Page Directory
Page 1 - In the Beginning...
Page 2 - Unplanned Repairs and such...
Page 3 - Planned Repairs and Modifications...
Page 4 - Headlamp Lense Replacement...
Page 5 - Photo gallery...

Page 1 - In the Beginning...

Well, here is our 740iL. We got her from a stock broker who had fallen on hard times late in 2001. Convincing my new bride into a 4-year old 7-series was quite easy once she had a moment behind the wheel. For comparable money, we would buy what? An Accord? A Camry? Not likely.

We looked at many 7's and had set our hearts on a 740 with the black exterior and natural interior combination. With three kids in tow much of the time, the iL made more sense. When we found this one, we both fell in love with the unique (here in Dallas, anyway) sorrent blue/light gray combo. It really does look good on this car.

It had all the maintenance, but it had been neglected from a cosmetic standpoint. It was weathered on the outside and just plain dirty on the inside. But the car had never been smoked in, and that's important to me. Plus, I've never shyed away from a little elbow grease!

After driving it for a few weeks, I had a weekend free enough that I could give her a nice sponge bath and exfoliation. ;-) I wish I had taken "before" pictures! But, after a LONG weekend of detailing the outside, the paint was showroom new. I spent at least 6 hours with a glaze removing swirl marks by hand.

** These photos were taken late in the afternoon on a cloudy day, so the color of the car appears a little darker than it really is.

Of course, when you spend that much time on the finish of a car, you start to notice things. Although the paint is in great shape now, there are a few cosmetic repairs needed. Specifically:

? The anodized aliminum trim that borders the windows had clouded badly. Most E38 owners attribute this to neglecting the exterior, and that seems to be the case here.

? The headlamp lenses were scratched, pitted, and slightly yellowed.

? The foglamps were in terrible shape. They look as though they were sandblasted. Plus, there are numerous cracks.

? The driver's side grill on the hood was loose. Several of the clasps that held it in place were broken.

? There was some minor damage to the rear bumper at the level of the passenger side exhaust. Looks like it was backed over something.

? There were the inevitable door dings, but many more than I had originally noticed.

All in all, however, she looks really good for a 4-year old with 75,000 miles.