Today, I would like to introduce you to my accidental year 2000 BMW 740i E38. I call it 'accidental' because of the unexpected way I came to purchase it back in October 2013. 

At the time I had a Toyota Harrier V6, 3.0. I really loved that SUV. Unfortunately, that October it failed the UK Ministry Of Transport (MOT) test. The garage in London wanted £3,000 to replace the broken part. I was prepared to just find the money somehow and pay to have it fixed but my wife who was not emotionally attached to the car like I was, told me to get rid of it. So I cried and just abandoned my beloved car at the garage for disposal. 

My wife, who knows nothing about cars, then saw the E38 being sold on a UK auction website which Japanese people living in the UK use to sell stuff, mainly when they are going back to Japan after their stay in the UK. 

I did not know much about BMWs at the time except I'd heard people telling me that they handle well on the road. I also did not know that a 740 has a 4.4l petrol engine, but when I found that out I was excited because I know that the bigger the better and I had really enjoyed the 3 litre Toyota Harrier. Ignore the cost of petrol for now😀. 

The E38 was initially advertised for £2,600, so I went there hoping to pay that price. Unfortunately, it turned into a bidding war between me and another guy who wanted to buy it for his girlfriend. I finally won the bid and got it for £4,200. Along the way I also found out that the engine management light was on. The car was in immaculate condition and had done about 23K miles. The owner was a Japanese businessman who ran a property rental business in London. He used to live in Japan and the car was only used to chauffeur him around when he happened to be visiting London about three times a year. According to the HPI checks I made they had had owned the car for 10 years, since 2003 .  

It was after I'd had the car for a few days that I became interested in it and its history. I was shocked when I realised what I had in my possession. It turned out to be a blessing that my dear wife who had pressured me to get rid of my beloved Toyota Harrier has no clue about cars because if she knew what a V8 is she would have put a stop to the whole madness🤣. By the way after losing my Toyota Harrier I got smarter about keeping my car business out of my wife's ears. Now if something needs fixing in my E38, I don't discuss it with her because she would faint if she knows how much the car has cost me in maintenance over the past 11 years. Actually, the car has been largely well behaved until about in late 2021 when coolant leaked from the thermostat into the DME and fried it. It got very expensive because several garages could not figure out the root cause of the problem and kept on changing crankshaft sensors etc. We only finally figured it out when I did my own research and asked the mechanic to open the ECU box. Please don't get me started on mechanics who just change parts and hope that eventually one part will fix it!  

So that's the story of how I got my E38. I call it my accidental E38 and you can see a video of it on my channel here on YouTube. It's done about just over 69K miles now. I love it so much and from time to time I get strangers in traffic  approaching me randomly admiring it and asking questions about it. 

Rerefences

1. The MOT test in the UK is an annual inspection that checks a vehicle's safety, roadworthiness, and exhaust emissions. It is legally required for most vehicles over three years old to ensure they meet minimum environmental and safety standards. The test covers various parts including brakes, lights, tires, steering, seat belts, exhaust system, and more, but does not assess the engine, gearbox, or clutch condition. A valid MOT certificate is mandatory to drive on public roads, and failure to have one can result in fines and invalidated insurance. The test was introduced in 1960 by the Ministry of Transport and is conducted by authorized garages across the UK.