Stop Me From Doing Something Stupid

"MrDakka" (mrdakka)
05/12/2015 at 20:35 • Filed to: BMW, 740i, Dumbass

Fellow opponauts, to commemorate my oppo authorship, I plan to do something monumentally stupid.

Buy a BMW !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! like this one

Cry as I experience the joys of a bimmer breaking down

????

Profit!!!

I’m planning to look at this car on Saturday. If I like what I see, what should I offer the guy? I’m thinking $2000ish (based on other ‘95 740i’s), but the mileage seems a bit high compared to other 740’s.

DISCUSSION (19)

MLGCarGuy > MrDakka
05/12/2015 at 20:40

Welcome to Oppo! Hope you enjoy it.

Offer maybe $1500-1800 based on mileage.

505Turbeaux > MrDakka
05/12/2015 at 20:42

he nailed the price about right, give him about $1200 or walk away. Good looking car, but it is a 20 year old luxury car that has been to the moon. Beware the transmission and the HVAC system on those. HVAC will put you back more money than you pay on that thing

Sam > MrDakka
05/12/2015 at 20:59

They really aren’t that unreliable. Change the oIL and make sure none of the wear parts are worn out. My ‘95 530i is at early 200k miles and has never broken down a single time.

Slant6 > MrDakka
05/12/2015 at 20:59

Yes! Peer pressure decisions FTW. They made me paint my truck! (Oppo more so encouraged me to, wasn’t forced)

just a personal thing here and I’m sure some other people will agree with me but I like to stay away from the R word. There are no rules against using it here I just personally don’t like seeing it used the way you did. Don’t feel like you have to take it down or anything just be aware it could offend someone.

Welcome to Oppo :)

Kinja'd!!!

Noah - Now with more boost. > MrDakka
05/12/2015 at 21:01

Welcome to oppo! E32s are SO cool, the taillights are my favorite part. But as 505 hinted at already, there is no such thing as a cheap used BMW - the cash you save upfront will inevitably be spent on parts/maintainence! Even a $2000 dollar E36, like the one my friend drives, can cost you 4-6k over the course of a few years and leave you stranded occasionally. I’ve already watched/helped my friend fix over a dozen issues that incapacitated his car. I too bought a cheap used BMW for my first car, dumped another 2-3K into it, and tapped out after a year of ownership because my wallet couldn’t take it (I was a college student at the time). And now I still don’t have a car... and that was two years ago. I should have saved up a little more, and I think you should consider doing the same! Your future self will thank you. Save just a little more and find something you know will last longer than a year or two. Just my $0.02!

MrDakka > Slant6
05/12/2015 at 21:11

Thanks for the welcome. As for the R-word, sorry about that, will tone it down

MrDakka > MLGCarGuy
05/12/2015 at 21:13

Thanks for the welcome and advice

Slant6 > MrDakka
05/12/2015 at 21:17

I sincerely appreciate it. Oppo is great in that we all get along. Might be the only place on the internet where everyone is so friendly.

MrDakka > Noah - Now with more boost.
05/12/2015 at 21:23

Thanks for the welcome and advice. I do realize that I will be lucky if the repair and maintenance cost don’t exceed $4k . I’m fortunate enough to have another car as a daily driver and live within walking/biking distance from work, so being stranded won’t be too bad.

I want to start wrenching on cars and I thought what better to start on that an unreliable German luxury sedan? :)

Noah - Now with more boost. > MrDakka
05/12/2015 at 21:52

Ooooh ok; go for it! My bad. There will definitely be a lot to learn about! Maybe not in this case though... I bet the PO has spent soooooo much on it already haha

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > MrDakka
05/12/2015 at 22:24

Ask if the transmission has been serviced or rebuilt. If not walk away since a ZF 5HP30 rebuild is pricey. Also the M60 V8 has duplex timing chains so it will last. Just ask if the oil pump bolts have been tighten since the M60 had an issue from the bolts backing out and not being torqued down.

StoneCold > MrDakka
05/12/2015 at 22:26

I had a ‘95 740iL for a year and a half with ~120,000 miles. Loved it! I miss it all the time. Got better highway mileage than my Accord; only thing was that the Plus/Premium gas was a killer on the pocket book. Only but about 40 dollars in parts in it over that period of ownership. Just careful over big bumps. The suspension can take a lot, but if it busts, IT BUSTS.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > Slant6
05/12/2015 at 22:34

What was the R-word so I do not inadvertently use it. Definition, only I can try to find the word with only a definition

itranthelasttimeiparkedit > MrDakka
05/12/2015 at 22:53

As an owner of 2 older v8 bmws (and an e30) I don’t think that model is too awful. I have an 02 540i and minus the vanos chain guides I have been able to do a ton of my work myself, parts aren’t too bad and the issues aren’t too complex. (I may be jaded though, I have a 125k mi 550i that is putting my mechanic’s kid through college)

Slant6 > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
05/12/2015 at 23:10

http://www.r-word.org/r-word-effects…

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > Slant6
05/12/2015 at 23:19

Got ya. Glad I asked as I have often used that word to define myself in the past.

Slant6 > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
05/12/2015 at 23:26

Thanks. Im really not the activism type but this is something I feel shouldn’t need activists.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > Slant6
05/13/2015 at 00:02

Agreed

MrDakka > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins)
05/13/2015 at 00:29

Thanks for the advice, I will definitely ask.