Re: <WTB> 7 series

["Paul F. Kunz" <Paul_Kunz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>>>>> On Tue, 26 Jan 1999 11:21:43 -0600, "Aggieboy and Therapygirl" <pohl@domain.elided> said:

> On another note (especially if I pass on this car), I heard there
> are actually 5-speed manual 7-series.  Can anyone elaborate on that?
> Which model, which years, and most importantly, has anyone ever seen
> one for sale?

   E32 7-series with 5sp manual transmissions were available for the
'88-90 model years in the USA.  However, with each year, less and less
of them were sold.  Of the 34,167 7ers sold these 3 years, some
digester posted that 412 of them have manual transmissions.   Well
over a dozen owners of these rare beast are on this digest or the 7er
digest. 

   Four years ago, my wife and I set out to find a used E32 with
manual transmission.   We didn't know about the numbers I stated
above.  It was amazing the stories we got from the BMW dealer sales
people: "they don't exist", "they are extremely rare but I sold one
last week", ""they were all sold in snow country back east".  Then one
week we found two, both with 10 miles from home.   I bought the one
from a fellow BMW CCA member who knew my name and knew I wanted the
Dinan suspension, Dinan chip, 17" wheels etc. already on the car.

   To 7er owners, the 7er is the ultimate of the ultimate driving
machines, To those 7er owners who have a manual transmision, we have
the ultimate of the ultimate of the ultimate driving machines.  To
those 7er owners with manual transmission and Dinan Stage III
suspension, like me, we have the ultimate of the ultimate of the
... (you get the picture).

   M3 owners might be thinking that the ultimate direction should be
in theirs.   A big 7er with all the goodies is still Bavarisn Buick.
Well there's a long list of M3 drivers who have not beaten my 7er at
autocross.  There's even some M5 drivers not able to catch my wife to
pass on the longest straight at driver's school.   Well the 7er is not
as capable as the M cars, but it is not so differenct that a bit of
driver skill wouldn't make up for it.

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End of bmw-digest V9 #917
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