1995 BMW 740i 38k miles

[kc911s]

I know this is the Porsche section, but the BMW area doesn't seem to have the traffic or knowledge our Porsche section has. I'm hoping some of you guys can help me attach a value to a car I have in the garage. It's my dads 1995 740i one owner bought new from our local BMW dealer- he was a meticulous owner and had any service the service dept suggested performed and have records to back it up. I hate to see the car sit and I never seem to drive it anymore. I took it in recently to a local independent BMW shop to have it looked over, oil changed, just get some eyes on it. I didn't want to cause any damage by driving it without having it looked at. When I picked it up the guys their told me it was basically showroom new and they had never seen one in this condition. The tech that worked in it noted it still had the cosmoline on it for rust proofing when they are shipped over here. He said that's something he has never seen on any other car. It's a clean car. I have toyed with the idea of sending it out to one of the shops that does the 6 speed swaps thinking it would make me drive it more. Selling it is another option but I really have no idea what's it worth. I would maybe try BAT- might get it infront of Bimmer heads that way. Any ideas?

Thanks

[specialtyoneinc]

Sounds like the perfect BAT car. Guessing you might get $7-$10k since its so nice. Those aren't very sought after unfortunately.

[kc911s]

Yeahl, I know it's not a hot ticket item by any means. I'm not wanting to sell it on Craigslist and deal with all the "I'll give ya $1000 bucks for it" responses and I have never traded it in because I'm sure the offer would sour any deal I was trying to work. I'd like someone to get ahold of it what wouldn't drive it into the ground so BAT may be the route.

[Norm K]

I have a buddy whose '98 got beat to crap in a recent hail storm. He's tried to find another nice one but the market is soft enough that most seem to have fallen into the hands of people who "ride `em hard and put `em up wet".

If the car's as nice as it sounds I suspect he might be a player.

Feel free to PM if you'd like to discuss.

_

[christiandk]

Any pics?

[kc911s]

I will add some pictures to the post.

[SalParadise]

In a way, it's one of the ultimate BMWs from the period when BMWs still looked like BMWs.

Unfortunately the engine made many of them go away. The BMW 8 was nowhere - and I mean nowhere - near the reliability of the 6. I wanted a 740 once, and every independent BMW shop in San Diego said the same thing: It's the engine that keeps us in business.

They are very sweet. I'd probably go the BaT route because the are so sweet and there must be people out there who still really dig them.

[Macroni]

I believe there is a 2000 740 on BaT now.

also look in there history for comps.

[sugarwood]

Post it on a few of the BMW forums.

[kc911s]

Not the best photos. As you can see she needs a bath bad! Has a pixel out in the Odo and as you can see needs new kidneys- suffered the broken tabs that hold them in.

[christiandk]

Pretty nice, but does not look loved. 39k miles. Hmmmm. It must have been hard miles. Leather on front seat is all buffed up and shiny.

My best guess is that the odo has been reset. Do you have stamps in the service booklet to confirm milage - or is it missing?

[kc911s]

Well your best guess would be wrong. Miles all original. Leather not buffed. Leather not shiny. All miles can be proven. Have records back to day 1- I was 16 when it came home.

Any my question for you Christian- why would anyone want to reset the miles on a e38?? That's pretty laughable.

[christiandk]

Originally Posted by kc911s

Well your best guess would be wrong. Miles all original. Leather not buffed. Leather not shiny. All miles can be proven. Have records back to day 1- I was 16 when it came home.

Any my question for you Christian- why would anyone want to reset the miles on a e38?? That's pretty laughable.

I have no idea - just called it like I saw it from the (bad) pics.

[kc911s]

Yeah- I called them out as bad pics. Someone wanted to see pictures so I snapped a couple. If I was trying to sell the car on here I would of gotten out my Nikon not my iPhone.

The pictures must be pretty bad to make you think the miles are rolled back and car unloved. It has never spent a night outside. Driven in snow only a few times. My dad took better care of this car than most people do their children. Anyways- I'll take the indepemdemt BMW mechanics opinion of showroom over a internet alias opinion of a unloved rolled back spit polished car.

[christiandk]

Well I take it back then - rear seats look like a butt never touched them though

[kc911s]

Haha- well take back the part about me committing a felony as well!

[Macroni]

Nice car.... very under valued in used car market.....

[SalParadise]

I honestly thought the photos showed the car well - for something done off-the-cuff. It looks like true mileage for me. I have seen many, wanted to purchase one many, many times, and I have never seen a cleaner one than this one. I lie - I did see a cleaner one, and that was in 1999 when I valeted it in Naples, Florida - then again, it was new and that was almost 20 years ago.

[maxnine11]

Aspen Silver.
Very nice color, IMO.
Has a lavender tint to it from some angles.
A very '90s German hue.

[Rdkc01]

The pixels being out was not uncommon on the 5 series of that era as well. My former 540i had that same issue. Don’t quote me but I believe it was an $1800 fix several years back.