Black/black -1988- BMW 735iL

[Sixty8panther]

I'll post the details of the trip &

the low-down on the car later,

gotta run to Ups.

[Intrepidation]

I thought it was a wagon?

Cool nonetheless.

Break out the sawzall! and put it on an S-10 frame.

[ocnblu]

Cute little dreadnought.

[Oracle of Delphi]

I think you should name it the Bismarck, after Otto von Bismarck ...

I actually like your choice this time ...

[Lamar]

Not bad, not bad at all.

My father used to have an '87 735i, the last model year before it switched over to Julie's generation (E32). Absolutely wonderful driving car.

Taught me the benefits of good steering feel and driver feedback.

[toesuf94]

Sweet find! Love that car. We had one in 1990 that we bought used. Traded in a 1986 5 Speed Manual 735i for the 1988 that was LIGHT YEARS ahead of the '86. Ours was Silver metallic over silver leather.

My dad loved that car, and it was a great performer with comfort and gas mileage to put a lot of cars on the road to shame.

Would love to read the details!

[Nick]

Nice!

More pics!

[Intrepidation]

Don't go backing into anything or letting things back into it. :wink:

[daves87rs]

Cool find!

[Robert Hall]

Cool...low miles for a 21 yr old car. My experience is with older Mercs, but AFAIK old BMWs are pretty nice also, albeit potentially expensive money pits like Mercs as the miles pile on and they age...

[Nick]

Cool...low miles for a 21 yr old car. My experience is with older Mercs, but AFAIK old BMWs are pretty nice also, albeit potentially expensive money pits like Mercs as the miles pile on and they age...

This can be the case, but as far as the engine is concerned, the M30 is bulletproof.

[Blake Noble]

Nice choice, 68.

[Cory Wolfe]

I always liked those older 7ers. I give you two thumbs up.

[Intrepidation]

I'm going to move this to the Member's Ride Showcase Sixty8.

[Intrepidation]

Ok with that done, I've got a few photos of the car to share:

This would have come out so nice if only it had come in focus, but by that time my hands were going numb so I gave up.

[daves87rs]

Ok with that done, I've got a few photos of the car to share:

This would have come out so nice if only it had come in focus, but by that time my hands were going numb so I gave up.

Wow! I love the inside!

I need daylight pics....

[Intrepidation]

The inside is pretty nice...needs work though, as I'm sure Sixty8 will tell you all about....the last owner was an idiot.

[Nick]

Gotta love that amber glow.

[Justin Bimmer]

My family friends had an 89 7 series and it was an awesome car. We used to press the "eject" button James Bond style and watch the interior alarm go off.

[Sixty8panther]

Thanks everyone.

I made an analogy to the Bismark with the Mercedes when we bought that

but it wet right over Julie's head. I wrote a paper on that doomed ship &

its inability to fire its antiaircraft guns below zero degrees to the waterline,

which of course is what got it sunk on its "maiden voyage" since enemy

aircraft could fly between the water line and the antiaircraft fire.

Not Germany's finest moment.

----

So here's the scoop. The car was on Craigslist New Hampshire:

1988 BMW 735 IL Black with Black leather Interior >89K Miles - $1250

(Haverhill)

Reply to: [email protected] [?]

Date: 2009-02-08, 4:31PM EST

For Sale by Owner Black BMW 735IL. a little shy of 89 thousand miles.

V6 in-line engine, black leather interior is pretty clean and well kept.

Exterior good, some foxing on the hood but rest of the paint is ok.

new winter tires, and all season tires.

$1,250.00 OBO

call with questions or to come take a look. 603-xxx-xxxx

The car was bought by its original owner in Virginia.

Then in 2004 he moved to New Hampshire & had

it retitled there, keeping the title from Virginia since

New Hampshire does not require them for cars over

15 years old.

At that point (2004) the car had 66,800 miles.

He promptly managed to get it stuck in a nasty

snowbank & did all the wrong things, resulting in a

completely destroyed front, side & rear ground

effects. The car is rust super-rust-free but the

plastic/ & rubber below the belt line is DESTROYED!

Mean time the current owner, a young computer

geek living in the sticks of New Hampshire, listed

it for sale as being in HAVERHILL.

I assumed, as most people that called him, that it

was in Haverhill, MASSACHUSETTS... being a large

city in Mass.... but in reality it was in Haverhill, NH.

Haverhill, Mass is 16 miles away from my house,

but Haverhill, NH is 146 miles away from me, so

like most people who called this was an unpleasant

surprise.

Unlike most people who dread driving 146 miles

through the White Mountains & past River City

Junction, Vermont &almost to Canada.... I thought

"Hell yeah, Amelia's first road trip!"

The thing is, even though the car's interior was beat

to $hit, and the ground effects had chunks of plastic

MISSING & cracks running every which way, the car

was a good deal at $1250. I can replace all the

rubber & plastic of the bumper cover & rocker panel

molding in 0.5% of the time it would take to replace

or repair rusted body panels.

Of course I started negotiating at $800 and we met

half-way at exactly $1k. I slapped fifty $20 bills on

his kitchen counter & drove off in one of the most

solid & fun to drive cars I've ever had the pleasure

to own OR drive.

I mean this thing handles every bit as well as its

legendary reputation makes it out... And although I

have driven thousands of cars over the course of

my years at all the dealerships, I only ever drove

3-series. This thing i on another PLANE compared

to some beat-up high mileage 328i that's about to

get traded in on a Tahoe Z71 by a drug dealer.

(true story)

The leather, door panels, rug & most wearable

items are in good shape, on par with the 89,000

miles, but the thing is most anything inside the car

that is fastened or clipped in like the blinker stalk,

chewed up radio release screws, HV/AC, dome/

map lights & the under dash pad, are loose/broken

or need to be re-assembled.

It's almost as if the car's first owner (the one from

Virginia) was a 6'11" tall basketball player who

could not fit inside the car and did a "bull in a

china shop" number on it.

Either way, my $1000 purchase price, combined w/

another $1000 or so in parts/labor & some of my

own time invested, will get us a clean, sharp & well

cared for BMW 7-series.

As far as how the car is mechanically... well I'll just

say 125 feels like 85 in most cars. :AH-HA_wink:

----

BTW Dodgefan: the test drive I gave you was

while the in trans was in "Economy Mode".

[Nick]

Ooh it has the V6 in-line engine!

Lovin' the car Sixty8...Glad to see you are happy with it.

[Robert Hall]

Nice old beast..what color is the inside? Looks like black outside, black inside?

Speaking of older luxo boats,

I've been really enjoying my sister's old money pit I've been driving off and on as a daily driver the last 6 months---'84 Merc 500SEL w/ 178,xxx miles. She bought it back in '01 for $3k w/ a salvage title (was rebuilt after a head-on collision in '94).

Just had $1100 in repairs yesterday (brake master cylinder blew out last week, front calipers, sun roof clippy thing, left front turn signal housing, etc). Back at the beginning of Jan it had about $700 in work for the broken gas pedal, one failed power window, and several other small things..she's on a first name basis with German Auto, the neighborhood independent Merc/BMW/Porsche repair shop and dealer.

All in all, though, this old tank is growing on me (like a fungus?).

By the way, 68, are you keeping the 500SEC? You change cars so fast, I can't keep track.

I wouldn't mind having an '80s 6-series someday, as a teenager back in the day I remember lusting after the M6, esp. in bright red, around '87-88 time frame. There is a gorgeous red one around here. Over at German Auto this morning, I was checking out their used car area, they have a sweet silver '72 280SEL 4.5...those old SELs were pretty small compared to later ones--it's silver w/ black interior--the interior is perfect, probably not a native AZ car.

I'm enjoying the downtime this week, starting my new gig next week. Probably going to drive up in the mountains and to the lakes and sightsee Thurs-Sat.

Edited March 4, 2009 by moltar

[deftonesfan867]

I r jealous.

[Sixty8panther]

Thanks guys.

Nice old beast..what color is the inside? Looks like black outside, black inside?

See title of thread.

By the way, 68, are you keeping the 500SEC? You change cars so fast, I can't keep track.

The hardtop is not going ANYWHERE. That will be my new

daily driver, at least until I sell the '95 Suburban.

I wouldn't mind having an '80s 6-series someday, as a teenager back in the day I remember lusting after the M6, esp. in bright red, around '87-88 time frame.

I passed on a navy-blue '86 BMW 6-series

in favor of the M 500SEC, of course the

MB's hardtop body-style was the deciding

factor but the BMW was my backup plan.

[Nick]

I wouldn't mind having an '80s 6-series someday, as a teenager back in the day I remember lusting after the M6, esp. in bright red, around '87-88 time frame. There is a gorgeous red one around here. AZ car.

I will own an old M6 one day.

One of my favorite old Bimmers. I almost picked one up before I decided on my 540. My ideal BMW garage would include an old M6, e39 M5, and 850csi...among some others of course.

[Sixty8panther]

BEST COOLEST BMW EVAR!

It's a classic

It's a BMW

It's a HARDTOP

'Nuf said!

I love the crazy CSL racecars as well but the rollcage ruins the lines.

If I could buy one I'd design a "hardtop-style" rollcage for it.

[Sixty8panther]

Yeah.... I do NOT have any buyer's remorse, I love this thing.

Bought the BEST pair of front brake pads at NAPA last night,

since he DIC keeps telling me the car's in need of them, and

they me back a WHOLE $52.00.

Yeah, that's about $3.00 more than for a Taurus or Camry or

what not.... who's laughing NOW?!

[2005 EquinoxLS]

Give it time. Somebody will.