need opinion on beemer

[Woody]

I know it's not a porsche, but I found a really clean 1988 735I with 177K on it. Any one have any ideas of what it's worth. I could drive it on rainy days

[E30Mracer]

It's one of the most problematic BMWs from that period. And the millege is high enough where it becomes totally unpredictable, unless most parts had been changed already. 5 series would be a much safer choice

[Jim Richards]

Kevin, I think there's a Pelican Beemer forum.

[trj911]

It should be a decent car. I've had 7 series cars for 20+ years and they have been relatively problem free. I do not recall reading anything about the '88 era car being a problem plagued car and if it was, a 5 series would probably have similar problems. Do you have someone you can have do a PPI for you? Have that done and they will be able to give you a good evaluation of the car. And as Jim says, there is a Pelican 7 series forum.

[Rodeo]

I'm pretty sure that was the BMW 8 cyl engine that was BIG trouble. Can't remember the specific problem off the top of my head, but do some research before you do anything. It was not a problem on the 5 series from that era, that was a different 6 cyl engine. Steve

[RickM]

The 735 is not even an eight cylinder.

From my experience the 735 of that era was a very reliable car. The engine is pretty much bulletproof. However, those are still high miles. A PPI by an experienced Bimmer wrench is a must.

The 740s from 92 through 95 1/2 had the premature cylinder wear from the sulfur content in US gas. The problematic Nikasil cylindered engines were replaced with Alusil under warranty by BMWNA. However, there are still many around that were not replaced.

If you want the true BMW enema then go for the 750...beauitiful to drive...when you're not pouring cash into it at the shop.

[trj911]

The engine you might be thinking of is the nikasil 8 cylinder that went into the '92-'95 7 series and same year 540's. BMW switched from nikasil to alusil in mid '95 to eliminate the problems with those engines. Even then, those engines were not all bad. I put 130K+ miles on a '94 740 that had a nikasil engine and never had any trouble with it. Some went bad (failed leak-down tests) after 30K miles and some are still good today. It depended on the gas that was used in the car.

EDIT: Rick, you and I had the same thought at the same time. You must type faster than I do.

Rick, you are correct- 3.4L 6 Cylinder 208 hp

[Rodeo]

Yea that's what I was thinking ... never mind

Steve

[wilke3169]

You might try here for advise. I promise they will have an opinion.
http://www.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/

[svandamme]

i know 2 735i's with 2000 000 kilometers on the clock
still running...
and another 2 with 1500000 .... still running

130 K miles is nothing for 735i's... nothing...

true , the clock stops at 299999 , but the garage will reset it
and log it in the maintenance history...

those engine blocks are rock solid so is the rest of the car...

and you can do a powerslide in em... (ask me how i know... couple of hints..young...brave, no make that stupid)

[power]

I currently have been driving a 1985 735I for 3.5 years. My car has 320,000 Kms on the odometer and I have not had many problems with it. I changed out the front wheel bearings and replaced a collapsed front strut when I bought the car for a few hundred dollars (the car was undrivable at the time). I use it as a daily driver and I am extremely happy with its service. The wrecking yards are full of these cars perfect for a DIYS'er. I am not an expert on BMW, but I would look closely at the front suspension and the engine head gasket before I bought one.

Bottom line, I would highly recommend this car to a DIYS'er but would not recommend it if you are thinking of having it serviced at a dealership.

[svandamme]

dealers will indeed happely take your money on these cars... they're easy to work on and easy to charge for...lol

you're right on that power

[jabb]

You can also try getting some info here www.bimmerfest.com

[RickM]

Originally posted by power
I am not an expert on BMW, but I would look closely at the front suspension and the engine head gasket before I bought one.

Good advice. E32s are heavy cars. The front thrust arm bushings go like water. The shimmy at 60 mph is a dead give away. Other problematic items: Radiators(later), Warped Rotors, window regulators, rear privacy screen gears and self leveling suspension. All have relatively inexpensive DIY solutions.

Tip: when replacing rotors go with Balo....German quality at bargain price.

[KLR]

We have an '88 735i with about 120k miles on the clock. Bought it in 1997 with 65k for about $11k. It's a great car, but definitely not too quick by today's standards (0-60 in about 8-9 seconds, give or take). The electronics in the dashboard are a typical problem area that no one has mentioned here, but the circuit boards can be rebuilt (ours was done by someone who makes a living doing this). They're not terribly expensive to keep up nor difficult to work on, but they do get dismal mileage (think 15mpg). The auto trannies are bullet proof. Overall, it's a great car, but not the most economical.

[Tim Polzin]

Brian:

You have got to have the cleanest selection of cars I have ever seen. Lucky for you there are no gravel roads in California.

Long time no see.

Tim

[CarreraS2]

I have a disorder about cleanliness! Everything I own has to be spotless. When I was a kid, I had the cleanest bikes and skateboards on the block. It's never ended.

Boy, haven't heard from you in a long time! Hope all is well. I'll send you a PM.

Brian

[Woody]

tHANKS GUYS. It is a sweet looking car. The only problem is they want a fortune for it. Maybe I'll make an offer and leave it with them.
Thanks again