Checklist when buying used BMW

#11

On Mar 28, 2:06 pm, "E28 Guy©" <88.53... (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote:

Quote:

On Mar 28, 7:44 am, "JamieB" <jamiebabine... (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote:

As a preface, 'Exx' ("Entwicklungsnummer" or 'project number') is a
bodyshell/chassis designator; 'Mxx ...' ('Motor') is an engine
designator. Alll older E numbers are distinct. M numbers with the
same first two digits are very similar to one another. The succeeding
numbers and letters signify increasing refinements.

At this point I think the two cars I am looking at would be the
mid-1990's E34 525i or the E32 730/735i (I don't recognize this model
from memory - so I might lean toward a 740)

I'm not quite sure why you have an anomalous 'disconnect' here. If
you want an inline six, you should not eliminate the E34 535i.

If you are including the two V8s (the '-30' and '-40' in 730 and 740),
you should also include the E34 530i and the E34 'hot rod' first year
540i as well as the two E32s.

If you are in the US, I am pretty certain you will not find an E32
730. IIRC, the smallest engine here was the M30B35 3.5 liter inline
six and the 3.0 V8 was never installed in US E32s. Were I to own an
E32, my preference would be for the 735i, with the 740i a close
second. Be aware that the E32 also came in a long wheelbase version,
all of which are recognizable by the following 'L' on the model name.
So, a 735iL and a 740iL are both 4 inches longer and a couple hundred
pounds heavier than the correspponding 'i' model. *Unless you are
insane*, you probably want to avoid the V-12 750iL. Mere mortals such
as ourselves do not DIY them.
--
C.R. Krieger
(Been there; done that)

Hi,
Thanks for the details regarding the models. I wasn't aware of much of
what you mentioned. About the models I am looking for, I am still
trying to learn the variants of the body styles and combinations. Yes,
if I find a 535i I will definitely consider it.

In a nutshell, before coming to this forum, the ONLY thing I could
tell you I knew about BMW is they made: 318, 325, 525, Z3, Z4, M3.
That's all I knew. So when I am looking at what's out there I see the
525i, 318i, 325i and the 740. Those are most common. When I have cash
in hand and do my search, I will start meticulously looking for the
specific models we discussed - E34 525i & 535i, E32 740i and a few
more in between.

I'm still getting over information overload on the E and M things.
It's a lot to remember for a newbie - even with the charts I have.

Thanks again,
jamie

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Checklist when buying used BMW

BMW BMW General Discussions (alt.autos.bmw)

Re: Checklist when buying used BMW - 03-28-2007 , 02:21 PM