[Sem80-88]

Since moving to India last November I was on the lookout for a car project. Did not want to take on something to big as I knew sourcing the parts in India would be headache. I wanted a R129 similar to the one I have but was not able to find one an unmolested example . I thought if I decide to stay here I might import mine so the search shifted to a luxury barge. The Mercedes S Class (W126 ) was considered but again could find a good example and then the search shifted to BMW 7 series ( E38). I like this shape over the E32 and as I was looking for a project did not consider any cars later then 2000.

So the car I have bought is-----


Model description :- BMW 730i
Type :- GF22
E-Code :- E38
Chassis :- Sedan
Steering :- Right
Doors :- 4
Engine :- M60/1 - 3,00l (160kw) ( V8 )
Drive :- Rear-Wheel Drive
Transmission :- Automatic
Body Color :- Oxfordgreen Metallic
Upholstery :- Standardleder/Beige E36 Sandbeige E
Production Date :- 23.06.1995
Assembled In :- Dingolfing
Optional Equip :-S199A without catalytic converter
:-S214A Automatic-Stability-Control (ASC+T)
:-S216A Hydro Steering Servotronic
:-S245A Steering Wheel Column Adjust Electric
:-S296A BMW LA wheel classic
:-S302A Alarm System
:-S320A Deleted Model Lettering
:-S354A Green windscreen,green shade band
:-S401A Lift up and slide back sunroof electric
:-S416A roller sun visor,rear lateral
:-S428A warning triangle and first aid kit
:-S430A Interior/outside mirror with auto dip
:-S438A Fine wood trim
:-S456A Comfort seat with memory
:-S473A Armrest front
:-S494A Seat heating driver/passenger
:-S500A Headlight wipe/wash/Intensive cleaning
:-S534A Automatic air conditioning
:-S548A Kilometer Calibrated Speedometer
:-S555A On board computer with remote control
:-S672A CD changer for 6 CDs
:-S677A HiFi System Professional DSP
:-S823A Hot Climate Version
:-S850A Additional Export Tank Filling
:-S877A Delete cross pattern operation

Got all the above information from a contact in BMW UK from the chassis number.

Took a flight to Bombay to view the car.
What I Looked for (MAJOR )if found I was not going to buy the car
1. No major accident damage ok
2. No Modifications ok
3. No tears in leather ok
4. All Electrics to work ( everything) ok
5. No rust ok ( minor at a couple of places )
6. registration on owners name ok
7. No big dents ok ( three little dents, not bad for the age )
8. Engine ok ( sounded fine then and now I can say it is good as after 2000 kms and even cruising at 150 kmph it did not skip a beat )

the engine sounded fine . left the engine running for 30 mins to check for any signs for overheating. There were signs of oil leaks but they were where I expected . went for a drive the auto box was smooth and both
the gearbox modes worked fine. The shocks seemed a bit weak .
drove it back from Bombay to farm ( Uttar Pradesh 28°31'58"N 80°14'0"E ) on the way we ( wife and myself ) visited Vadodara and Udaipur on to delhi and then home. total distance covered was 2183 km with an average of 8 kmpl . Some problems did show there face as we travelled. the rear left shocker absorber was totally gone ,the windscreen washer was not working perfectly, the headlights were not aimed properly,the front left wishbone needed replacement. these were the obvious things which needed attention.

a few pics of the car sent to me before I went to Bombay to view it.

have started to disassemble the front end for now.
reasons
1. the front headlights need to be cleaned ( as you can see in the opening post the lenses inside have gone yellow.
2. the engine bay had to be cleaned because of the oil leak. the e38 V8 had a know problem of leaky rocker cover gaskets and power steering pipe. I always like the engine bay to be spotless because if anything is leaking you can spot right away and it looks good.
3. wanted to check the condition of the belts, water pump, tension pulleys so took everything out.

the car as it is now









the bearings in the V-Belt tension pulleys were dry (nothing is lifetime remember)
the picture is of one of the bearing all were dry. the waterpump is also going to be replaced as a precaution. It sounds if the bearing are dry and I have every out anyway.

[canonball]

Please post a picture log, would be nice see what it looks like when you bought it.

[coloneljasi]

You alright, mate? Please do post some photographs of your BMW in it's current state. If you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay for it?

Is there any particular reason as to why you chose an E38? All the very best with your project.

[nandishpal]

What should i say? We have similar tastes. I was looking for a 129 too but now it seems a good car to be found in India is a Myth. Even if you do it costs as much as a 2004 /05 Sl. Anyways i was looking for an E38 too but my good friend Nikhil says stay away from them unless you have the time, money & head to break.

[aditbelw]

So you are the one who purchased this car! Congratulation's! In fact I was eyeing this vehicle and when I got in touch with the seller I was informed it has been sold recently! What a bummer.

Wish you many happy miles in this wonderful piece of machinery! Btw, it was mentioned that it had factory installed navigation system, but the pictures did not seem to verify the same? Could you please confirm just for knowledge.

[ajmat]

Is this the WB registered one that has been in Mumbai for a while?

[avishar]

Please do post a detailed log on how the car waswhen you found it and what do you plan to do next.It would be very interesting to see how has a high end Beemer survived two decades in India,considering they get so much flak regarding terrible electronics.Hopefully this would be lead to a lot more older/classic beemers getting saved

E38 apparently had the ride comfort of a Rolls,and most patrons swore by it.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Imports Section. Thanks for sharing!

[karan561]

Hey Sem80-88,

Congratulations on this fantastic piece of German machinery

IMO you are doing a good job by concentrating on the mechanicals to keep you car running problem free.

Your ride reminds me the E38 from the movie TRANSPORTER

So just one mod i'd like to suggest you is get some nice set of rims like these (which you may find in the BBS stable) & you'l be set.

[Akshay1234]

What a brilliant car. Can't wait to see you get her back into perfect shape. I remember an uncle of mine used to have a 740i in the US in the early 2000s. I had never seen so many possible adjustments on the seats at that time, almost 20 way adjustable. The engine too was great, I think that car started me on Bimmers. Also as Karan has mentioned, if the roads do allow then get a set of nice BBS rims.

[fx45]

is this the same car that was used in the popular sony tv show some months ago? Looks quite familiar to me.

[Sem80-88]

Have taken the water pump,the manifold,CCV and the alternator off. the water pump would have failed at some as the bearing were running dry. will grease the alternator bearing also. ( it makes sense as everything is out ) Fixed the power steering hose that was leaking. (navnit in mumbai wanted Rs 23,000 for the new hose). washed the engine and took all the underfloor plastic off. (new coverings ordered).
have ordered most of the parts so now the waiting for the parts to come. now that all the work with the car was done for now decided to give the bikes a wash.

[lemedico]

Originally Posted by Sem80-88

Decided to give the bikes a wash.

The blue bike caught my eye, I'm correct in saying that it is a British G-reg from around 1991-1992. Is it your's sir? Riding it around on UK plates in India?

[Sem80-88]

Its 1990 zzr. I brought it here on TR last year to check how the duty structure works and the hassles involved . I am riding it on UK plates as the local RTO has not registered it and I have an ongoing case/ complaint with the RTO. A higher authority has given me temp papers to ride it until the matter is resolved( hopefully next week they say)

[Sem80-88]

A lot work has been done since the last update. had taken a lot of pics of the work but somehow have deleted quite a few. Have replaced anything I saw which was not original or might fail in the future. Everything I have replaced is with original BMW parts or OE supplier part .
what I have found is the quality of work done by the mechanics earlier is basically not upto the mark. At some places wrong nuts were used and at other places some nuts, screws and bolts were missing.
Running these cars is not cheap and if you cannot afford the maintenance
then keep away as running them on the cheap spoils the pleasure. Most of the work is done and now the car is being prepared for a respray.


the parts have been sourced from BMW UK, BMW munich, Ebay UK, autohausAZ,KMS parts uk, Euro carparts uk,eeuroparts.com

following is the list of parts I have replaced and if you want to check where they go look up www.realoem.com




11.13.1.436.324 Sump Gasket
11.12.9.069.872 R C gasket ( 5 - 8)
11.12.9.069.871 R C gasket ( 1-4)
17.11.1.737.704 rubber mounting x 2 lower (radiator)
17.11.1.712.911 rubber mounting x 2 upper (radiator)
17.11.1.737.706 Radiator bracket left
11.12.7.509.328 Oil Cap
11.61.1.747.076 Engine cover nut cap x 4
35.41.1.152.331 Rubber Gromit / acceletor cable
61.66.1.365.657 Gasket/Grommet for washer pump
61.31.1.369.343 Gasket/Grommet for level switch
61.67.1.378.631 Gasket/Grommet for head lamp pump
35.41.1.161.727 Acceletor bowden Cable
65.71.8.380.074 Bowden Cable Cruise Control
35.41.1.162.647 Bowden Cable ADS 2
11.53.1.710.048 O ring x 2 (cooling system pipe Large)
11.53.1.710.055 O ring x 2 (cooling system pipe small)
11.15.1.736.140 O Ring ( crankcase oil separate pipe)
11.15.1.747.978 O Ring ( crankcase oil separate pipe)
13.41.1.733.217 Rubber Gromit ( for idle regulating Valve)
34.33.1.163.183 Vacuum Hose
13.53.7.560.069 Vacuum Hose
35.41.1.162.548 Throttle Actuator
Noise Insulation for engine cover
17.11.1.737.706 Radiator Bracket Left
17.11.1.737.707 Radiator Bracket Right
11.61.7.501.563 Crankcase Vent Valve
11.12.1.437.395 Rocker Cover Bolt Seals
11.51.0.007.043 Water Pump
11.51.0.004.164 Water Pump Gasket
11.52.7.502.804 Fan Coupling
11.51.1.733.429 Pulley
12.14.1.702.163 Knock Sensor x 4

34.52.1.182.076 front ABS sensor x 2
31.12.1.142.088 Wishbone Left


51.41.8.178.999 Speaker Covers x 4
51.16.8.162.753 Hook for rear Blind
07.11.9.901.299 Hex Head Screw
61.13.6.902.588 Fabric Tape
51.71.8.195.383 Circlip
51.71.8.176.503 Clamp x 6

51.11.8.125.313 Front bumper gasket
51.11.0.000.367 Front Bumper
51.13.8.231.593 Black Front Grill (Left )
51.13.8.231.594 Black Front Grill (Right )
Gutter trim
61.31.8.352.229 Alarm Switch
64.11.1.364.257 Spring nut x 32
51.23.8.166.682 Twist Protection x 2
07.11.9.901.268 Screw
07.11.9.902.526 Screw

Rear Coil Springs
33.52.1.091.421 Rear Shock Absorbser x 2
34.21.6.761.248 Rear Brake Pads
34.21.6.757.748 Rear Brake Discs
34.30.1.163.080 Rear Brake Hose x 2
33.53.1.135 624 additional shock absorber rear x 2
34.35.1.182.065 Rear Brake Pad Sensor

51.71.8.125.968 Front right brake air duct
51.71.8.150.450 Lower Right Engine Compartment Cover
51.71.8.150.449 Lower Left Engine Compartment Cover
51.71.8.150.290 Cover wheel housing, Front right
51.71.8.150.289 Cover wheel housing, Front left
51.71.8.168 107 Underfloor Coating
51.71.8.166 632 Underfloor Coating Cover
51.71.8.163.833 Cover, Engine Compartment Screening
51.71.8.172.661 Covering outer right
51.71.8.172.662 Covering outer left
51.71.8.171.659 Left Door Sill Cover
51.71.8.171.660 Right Door Sill Cover


61.13.1.361.243 tubing support
61.13.1.379.087 tubing support
61.66.8.364.445 Left Hose
61.66.8.364.447 Left Hose
61.66.8.364.446 Right Hose
61.66.8.364.448 Right Hose
61.66.8.360.185 Centre Hose x 2
51.48.1.938.725 Expanding Rivet x 2
61.67.1.379.530 Hose Line
61.66.8.360.181 Connection Piece
63.17.1.367.868 Expanding Nut

51.13.8.166.675 Clamp x 40

63.17.8.352.815 Bracket Left
63.17.8.352.816 Bracket Right
07.11.9.904.176 screw x 4
07.12.9.904.221 Body Nut x 4


51.71.8.195.811 Expanding Rivet
51.13.8.183.102 Clamp
51.13.1.960.127 Grommet
51.13.1.924.953 Clamp
51.13.8.157.201 Clamp
51.13.1.934.160 Grommet
51.13.8.150.943 Grommet