May be leaving this forum due to e38 itis.....

Ok guys, Ive been here a really long time and Ive had some real fun and laughs with many of you, many times at my own expense (see some of my crazy threads )

Heres the deal, I love my e46 330ci coupe and she is in mint condition (as in wet dream gorgeous-glossy poster perfect red (BMW respray) with complete black leather interior - she looks HOT just sitting still)

It's taking a long time to mod her out but I dont drive her AT all.

Every day i leave home I jump on one of my motorcycles or ride my scooter.

Why???
Well; that's the question Ive been asking myself Over and over (inside)

The best reason I can think of is (I've lost interest in the beloved e46)

So heres the deal I cannot decide if I should farm out the custom stereo etccc custom carpeted sub etcc.. to one of you

OR let it all go and just do this.

My buddy sells premium BMWs and Dinan Packages up North his word is (GOLD) I told him I wanted another BMW and he has went and bought a mint 2001 740il and offered it off his lot to me if I want to swap keys and walk away. (cool friend huh)

So, I ask you guys What would you do.

2001 e46 coupe (mint condition) for a stuffed e38 2001 740il in mint condition

Help me out here, kinda like secretly wanting to dump your hot girlfriend, Im sure someone here can feel my pain. I love her but I wanna let her go


This is not about money it s about desire and pasion I always feel a man should desire his possessions or he should shed em.

Would you give up E46 for the 2001 740il? Why or why not?

Im past 40 y/o so maybe its time for me to get a wider drivers butt seat

I cant wait to hear your input.

Let me have it as usual and Thanks guys, its been awesome.

K, goodbye.

Driving my brothers 2001 740iL is what turned me on to BMW. I couldn't believe how well it handled for such a large car. And the power was incredible.

I would personally consider a trade of this nature, if for nothing else, because I like changing things up from time to time. However I probably wouldn't feel any urge to just go out and drive just for the he!! of it. You wont be sliding around corners or anything in the 740 becuase it's not made for that sort of driving. Maybe that doesn't interest you anymore. If that's the case then perhaps this is the kind of change you should consider.

Someone is going to really enjoy driving your red, sexy, hot ex-GF though!

maybe you have lost your love because you dont drive it as much? everyone needs to switch it up a bit. if thats you and the time has come so be it.

Originally Posted by GoingNuts

K, goodbye.

Ouch...

Well, I have both ('99 E46 328i, sport suspension and '98 E38). I drive the E38 and my son drives the E46. For me, the E46 is fun to drive occasionally (on those days, I make my son drive the '80 E24 633CSi), but I would not like driving the E46 daily. To me, it is just a bit to...how to say this...harsh. Sure, fun to drive because it handles almost as well as our '05 MINI Cooper S, but like the MINI it just seems to wear me out. Don't get me wrong, I like the E46, my son likes it, but we both like the E38 better. For me, at age 46 that makes sense, but why my son likes the E38 better at age 16 I cannot figure out...maybe because I rarely let him drive it.

Now, with all that said, the E38 will probably cost you more in maintenance/upkeep than the the E46 (all things created equal). If it were me, skip the E38 and go straight to the E65/66 (light years better than E38). Remember, 2001 was last year for E38 so technology is rather old (first year was '95)...this is mostly evident in the suspension that requires a lot of periodic maintenance. The good thing is that the E38 electrical system is very similiar to the E46 (I, K, L-bus based), so you will be in familiar ground electrically wise.

Good luck with your decision.

It's obviously a personal choice, but here's my .02. One of the main reason I drive an e46 is the fun of the handling as well as the size, I personally hate driving bigger cars. It sounds like not driving the e46 for a while has made you lose your love, which is fine. In reality many people choose to driver larger cars as they get old and the 740iL is a great choice and of course keeps you in the bmw scene. Perhaps it is time to change it up, good luck with whatever decision you make. Either way you can't go wrong.

thanks guys,

I guess Im getting old

any e38 tips or knowledge worth sharing is always preciated.

Best E38 forum is www.bimmerboard.com. Best general site is www.e38.org. Read up. Short list of trouble areas are:

1. Instrument cluster pixels.
2. Valley pan gasket on engine.
3. Radiators.
4. Transmissions
5. Suspension (thrust rods in front, ball joints in rear).
6. Electrical

Just make sure everything works. If so, you are starting off well.

if its fully loaded, do it!

go for it, its much more luxurious

Sounds like ur buddy likes E46s better.

More gas cost, more maintenance cost, hell a lot bigger and longer car, comfortable limo like drive yet not as fun drive as E46, and finding tight parking spot in city center always is a hassle, but if you like it then go for it, but I suggest that if you can borrow it from your buddy friend and drive for a few days to see you are indeed true love with it.

(begin biased opinion)

for me, i still very much miss the power of the M62 V8. It always always made me smile to step on that accelerator pedal in my E38. I thought my 740i handled great.. better than an E65/66. I dearly miss the navigation system. Even though it was outdated, it worked flawlessly and the update CD's from NAVTEQ still come out every year. The only two things that drove me nuts with it was the maintenance and the lousy fuel economy. That engine is great, but it requires a lot of upkeep and it is very unreliable. Parts are expensive too. The water cooled bosch alternator will fail around 100K. When it does, remanufactured ones even on the aftermarket are around $500-600 plus a b*tch to put in. Same story as the E46 with waterpumps and thermostats and expansion tanks except add radiator(s) to the list. Suspension stuff is non-stop too.

buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut, all that aside, if you are into DIY and can afford the gas (expect 14-16 MPG city/21-24 MPG highway) then do it.

(end biased opinion)

here are some pics of my 01 740i that I sold last summer. The wheels are style 95's from the E65/66.

I'd stick with the 3er unless you need a bigger car.

Originally Posted by Gucki83

I'd stick with the 3er unless you need a bigger car.

what he said. if you dont drive your car now why trade it? when you get in your E46 you can have some fun with it. on the other hand the 740 you get speed but you dont get the sporty feeling of the 330ci. thats my experience from driving/riding in the family 740.

I'm considering something similar, 2001 325 CI 5-speed to either 2003 330 CiC 6-speed or '99 E36 M3 6-speed. Gonna be a very tough decision.

I'd look at the 7 series. After owning one you'll probably regard the 3 series as chick cars.

Originally Posted by iansanderson

(begin biased opinion)

for me, i still very much miss the power of the M62 V8. It always always made me smile to step on that accelerator pedal in my E38. I thought my 740i handled great.. better than an E65/66. I dearly miss the navigation system. Even though it was outdated, it worked flawlessly and the update CD's from NAVTEQ still come out every year. The only two things that drove me nuts with it was the maintenance and the lousy fuel economy. That engine is great, but it requires a lot of upkeep and it is very unreliable. Parts are expensive too. The water cooled bosch alternator will fail around 100K. When it does, remanufactured ones even on the aftermarket are around $500-600 plus a b*tch to put in. Same story as the E46 with waterpumps and thermostats and expansion tanks except add radiator(s) to the list. Suspension stuff is non-stop too.

buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut, all that aside, if you are into DIY and can afford the gas (expect 14-16 MPG city/21-24 MPG highway) then do it.

(end biased opinion)

here are some pics of my 01 740i that I sold last summer. The wheels are style 95's from the E65/66.

INCREDIBLE BEAUTY -that car is


R those runflat tires from the new 7 or regular (non run flat) tires????

Why do people think they have to announce they are leaving?