My time with my BMW 728i - christened Shed 7 when I bought it – was fun while it lasted and that was, ooh, four years and five months. A rough back of an envelope calculation over the miles we were together, led me to come up with 5p per mile.
That didn’t include petrol, but did sundry expenses, plus suspension bits and tyre-shaped bobs. Even if my maths is 100% wrong, 10p is still pretty good going.
Quite simply, Shed 7 was one of the very best cars I’ve ever owned. Comfortable, economical – returning over 30mpg – and with no real issues, just a few niggles that were not even annoying.
What surprised me was the level of interest shown by you. I have never had so many emails about a car I’ve owned. Questions, encouragement, suggestions, and even offers to buy. It seems that Shed 7 was also the catalyst for others to take the plunge with an impossibly complicated old car. Yes, Shed 7 was a force for good.
How Shed 7 encapsulated the Bangernomics philosophy
Cosmetics were never a strong point of Shed 7 and the bonnet was always a bit of a mess. That’s why I decided to ‘do a Bansky’ on the bonnet. It featured a BMW CSL in full flight with Hans Stuck at the controls some time in the 1970s at the Nürburgring. That was the finishing touch which made it stand out from all the other old BMW E38s in the supermarket car park.
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winniethewoo
What about usng something
289
@ winniethe woo
The art in running old premium cars is knowing when to call it a day, and with BMW's Head gaskets are bad news.
If someone else wants to fiddle around with it fine, but it is time to go now before spending money. It has been a good run of luck and cheap motoring. R.I.P. Shed 7.
kayble1
Sad - but what about another E38?
James - what about another E38 - or now an E65 considering prices on earlier examples? There's a great community on the internet (7 Series Register), my E38 740i Individual wouldn't be on the road if it weren't for some of their advice. I can honestly say the amount I've learned and the enjoyment I've derived from keeping a cheap powerful luxo-barge on the road far outweighs the stress and cold damp days/evenings spend on the driveway keeping it running!
stratts
I can sympathise
The old M52 engine and its mostly-plastic cooling system have a lot to answer for.
Anyone that has such a car would do well to spend the £150 needed to replace all of the components and save themselves the similar heartbreak James has suffered. It's a straightforward DIY job.
Will86
James,
AHA1
What were the numbers?
kayble1
If indeed the CHG had failed.
My M52TU engined 528i - a variant of the 2.8 engine fitted to James' 728i covered in excess of 150k miles with no hint of irrepairable engine problems; it went to scrap heaven as a result of terminal ABS controller failure in the end. To get to this mileage though, there was a bit of 'proficient DIY' repair necessary to various bits on the block's ancillary systems that were failing with age. The great thing about BMW cars of this era is that ALL of this work was so well documented on the various forums dedicated to the marque that it made it perfectly feasilble for a competent DIY Bangernomics convert to affect the repairs themselves.
Mister-Auto
Rest in pieces.
Mister-Auto
European car parts market leader
kcrally
I also had an old bmw engine
www.KOOOLcr.com
jollopster
My old E34
More recently had an E36 with the M52TU - no issues with that engine at all, in fact, I sold it to a guy I work with - think it is on 180k miles now.
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