1998 BMW 7-Series

Sedan

4.4L 4398CC V8 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated

Automatic

WBAGF8321WDL51085

Clear

Gasoline

If you're looking at this ad its because you know about these old 7 series Beemers; you've wanted one for awhile, and you can't afford a new or newer one. Well, these ARE great cars, and I mean GREAT cars. But they are complicated and expensive to repair and maintain. You MUST use at least 91 octane gas - I use 93 only (she's a Princess in her own electronic mind, and she doesn't care for 91 octane much.) Stay away from the BMW dealer - he will give you various minor repair estimates of $2,000 and $3,000. He will sell you a $45 brake rotor for $400, and then charge another $400 in labor. I know - I just paid my BMW dealer $425 for installing a new battery. Thank goodness the sunroof was closed when it broke, because BMW wants $2,000 to repair the mechanism. I just replaced the entire front suspension, installed new struts, brake rotors, calipers, pads and brake cables all around. Then I replaced the a/c compressor and and ignition switch, all the lights and four computers. After that I installed a new water pump and thermostat, 8 new spark plugs and changed the $8 per quart, 7 quart synthetic oil and a premium German oil filter. And a nice German fuel filter that was a foot long. After a new tinted and banded windshield (electric defrosting grid and imbedded radio antenna) and new Bosch Icon windshield wipers, I installed amazing LED high beam headlights. After that I bought a set of 4 fine, top-of-the-line 16 inch snow tires and fitted them onto original BMW 16 inch wheels. Of course now I had to buy 4, 18 inch, Z-rated, staggered, summer Hi performance tires for the 18 inch staggered factory rims. The rims cost $450 a piece and the tires about $200 each. Of course the car handles phenomenally, stops amazingly and rides as smooth and as quiet as a Rolls-Royce. There's a BMW CD player in the trunk. The original radio seems like it could bring in Berlin. The leather seats are firm yet comfortable. Some guy charged me $900 to "Restore" the front seats. The car is very fast and very powerful. In a recent contest with a new 12 cylinder, 500 horsepower Audi on a deserted upstate highway, I was able to annoy the upstart Audiphile for several miles by staying with him up to 150 miles an hour. Then sanity returned and I let his tail lights continue into his $150,000 twilight. Not bad for a 20 year old, two and a quarter ton war machine, though. Its never been smoked in, eaten in or made love in. It has never carried food, animals, children or cargo. It has never been in any kind of accident (see CARFAX report) I am the third owner in the same company. It has always been garaged and fastidiously maintained.There are no whines, rattles, screeches or clunks emanating from the mechanical bowels of this veteran Dreadnaught. There is no blue smoke, no smells, no cold shudders or hot huffing and puffing. No secret anomalies or precipitous electro-mechanical catastrophes lurking in the near future, and no incipient transmission, rear end or engine issues that I can divine. There are no ghosts and no evil spirits dwelling therein. This is a good fucking car. Find a local mechanic that can work on it when it gets fussy. Buy your parts online and save thousands of dollars. Buy the computers USED. An $800 BMW computer (there are a dozen on this car) sells for $65. used and guaranteed. I've replaced four different ones. Join BMW Forums. Join BMW forums. Join BMW forums. Because there will inevitably occur minor, strange, transient and nonsensical maladies that can be corrected with nothing more than a swift kick, the twist of a screwdriver or at most an $8 part if you know what you're doing. The car will reward you - mightily! But inattention to it, or worse, neglect, will find you on the side of the road cursing in languages you didn't even know you spoke. Treat her right and you can run on the highway alongside 5 Lamborghinis - as we did last summer. It was breathtaking, and a once in a lifetime experience. In the last few years I've put over $10,000 into this old car - and it doesn't owe me a cent. Not a cent. But I'm old now and so is she. I'm moving on to a shiny new Hemi Dodge Charger. Don't tell her. Allow me to let her down easy. I'll play Janis Joplin singing "Me and Bobby McGee" in the background when I break the news. Its been 19 years - it won't be easy.