end of an era for me, the BMW is sold...

[Chris_V]

with everything going on, from my father in law dying to the cars I'm doing for friends, to work, I just was not getting around to working on the BMW. It was going to take some dedicated space and time to get the engine swapped in, and it wasn't happening. When my father in law died and we spent a week in CT taking care of his affairs, I re-evaluated what I was doing with the cars and my time, and decided that it would be better to see it go to someone who might actually finish it in a reasonable amount of time. I didn't want to part it out and end up with a shell that was slowly coming apart (and with my luck, someone would have wanted the wheels near the beginning of the process and then the car would be sitting on jackstands in the driveway forever).

Got $2200 for it and the spare engine. Fair price for the car, though in effect I got $700 for the car and market value for the engine. Saturday it left on the back of a flatbed to it's new owner, and a shop that says they can have the swap done in a week.

I miss that car, but as they say, it's time to move on. I may yet get another E38 in a couple years. I really want a SWB Sport model. For now, I'll have fun in the Mustang.

[AKADriver]

Sad to see it go, as you've always been the voice of reason in any E38 "prepare for the cost of repairs" dogpile thread. You even made me look at them, and you know how I feel about gasoline-powered German luxury cars.

[Chris_V]

Sad to see it go, as you've always been the voice of reason in any E38 "prepare for the cost of repairs" dogpile thread. You even made me look at them, and you know how I feel about gasoline-powered German luxury cars.

Lol!

Yeah, my wife feels real bad about it as she was the one that killed the car. She loved that car too, and she hated BMWs before driving it.

Funny, I thought all the oil was out of the engine already, as it had stained the driveway, but when it got loaded onto the flatbed, and the flatbed was angled upward, a LOT of oil came out of the hole in the pan all over the bed of the flatbed. Made a hell of a mess.

Let me tell you, it was sad to see that car on a flatbed leaving the driveway.

[redsoxreturns]

I guess I missed the thread/post. What happened? Always looked forward to seeing progress with this car.

Sounds like you made the right decision in the end though.

[B3passatBMX]

E38's are probably the pinnacle of 7 series design. So gorgeous. What happened to it? I missed a thread apparently.

[freedomgli]

I may yet get another E38 in a couple years. I really want a SWB Sport model.

A friend of mine had one a few years back and I helped him wrench on it a number of times. It was great car once you address all the common problems and had plenty of rear seat leg room despite being the SWB version. But I've noticed that finding good ones is getting harder and harder. I totally understand the shifting priorities but don't wait too long to find your perfect E38 replacement!

[Chris_V]

What happened to it? I missed a thread apparently.

Late last year my wife was driving it from a doctor's appointment, when we had a storm come through with flash flooding. She was going through an intersection with 1"-2" of standing water on the road she was on, but halfway through, it was deep enough to come up over the hood. Stalled the car and tried to start it again to get out of the intersection, which sucked in water and hydrolocked it. Blew a piston out the oil pan.

So, no fault of the car, other than being low. She's beating herself up over it as she said she knew better than to try to start the car after stalling it, but panicked as she was halfway in the intersection and it was DUMPING down rain.

[stevegolf]

Sorry to hear. My dad had one of those and I loved it. My favorite gen of 7 series, the perfect highway cruiser.
Make sure you keep us updated when you get another one.

[Volvo_D]

No worries, even James Bond traded his in for a Z8.

[GahannaKid]

No worries, even James Bond traded his in for a Z8.

I've never seen/met Chris_V but I know he'd be awesome in a Z8. I vote he also goes the 007 route.

It does suck to hear about the car though, that generation BMW was one of the reasons I've always loved them so much.

[PhilHVW]

A guy who lives around the corner from me in a really nice house (that he keeps adding additions to) has a sport package E38 740i. I keep expecting him to sell it and get something new, as I have no doubt he can afford to, but year after year I still see him driving it.

[Chris_V]

This one was almost a record for me at 5 years ownership. Thought I was going to own it for at least 10 years, but it looks like 5 years is going to be my upper limit. lol! I've had 3 other cars make it to 5 years before selling them, and most are only around for a year or two. Wonder if I'll be able to beat the record with the Mustang?

I figure give it a coupl eyears and I'l start looking for an '01 SWB sport again. Almost bought one a couple months ago, but it ended up being gone before I could secure the money for it. I'm going to be very particular about what I end up with if it comes to another E38.

Then again, I may find myself in a completely different direction, as I often have.

[mutcth]

Sorry to see that nice car go. A good friend still misses his E38.

I just sold a Miata and my old Argosy (to help pay for a newer Airstream and a Durango), so I know all too well the pain of seeing something leave the driveway. Ultimately it's better that someone else gets to enjoy it. The owner of the Miata told me he's gone through 3 tanks of gas already - two more than I did in a whole year. Time goes on.

My condolences to your wife on the loss of her father.

Tom

[Wanganrunner]

Too bad, but understandable.

Oh well, it's Mustang vert weather now. I'm sure you're enjoying yours as much as I'm enjoying mine.

[Chris_V]

My condolences to your wife on the loss of her father.

Tom

Thanks, Tom. Yesterday would have been his birthday and she's barely coping. OTOH, he had advanced alzheimers for the last year or so, so it's really a blessing in disguise that he went peacefully in his sleep.

[Chris_V]

Too bad, but understandable.

Oh well, it's Mustang vert weather now. I'm sure you're enjoying yours as much as I'm enjoying mine.

heheheh. My head is sunburned from too much top down action.

[Wanganrunner]

Seems like we both went from considering Jags to buying Mustangs, which is bizarre.

Heat and rain have foiled my top-down attempts in the last few days, much to my chagrin.

[Chris_V]

Seems like we both went from considering Jags to buying Mustangs, which is bizarre.

Heat and rain have foiled my top-down attempts in the last few days, much to my chagrin.

Saturday I drove from Baltimore down to Gaithersburg with the top down to cash the cashier's check the buyer had given me, at his credit union, in 103 degree weather with the top down. Then went out to a friend's party, again with the top down, and down to Little Havana for brunch on Sunday with the top down.

yeah, probably shouldn't have done all that... Was DAMN hot out there.

This morning it was raining, but I went out to lunch with the top down and will be driving home with the top down, too, unless it's raining.

[CP1]

E38's are probably the pinnacle of 7 series design. So gorgeous. What happened to it? I missed a thread apparently.

Yep, clean/classic lines while maintaining a more aggressive look for a flagship sedan.

The current 7 (esp. up front) is a far cry from the E38.