so im in the market for a series 8...and im telling you i truly want this masterpiece....not to flaunt it or to race it (maybe a little racing) but just to keep it and marvel at it and drive it time to time. I maybe young, but i learned to respect these machines.
So i live in new york so i realy wont be driving it around often since i can take the mass transit. I been searching for information on this car constantly, then i happened to come across this forum.
So my questions are going to be kind of thrown out there in no order.
Ok so which car would be considered "the best" the 840 or 850 and which engine the v8 or v12.
which car would give more problems engine wise and electrical
and how the hell do you take the restricter off ?
also how would this car be modded....im always searching for parts but i can never find any....
how many miles the engine take.....i always find the 8 with 100,000 miles or 80,000...i remember reading on the site that at least 300,000..but im not to sure so im asking again.
and plain and simple..is this car hard to upkeep How old are you and what are you currently driving? It's an expensive car to maintain. It's heavy, it has alot of parts that wear because of it. It has a ton of systems (actually 2 tons) that all have their little maintenance issues. If you can afford it though, it's great fun.
There's hardly any of them around, so it always gets looks and positive comments from passers by. It's a pleasure to drive and will last for a long time if maintained properly.
The car was designed as a V12 and that's my preference for ownership, but the V8 is a good engine as well, and able to be supercharged if you are so inclided, where as the V12 could only be turbocharged due to the space limitations in the engine bay.
The speed limiter is removable by reprogramming the ECUs, which is easier in the 1995 and prior OBD I cars than it is in the 1996 or later OBD IIs.
My recommendation is that if you want one, buy one well maintained with records and just enjoy owning it for awhile to get a feel for maintenance costs before you start sinking money into mods. You can easily spend $1,000-$2,000 in a mainenance trip to the mechanic to replace typical wear items on the car (you have to remember this car was a $100,000 car when new... the parts and labor for this aren't cheap, even though you can pickup a so-so condition 8 for $10k - $15k these days).
Good luck As you can imagine, this is a question that gets asked weekly around here, as well as the other boards. In all honesty, having been there myself, the best way to answer those questions is just to read every post you can, going back as far as you can. Short of owning/driving one, that's the only way to really get a feel for what it will/could be like owning one of these incredible machines. Another good place to start is http://www.e31faq.com/Default.aspx?catId=86 -
You'll get some differing opinions on "best" around here, but I think the one thing everyone around here would agree on is that it's not a purchase that should be taken lightly. Many of us have sunk upwards of $20k into our vehicles (not including purchase price) to bring them up to snuff - there are horror stories of folks spending more and still not getting it right.
One thing to remember is that the oldest of these cars is 17 years old now - do the math and see that even 100k miles means the car wasn't driven much.
My only bit of advice, and please take this the right way, the last thing (almost) anyone should be worried about is removing the restrictor/speed limiter. If you feel the need to drive faster, I'm just glad that I'm on the opposite coast :) How old are you and what are you currently driving?
19 and i dont own a car but i do driver a bmw 745 2005 and a toyota tacom trd 2001 and sometimes a dodge ram dayton edition
.....i didnt want to invest my money into a series 8 until i figure out how i wish t upkeep it As you can imagine, this is a question that gets asked weekly around here, as well as the other boards. In all honesty, having been there myself, the best way to answer those questions is just to read every post you can, going back as far as you can. Short of owning/driving one, that's the only way to really get a feel for what it will/could be like owning one of these incredible machines. Another good place to start is -
You'll get some differing opinions on "best" around here, but I think the one thing everyone around here would agree on is that it's not a purchase that should be taken lightly. Many of us have sunk upwards of $20k into our vehicles (not including purchase price) to bring them up to snuff - there are horror stories of folks spending more and still not getting it right.
One thing to remember is that the oldest of these cars is 17 years old now - do the math and see that even 100k miles means the car wasn't driven much.
My only bit of advice, and please take this the right way, the last thing (almost) anyone should be worried about is removing the restrictor/speed limiter. If you feel the need to drive faster, I'm just glad that I'm on the opposite coast
i understand, i been going back and reading all the posts and i also understand about money going into the car...it does concern me but then it doesnt because if i do get the car i will be keeping it even if it has to be in storage 19 and i dont own a car but i do driver a bmw 745 2005 and a toyota tacom trd 2001 and sometimes a dodge ram dayton edition
.....i didnt want to invest my money into a series 8 until i figure out how i wish t upkeep it
Here is what I wrote in a different thread, to the same type of inquiry:
... here is some really good advice (believe me it will be in your best interest, and keep your folks from getting that dreaded phone call we parents are so afraid of):
While the 8 is definately a unique automobile, it is really not for the young and inexperienced. I don't mean that as an insult or a jab, but rather the stone cold truth of the matter. You need to get yourself a "young-adult" car - one that is reliable and safe (not a V12 with 300 HP), and get yourself ALOT of time behind the wheel. There is absolutely no substitute for real hands on experience. If you feel that after say 5-10 years of being "responsible" on the road (every kid will tell you that they are responsible, even though they are not), go look for a nice 850 (or 840 if you want to drive around in a car that is always 4 cylinders short - LOL) and buy it. Point being, these cars will still be around then, but the difference will be that you will be ready for it, both with the "wheel time" as well as having a good paying job to be able to support this rather expensive and addictive hobby. It is nice to know that the younger folks still show interest in the E31, and for that I can appreciate where you are coming from. The truth, however, is that these cars are not something that mom and dad should be buying their kids, just look at what happened at John Travoltas house 2 weekends ago. That story plays itself out over and over every weekend in the US, just not always as violent as that one. The 8 community would rather have you as an active member instead of a news headline showing how these cars are too much for the inexperienced driver.
Hope to see you around...
http://images.bimmerforums.com/vb3images/misc/progress.gif There really should be a parked thread about pre-buyer questions for these cars. I don't know it could just be me but it seems like this set of questions gets asked every week. There really should be a parked thread about pre-buyer questions for these cars. I don't know it could just be me but it seems like this set of questions gets asked every week.
+1 Jimbo.........
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