scfou

iTrader: (3)

A close friend of mine is getting rid of his bmw 94 840ci in near perfect exterior/interior condition, bone stock. The paint is excellent due to it being garaged most of the time. All services were done by a reputable bmw certified shop. Car has 100k milege. He's only getting rid of it because he's out of a job and want to focus more on school, also plus the fact he knows nothing about repairing cars.

My vehicle is a 98 sc400, paint a little chipped at the front bumper, and small dent rt quarter panel. 18" rims 3pcs in not so good condition, strut tower bar, 3 spoke steering wheel, coilovers h&r's, modified exhaust, bfi, 142K running excellent. I know this is a Lexus forum but before you get angry at me for leaving, please tell me your honest opinion about this trade. I already know what I'm getting myself into in terms of maintanance, problems, etc. I do have a slight advantage and that's being able to fix cars.

The reason I'm leaning towards the 8 is because I've always liked it, and this one's clean inside/out. I figure something like this doesn't happen very often so thought I'd give it a try. Besides, SC's are a dime a dozen out there and I can easily get a hold of another one any day. I've driven the SC a total of about 10 yrs., and this 98 sc400 is my 3rd one.

Thanks for your time.

abounly

iTrader: (27)

I say do it. 8 series are pretty rare if they are in good condition

CalitriSC

iTrader: (13)

Any pics of your SC4?

mr2tosc4

iTrader: (1)

BMW had serious problems with the 8 cylinder engines due to the alloy they used. High sulfur gasoline can pit the alloy and cause compression loss. After the problem was found, BMW gave each owner a 6 year, 100K mile warranty.
A leakdown test will determine if the engine is losing compression. You need to ask if the engine in this car has been changed and also make sure that the new engine did not contain the same alloy. The first year or two that BMW changed the engines, they were replaced with identical engines which may have the same problem. The 850's do not use this alloy.
Personally, I would not buy one of these cars unless the engine had been changed and it contained the new alloy.

na4now

Only way I'd have one, is if I was going to do an engine swap in it. Either a 2jzgte, or maybe a ls1 swap. Then, it would be a neat car.

CalitriSC

iTrader: (13)

My friend used to have an older M5 with the V8. He said it was a great car until 100k when all the maintenance was due. I think he had to spend over $12k at the dealership.

LunaVyohr

Dooooon't do it. You'll regret it. Those 8-series, and quite a few 90s German cars in general are electrical nightmares, especially when they get past 100k. In addition, that year of 840 had the M60B40, which had a severe problem with the Nikasil used to line the cylinders. From wikipedia: "BMW used Nikasil, an aluminium, nickel, and silicon alloy, to line the cylinders of the M60 engines. The cross-hatched Nikasil linings react with the high sulfur content found in lower-quality gasoline, such as that used in parts of the United States all gasoline used in Brazil and also in the UK. This reaction causes damage to the very top of the cylinder bore, where there is the most contact of the burning mixture and the cylinder lining. The damage prevents a good seal from forming between the piston and the cylinder wall, causing a loss of compression in the combustion chamber. This "leak down" will cause M60s with worn linings to exhibit a rough idle, and if the problem continues unchecked, the engine will not start.

The only permanent fix for this problem is the replacement of the short block with the equivalent block composed of Alusil, which do not exhibit this corrosion problem. After the problem was found, BMW issued an extended six-year, 100,000-mile (160,000 km) warranty to cover these engines at no cost to the owner. In the USA and UK sulfur rich fuel is being phased out.[1][2] There's also theory that if car has survived to date (almost 20 years) then it's not endangered anymore because engine was since replaced, or it wasn't affected.[3]"

818_sc4

iTrader: (8)

I say dont do it.

1JZPWRD

iTrader: (59)

I like BMW's, but after reading these post, I wouldnt.. JMO

Luxor

iTrader: (15)

I would not do it, I hear those are hard to sell because they are known for issues.

J_newmoney

Damn, I was gonna say go for it but after reading the post about the problems with them, IDK. If its not going to be a daily driver I still say go for it. I love the 1st gen SC's but I have always wanted an 840 as well. Go for it and post pics Just don't expect it to be as reliable as the SC if you plan on using it as a daily driver.

xspsi6

iTrader: (31)

For the love of god don't do it!!
All of the info stated above is pretty much spot on and if there is one thing I can promise is that you will regret it as your Lexus is one of the most reliable cars on the road so cost of ownership is low.

BMW is going to cost you for sure not if but when

levie

iTrader: (1)

i say dont do it man, its not worth it to trade your sc that works and runs greats for a BMW that may cause you a ton of money and effort and headache. i personally try to avoid doing deals like this with very close friends because you never know, im not saying your friend is trying to pull a fast one on you, but if something happened and the car was awful, you never know right? But at the end of the day my opinion is to keep your beautiful SC. good luck in what you decide to do man. keep us posted.

scfou

iTrader: (3)

Right on.. I will keep you posted.

Tabaka

iTrader: (8)

Nice knowing you dude, I'd jump on that quick. Just make sure you have a little early 90's civic or accord laying around in case things go bad quick.

I owned a 99 E-class merc before my Lexus. Let me tell you, it's the reason I bought a "toyota" vehicle. Then again, I've probably spent over $4,000 just this year on maintenance for the SC. It really helps if you can work on cars. That's my problem, I always buy these daily driven vehicles that need maintenance and have little mechanical skill.