# Owning and Upkeeping an older BMW in America



## Lauren_PedalCommander (Aug 4, 2021)

My greatest love-hate relationship with BMW comes with owning an older BMW.

My husband and I own a beautiful E38 740il with Dinan stage 3, lovingly named, Helga. We've owned her for the past 4 years, and it's coming close to the time that we're going to be parting ways.

It's not because we don't love the car. It's not because it's become too expensive to keep and maintain, although it's somewhat part of it. It's not because she's lowered and the roads in Los Angeles absolutely SUCK. We already know that it's costly to have an older BMW, so that's not the problem.
Needless to say, I'm going to be very sad to see her go. I'm going to miss the sweet purr of her acceleration, the way she surprises other cars on the road who think she's old and hasn't got it, her heritage, and stunning silver lines and body, the way she's been lowered a little to the ground, make her stance ever sexy and pleasing to look at. I'm going to miss the feeling I get when I drive her, the looks, the utter sensation of how effortlessly she gets up to 100+mph while hovering below 2500rpms. I might cry. The car market today is saturated with more people who aren't into cars at all, even inside brands like BMW, and they don't know at all about the heritage that makes the car what it is today, and what it actually used to be.

We've invested so much time, money, anxiety, and grey hairs into maintaining her. We bought her from a seller in Palo Alto that had her for all these years. He was the 2nd owner. We bought her at 215,000 miles. All in all, I can't say we've invested the most amount of money- when we bought her, even at such a mileage, she had original transmission, timing chains, and driveshaft, original seats, wood, steering wheel. The only major repair we've done is the timing chains, and those went last year, at a mileage of 255,000. So she's carrying on fine, mechanically, and it leaves me to truly believe that among her case and a few others, the more you drive the BMW, the better and longer things last - like regular fitness for oneself.

I'm very sad and nostalgic already in writing this. The reason we came to the decision of planning to sell her, is that it seems impossible to maintain her in America.

Let me explain before this gets too long. My husband is from Estonia, young enough not to have totally lived through the Soviet Union, but old enough to have lived through its effects. The E38 was the car of his dreams. He and his friends had one. Through dilapidated buildings, snow, rain, cold, broken down conditions, their own small garages were enough to maintain the beauty and sanctity of an E38 - and manage to do so with precision, love, care, and delicate handling. No matter - it seems there to him, that it was always possible to keep the car in such a condition, and people always handled it with love like the car was their own.

It just doesn't seem that throughout the time we've had her here, we can't get the same care we expect. No matter how much we're willing to spend, various places we've taken her, our car is treated like a mysterious dinosaur that no one seems to know how to handle or truly care for. They just see it as an old car and a waste of money, even having brought her to a dealership. No matter how I explain that we're willing to spend the time and money to invest her like new, no one seems to hear me and LISTEN to me. Every time we bring her in for one thing, it seems another problem arises or something else gets damaged. I'm at a loss for words, really.

The only real solution is for us to learn how to do things ourselves, and more so, have the space to do so. Both my husband and I have full-time jobs and live in an apartment so that rules out those things.

At this point, we've given up and don't think we'll change our minds at all. Another E38 might be in the cards for us in the future (personally, I can't see a life without one), but for now, I'm sorry to say Helga will not be with us for another complete year.

Have any of you experienced the same lament?


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## HotGrbg (Apr 23, 2021)

Disclaimer: this is one jackasses opinion. Yours may vary. Good for you. I don’t care…that being said-

Man…for the life of me I’ll never understand why people love E38s. 
Thanks for sharing! In my opinion let Helga go and make someone else’s life miserable. The fact that you did chains is admirable as that’s the point most people say “nah” and bury them with a small ceremony and a call to Jim bobs towing. I’ll venture a guess that your job at the dealership allowed that job to be significantly less than the average customer. I wouldn’t be too shocked to hear a tech did it on the side. 
I think that you like the way the car rides and looks and have invested so much that you have the illusion that it’s made you happy but in reality it’s done what most 200+ mile 7 series do and constantly beat your will and bank account into submission.
If you look at the cars history overall and forget how you feel about it I’m sure you’ll come to the conclusion it’s time to go.
Most people think old 7 series run on gasoline but that’s actually incorrect. In realty they run on cold hard cash and your spirit.
I’d get out while you still have decent thoughts about it. Your young, married, seem intelligent and have decided that things in the automotive industry interest you so I’m sure you’ll find other cars you love a lot more than that old pile of suffering.
I’ll give you that it looks good and rides good but to me you realllllllllly gotta love E38 to devote the amount of care necessary to keep driving a former 20 year old BMW flagship. While people may hear you and LISTEN most people aren’t interested in fixing it as it’s always a can of worms. If someone wants to fix their old E38 alot of guys charge them heavy up front as you know going in that it’s going to be a shit show. Hell half don’t want anything to do with them and the other half are too young to be around when that car was new so they don’t know anything about them. BMW tech at the dealership level is a younger mans game. Most older guys either move to SA, foreman, team leaders or something not to chase the clock trying to make time on a car that’s basically unfixable.
While the forum is built on people doing DIY and there’s a lot of pride in keeping older cars going for cheap which is admirable you also gotta realize BMW designs cars to last 100k miles. Are you ready to show your ass to the apartment complex while you lay in the engine compartment trying to fix a misfire caused by who knows what? Cause that’s what DIY looks like.
Again one fools opinion. I could be 100% wrong here but it’s a public forum and this is what you get.
If you want to stay in BMW I’d get one a few years old and maintain the hell out of it from early on rather than after the fact. Either that or a new G20 again but I’d probably be careful of the LSPI ( wink )


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## Lauren_PedalCommander (Aug 4, 2021)

HotGrbg said:


> Disclaimer: this is one jackasses opinion. Yours may vary. Good for you. I don’t care…that being said-
> 
> Man…for the life of me I’ll never understand why people love E38s.
> Thanks for sharing! In my opinion let Helga go and make someone else’s life miserable. The fact that you did chains is admirable as that’s the point most people say “nah” and bury them with a small ceremony and a call to Jim bobs towing. I’ll venture a guess that your job at the dealership allowed that job to be significantly less than the average customer. I wouldn’t be too shocked to hear a tech did it on the side.
> ...


The 7 series might not be the car for you, but like with all cars, it's about the feeling it gives you when you drive it. You might not understand it, but a car should be about how it makes you feel, and it's presumptuous of you to think that I have this illusion that I like it. I don't think anyone who isn't in love with their car would describe it to such aesthetic or poetically at all.

As I said in the post, it's not maintaining the car or the cost that was the ultimate problem, it's that almost all of the places we've taken it to just don't give a crap about her, and that sends us over the edge more than anything. I already know what to expect with BMW costs and we don't take the cheap route and go aftermarket (like some people think it's okay to cheap out and then wonder why it breaks so soon)
My whole entire post was saying it's impossible to find anyone that can love and care for her for any amount of money. Realistically, we don't want to get rid of her. but we don't have the nervous system left to spend so much for another mechanic to treat her like "pile of suffering" as you so nicely put it.


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## HotGrbg (Apr 23, 2021)

You need to find an Indy with an older tech. He will know the car and respect it. Personally I think people that own/maintain a 20 year old 7 series deserve an award.
Like I mentioned most BMW techs is a young mans game. Most guys that know them retired or move away from chasing the clock on unfixable cars as they are always…fun. Your running into the very real issue that nobody wants to work on it and I mirror them obviously.
I very much understand loving cars. I have dedicated my entire life to them. I have cars I love. It’s more than a machine but an extension of self. Unfortunately me and most people that work on them as a career don’t agree with your love for that one as your finding out. What does that say about them?
My response may have been presumptuous and sorry but your emotionally connected to the titanic. My attempt is to help ease your mind in getting rid of it and explain why your having trouble as it seems like your decision has already been made. Maybe that’s not what your looking for but sympathy from other 38 owners instead? I don’t think it’s a bad decision to offload it. If you really do love it that much then go ahead and keep it and suffer over it. Whatever you choose best of luck


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## SillyGoose (Jul 2, 2020)

Will be interested in selling my 1991 BMW M5. Would have kept it if not for it's 10mpg city gas mileage. The cars engine is essentially good for 400k+ miles


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## tom2021 (Feb 10, 2021)

HotGrbg is right. It is time to move on. From your post, looks like money is not an issue.
Have you tried newer bimmer?
The B58 is excellent engine. Time will tell whether B58 is better than M54 or N52.
The X drive is very impressive.
The leather is still fabulous.
Try the SUV. It drives like sedans.


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## norseman01 (Oct 5, 2020)

This is a sad story & makes me think that the attitude towards older models in your country is different to that in the UK. Sure main dealers here would make excuses if asked to do the work, but there are plenty of independent specialists who wouldn't, assuming of course that the parts to do the job were available. In addition to a 24 year old 523i I own a 35 year old Range Rover (admittedly a far simpler car by design) that my local garage boss, who is only in his 'fifties, welcomes the chance to work on as it gives him a break from the usual 'computers-on-wheels' that he normally has to fix.

I totally empathise with your situation, there's an old saying that there's no fault on a car that money can't fix, but in your case that doesn't seem to be true because of the attitude of those who should be prepared to take on the work & get paid for it.

I wish you well with any decision you come to.


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## BabyUnicornTaco (Jan 8, 2018)

In my Charleston, SC area there seems to be a distinct fine line between 20+ year old BMW owners. The owners that love the car, understand the car, and pay/DIY to have it maintained like new is on one side. The other side is the people that wanted a BMW, look for cheap repairs only when something goes wrong, and lets them sit in their front yard until they get around to it. The letter seems to throw junkyard parts at it and expect long term fixes. I know someone who will soon be selling their 1974 2002tii. Tempting, but the only reason I would consider it is because it is small, easily garaged, and light. 

I think a lot of shops know that owners of older BMWs are often trying to find the cheapest repair possible and will result in back and forth phone calls, part discussions, and a bit of a headache for the service manager. 

Also, I have always wanted the E38 from the Transporter movie. 


Sent from my iPhone using Bimmerfest


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## norseman01 (Oct 5, 2020)

Your reply just about sums it up, though the OP appears to fall into the first category of owner which makes me wonder why 'shops don't seem interested. One look at the car & a few minutes discussion would surely confirm the owner's commitment & willingness to pay for the work to be done properly.

For the record I too fall into the first category & in not working on cars myself these days am lucky to have a trusted 'shop within walking distance of my home & an independent specialist less than 10 miles away, both of whom share my opinion that old BM's are products of engineering prowess rather than accountant's cost saving.

Good luck with your dream car !


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