8-series, anyone had one

R

Robb

Member
I was talking to my mate in the pub the other night who happens to work for bmw, I mentioned to him that i was considering getting an 8 series as a bit of a plaything for the weekends and to generally tinker with.

He basically fell off his chair and ranted at me for about 15 mins about how they are the worst car bmw have ever made and under pain of deat would he let me buy one, they cant be that bad can they?

Is it a case of him working in a dealership and only seeing the ones that are in there for massive repairs or is he right? Has anyone had/got one that can give some alternative views.

See I was an 80's baby so the 850csi was basically my school boy poster car and i would love to own one if its feasable. :driving:
 
Always loved the 8's but could never afford the insurance. I owned its Predecessor the E24 and loved every minute of it, all great cars!

I too am an 80s child and have still got my 92 Scirocco too :thumbsup:
 
I love them too and there was a video that Chris Harris tweeted about recently of some chap vmaxing one on the autobahn. Quick things for sure.

They were expensive and complex and no doubt they go wrong, but I say go for it. What did your friend cite as the common failure points out of interest?
 
Yup, I had an 840ci sport. Great car, just not as fun as the Z4.

Here's a copy and paste from a pm to someone else who was asking about them.

I would be sure to go for the sport, so it has the csi body kit and sport suspension. Front bushes wear quickly, not always easy to tell whilst the car is standing. Often I results in wobble through the wheel around 55mph, or under braking. Warped discs aren't uncommon, nor are the usual broken springs like other BMWs.
The rear screen often goes milky in the corners. Cars that have had the front windscreen replaced often get rust around the frame. The sunroof is another common rust area, usually means replacing the panel and it's seal.
If it has the Edc suspension, it's bloomin expensive to fix... Best go for one without.
The rear suspension mounts can tear, check around the inside of the boot. Seems to be more of a problem when people have fitted large wheels. There are plates available to bolt onto the top of this area to help spread the load (I have a pair I should sell actually)
The computer display often has dead lines of pixels, not cheap to fix. Check the passengers mirror dips when reversing, as long as the adjustment switch is in the right hand position.
The engines valve cover gaskets can seep oil around the bolt holes, it's normal, if it's bad the spark plugs can get covered in oil.

I think that covers most of it...

They are no worse for repairs than a similarly aged 7 series. Some of the parts are less common, body panels mainly, but there are plenty being broken up for spares on ebay.
850 Csi's are obviously going to be more expensive and tbh I'm not totaly convinced about having a manual in one, it's not a car I'd hussle much.

If I could afford my dream car collection, there would definetly be an 8 in there.
 
I see a red one every day at work. It's the other side of the fence in the back yard of a garage next door. It's been there for around 2 years so far! Never moved! Outside it looks a good car!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom