My "other" car...

[S38B38]

here is my other one ,,, 92 B10 BT


((I also have a 91 M5 ))

[4941cc]

"Bold" colour choice sir ;) Wonderful car. B10 BiTurbo AND an M5. Oh - just clocked the E30 moniker too...

[S38B38]

"Bold" colour choice sir ;) Wonderful car. B10 BiTurbo AND an M5. Oh - just clocked the E30 moniker too...

Thanks,,

the cabrio have 5 lug from E30 M3,, thrilling to drive on the RING,, NOT the fastest car around , but a quick one on straight,
the BT is just a VERY FAST straight ,, the car have 93.000 km on the clock

[Andyboy]

Isn't the M70 basically two M20's?

No, it's based on M40 components - think of two M40 316i/318i engines stretched into sixes and then spliced together.
Trying to find any E38 that isn't a nail these days is hard work - they were never as good as the E32 for build quality - think E30 versus E36, rust, dodgy interior plastics and electrical problems. I run an old E32 730i myself, a rare one with a five speed manual box and a lot of miles.
I had a 740i a couple of years ago, a really horrid ropey old thing but the drivetrain was superb and it returned some astonishing MPG figures - on a run out to Shrewsbury and back it averaged 29 mpg. The five speed auto is much better than the 4 speed in the V12 and a good 740i really does go when you give it some shoe.

That looks like a short wheelbase car - if it is, it's a pity it hasn't got the Sports seats these came with. If you could find some, a set of the early dished 750iL wheels would be ideal!

M Parallels are the beginning of the end - you might as well go the full hog and add chrome arches, some V12 badges, a Northern Irish number plate and be the King of the Council Estate. Keep it OEM.

[djk]

M Parallels are the beginning of the end - you might as well go the full hog and add chrome arches, some V12 badges, a Northern Irish number plate and be the King of the Council Estate. Keep it OEM.

*djk bows head and returns to the back of the classroom, exposed as stupid for ever having suggested such a thing*

Agreed though, have seen some rank 7s at Gaydon and Pod this year.

[Andyboy]

Agreed though, have seen some rank 7s at Gaydon and Pod this year.

There is in fact a set procedure for ruining an old £1500 7 Series and turning it into a Council Estate Gypo caravan. Here's how you wipe away its last bit of dignity:

1. Northern Ireland plate (BAZ 234957293568).
2. Fake 18 inch wheels, the shinier the better.
3. Standard ride height for that ridiculous 4x4 look.
4. Angel eye/crystal front and rear lights.
5. Bit of chrome - V8/V12 badges, door handles, number plate surrounds, full chrome centre grille, wiper arms.
6. At least four exhaust pipes, also chrome tipped.
7. Wood rim steering wheel

[dickster]

Lovely motor in a great colour, I shall get one one day as I'm a fan of big old barges.

I bought some genuine E32 17" Alpinas a couple of weeks ago, no curbing and 10" rears for £150 , I haven't anything to put them on yet but I will have me an E32 or E34 again soon.

[Jhonno]

I ran a 735i a while back and it was lovely.. I would love to rock a 740i or 750i for a bit

[fuzzy]

....dont forget the blacked out windows and chrome arches.

[4941cc]

Isn't the M70 basically two M20's?

No, it's based on M40 components - think of two M40 316i/318i engines stretched into sixes and then spliced together.
Trying to find any E38 that isn't a nail these days is hard work - they were never as good as the E32 for build quality - think E30 versus E36, rust, dodgy interior plastics and electrical problems. I run an old E32 730i myself, a rare one with a five speed manual box and a lot of miles.
I had a 740i a couple of years ago, a really horrid ropey old thing but the drivetrain was superb and it returned some astonishing MPG figures - on a run out to Shrewsbury and back it averaged 29 mpg. The five speed auto is much better than the 4 speed in the V12 and a good 740i really does go when you give it some shoe.

That looks like a short wheelbase car - if it is, it's a pity it hasn't got the Sports seats these came with. If you could find some, a set of the early dished 750iL wheels would be ideal!

M Parallels are the beginning of the end - you might as well go the full hog and add chrome arches, some V12 badges, a Northern Irish number plate and be the King of the Council Estate. Keep it OEM.

I do concede the five speed 'box is much nicer to use than the four cogger in this car, should this V12 ever expire - an update to an M73 with the five speed Steptronic would make a more than agreeable replacement.

It is a SWB - that's what I've been looking for, the iLs are far in excess of requirement and feel decidedly less wieldy, having helmed a few examples of either. E38s do look nicer and a touch more modern, but again I can only concur that they seem to not be of quite the same integrity - albeit far from the camp of E36s. Sports seats would be nice - but I can take or leave them, as would an E34 M5 3 spoke steering wheel as the Titanic spec steering wheel in this is rather ungainly. I located a period Alpina steering wheel but alledgedly that would only co-operate with an E30 or 34. Plus as mentioned already, that's another step in the "fake B12" direction.

I confess I did for a very short while consider adding E38 spec V12 badges to the C pillar and I do already own an "OIL" registration plate (it came with the E32 735i and got taken off sharpish - currently residing on my E30 to "save" the annual £25 retention fee) and again thought it might be apt for a V12. Thankfully my anal retentive OEM tendencies got the better of me and the only dilemma is to badge or de-badge. I want to de-badge it & even got the hairdryer & dental floss out today - but then I just couldn't bring myself to defile her after 20 years in factory original condition - that's a large part of why I bought her after all. Chrome arches? Please - those are for (drug) dealer spec '80s Mercedes (SECs particularly) - not BMWs. There's quite enough chrome on this old girl already thank you - having spent today polishing it. Blacked out windows? I appreciate you have little idea of what I look like - but it's neither a Yardie, a Bradfordian or a West African despot.

Anyway, following a pleasant afternoon of weather & a rarely clear diary I gave her a wash to my own satisfaction, nourished all the rubbers, fed the leather twice and gave her a clay barring session and a resin hand polish. Paintwork came up suitably lustrous. Here goes:





Mmm, nice & chromey:







Following a little jaunt to blast out the cobwebs and eradicate any water from under the eaves from yesterdays pressure wash & leathering - oops ;)



Normal service resumed tonight on the way home & hovering at 24.8 mpg over the last 1/4 tank since filling which pleases me.

[4941cc]

Agreed though, have seen some rank 7s at Gaydon and Pod this year.

There is in fact a set procedure for ruining an old £1500 7 Series and turning it into a Council Estate Gypo caravan. Here's how you wipe away its last bit of dignity:

1. Northern Ireland plate (BAZ 234957293568).
2. Fake 18 inch wheels, the shinier the better.
3. Standard ride height for that ridiculous 4x4 look.
4. Angel eye/crystal front and rear lights.
5. Bit of chrome - V8/V12 badges, door handles, number plate surrounds, full chrome centre grille, wiper arms.
6. At least four exhaust pipes, also chrome tipped.
7. Wood rim steering wheel

Too true, joking apart - that's sadly a fate bestowed upon many SWB V12s (plus the obligatory shoddy LPG conversion) - and many other 7s of course.

This one was *just a bit* more than £1,500 too...;)

[4941cc]

Lovely motor in a great colour, I shall get one one day as I'm a fan of big old barges.

I bought some genuine E32 17" Alpinas a couple of weeks ago, no curbing and 10" rears for £150 , I haven't anything to put them on yet but I will have me an E32 or E34 again soon.

Kosher E32 17" Alpinas for £150? Actual circular ones?

If they're going spare currently

[Andyboy]

Sport seats were standard on the SWB cars, but 'comfort' seats were an option - perhaps the first owner wanted armrests which weren't available on the sport seats. SWB cars also had the big 635CSi Highline 415 Metrics - I would keep them on as they look great and source some part worn TRX GT's as they're much, much better than the old TRX's.
IOf you must change, look out for some E38 16 inch BBS wheels - same pattern as the E32 15 inch type but easier to get tyres for.
The E30, E34 and E32 steering wheels are the same. The wheel on my 730i is a 3 spoke SE leather wheel from an E30 and it's the same as the E34 item. It does make a difference over the four spoke Tirpitz spec tiller.

[4941cc]

Bugger on the sports seats front - although that's not mentioned in the original sales literature (yes the car came with a 1989 sales brochure).

it is indeed on the 415 metrics, the tyres are the TRX GTs - but I still find them unacceptably harsh. Maybe it's the perennial problem of low mileage cars - old brittle tyres as th erubber has deteriorated before having a chance to be worn through use. Will check the build dates on the tyres in the daylight tomorrow - might just need a refresh.

Having seen a customer of mine's E39 today with the 16" BBS X-spokes - I was looking at them rather covetously and thinking they were the sensible way to go and keeping things close to OE, I can then refurb the metric rims properly and save them if I get into "shows".

@ Tirpitz tiller - spot on. Being possessed of large mitts I am keen to locate an M-Tech II item (325i Sport/E34 M5 spec IIRC). I'm quite fond of the E38/9 "Sport" item but then reality bit and I realised I don't have an airbagged steering wheel. I have the horrid vinyl four spoke wheel on my E30 too, so it's new steering wheels all around I think as a priority. It would please me greatly to have the same in both cars.

[dickster]

Lovely motor in a great colour, I shall get one one day as I'm a fan of big old barges.

I bought some genuine E32 17" Alpinas a couple of weeks ago, no curbing and 10" rears for £150 , I haven't anything to put them on yet but I will have me an E32 or E34 again soon.

Kosher E32 17" Alpinas for £150? Actual circular ones?

If they're going spare currently

Definately circular! realistically what do you think a clean set of those are worth minus tyres? I don't recall seeing many 10" staggered Alpina wheels for sale, sadly I wish to keep them as I know I will get an E32 one day-I've always wanted one with Alpinas on, I will bear you in mind if I ever deceide to sell them though, I also have some E38 16" BBS Cross-spokes too!

I have to say that I've always thought that the long wheelbase looks out of proportion slightly, as much as I think the rear leg room is nice I think the swb looks spot-on and as I'm in the front the passengers can bog-off!

Looking great in those updated pics, the more I look at the pics the more I want one! fantastic car.

[4941cc]

I'd have thought somewhere in the realms of £7-800 for a set that don't require any refurbishment and aren't buckled - without tyres. That's if they can be found in the first place. I've had a trawl around the Alpina register and you can usually find one for sale here or two there (I always wonder why people sell alloys in anything but complete sets) for £150-200 per corner.

I very rarely carry rear seat passengers anyway so as long as there's space up front for the wife & I to be comfortable, that's all that matters. On the odd occasion I do have extra bodies - a standard Seven is quite big enough for most. LWB are for the driven rather than the driver.

[Blitz]

Bargain! You can get the wheels of this.

http://tinyurl.com/ykjmb2t

[4941cc]

That answers the lowering question - that thing looks like an off-roader. Need to find out how that works with the SLS/EDC of the V12s.

But bloody hell that's a lot of car to buy just for a set of wheels. Trouble is I couldn't bring myself to kill the rest of the car - so it'd become an (expensive) millstone.