There is a really nice 99 740iL at my work that just came in. THe exterior of the car is in really good shape. The interior is going to need some work though. I open the ash tray and a smoker has owned the car even though it doesn't smell like smoke. The leather seats in the front are cracking. The headliner looks kinda
ify. Some parts of the headliner look like in time will start to come down.

For the engine area or under the hood other then basic maintance like the belt. Brakes are not to bad. Its going to need tires soon. I drove that car is rides pretty nice. Suspension sounds like its good working order. No knocks clunks or anything abnormal. No squeaks. Ac air all internal electrial works right. Vents work good. Nothing broken.

The transmission looks fairly new to me. While I was test driving it. This is something I checked. Engagment is smooth. In reverse and drive. Nothing abnormal.I did some research and they had a recall on the transmissions of this car. This recall they replace the whole transmission. I did notice a small leak BUT that looks like run off from the leaky gearbox. Which is leaking. Not a large leak a slow leak.

I know what is exspected of this car. This isn't a Honda which I know about. I know maintance is probably more frequent and more costly. This is a 4.4L V8.
Gas is probably going to be another thing to look at.

I really like the car. I needs some work though. It has 95,000 miles on the car. I consider that high. I don't know this is a BMW I don't know if these are bullet proof cars like a honda. But any car can be that if you take care of it. Some just take more attention then others. Thats what seprates manufacters quality in my opinion.

They are asking 13,and change. Blue book on one in prime condtion is upper 18,000. Let me know what you think. The car is black. With tan interior.

 

Maintenance on those cars will definitely be more costly than a normal car. The M62 engine is the 4.4L variant of the M60 I have in my car and I haven't had any trouble with my motor. I have heard some things about the transmissions being troublesome in the e38's but I think alot of that is due to improper maintenance. If the car has good maintenance records then I would think you'll be alright. It'll be tough to find a car that is more comfortable, especially if it has the "comfort package" front seats.

Also, just for comparison I have 115k miles on my car. These motors usually do require a head gasket around that mileage. Other troublesome areas on the m60 (not sure about the '99 M62) was the plastic bottleneck area of the radiator.

Here is a rundown from a BMW board of what to look for in an e38:

There are several things to watch for. I would avoid anything without a full history and excellent service records. I would also lean towards a CPO or aftermarket warranty.

Some things to check:
Loosing pixel display in temperature, mileage display.
Catalytic converters failing
Power steering hoses leaking
Cup holders failing
Nikasil engine block problems in 95 V8
Oil pump bolts backing out, generally pre 99 years
Radiator failures. Plastic neck breaking, all years
A/C stepper motors failing.
Original Water pumps with plastic impellers failing
Coolant thermostat failing
Poor quality jack
Electric cooling fan failing in year 98 and newer
Sunroof wind noise
CD player skipping in models older than 97
Older A/C temperature displays failing
Phones not being upgradeable without major cost or modifications
A/C drain lines need re-routing to stop gurgling sound


Summary of model years:

1996
New 4.4 liter engine. Horsepower remained the same but torque went up from 295@4500 rpm to 310@3900 rpm. Standard steel sunroof changed, glass moonroof instead.

1997
Side impact airbags standard for front seat passengers. Navigation system became available but fitted into few cars.

1998
DSC became standard. HPS head airbags also standard and rear-seat side airbags optional. Navigation system more available. New AC control panel as well (although this was retrofitted to many pre-98 cars).

1999
Mild face-lift with scalloped headlights, crystalized taillamps, door scoop illumination, and chrome strip on the trunk. The 4.4 liter engine receives VANOS variable valve timing and torque rises from 310 to 324. Updated side skirts without the round hole plugs for the jack. Sport package consisting of 18-inch rims, blackout trim, lower gear ratio, and vavona redwood interior trim became available on the 740i.

2000
Features as standard that were options before. Xenon lights, rain sensing wipers, headlight washer nozzles, Navigation, DSP stereo with cassette in the dash and 6 disk changer in the trunk. Sport package became available on 740iL/750iL models, sans the lower gearing.

2001
For the last year, they added body colored side skirts, and front and rear air dams (all were black until 2001) and crystal clear turn signals. Features as standard that were options before, Star tac phone with mayday system, 16 way comfort seats, side airbags with head protection skirts. Mid year (9/00 production and later) they changed to a wide navigation screen.

 

Where do you work? I'm not looking for a 740.. was thinking e46-ish.
-Jeff