scale database check. And even if everything is in order - the numbers of the units are not interrupted, the car is not wanted, it is possible that its low price is due not so much by its age and cost of maintenance as it does not have legal customs. As a result, the new owner can be doomed for permanent use by proxy.
Text Andrey Timofeev, photo Alexey Ilyin
       
BMW 735i
Working volume (cubic cub) 3430
Power (L.S.) 211
Maximum speed (km/h) 230
Acceleration to 100 km/h (sec.) 8.3
Fuel consumption (l per 100 km) city/highway 16.8/9.7
       
Prices for BMW 735i cars in Moscow (data for July 2000)
Year of release price
1987 $ 3500-5000
1988 $ 4000-5600
1989 $ 4200-6000
1990 $ 4100-6800
1991 $5400--9000
       
Prices for spare parts and consumables
Oil filter $ 8-10
Air filter $ 16-20
Fuel filter $ 30-40
Cooping set $ 25-30
Palds Torm., Per. Kt $ 30 (neurig.)-100 (Orig.)
Brake discs (after pcs.) $ 50
Block Fara $ 250-100 (used)
The rear lamp $ 200-70 (used)
The gas pump $ 150--200
 

Source: "Autopilot"