On Sun, 25 May 2008 17:08:46 GMT, James Sweet
<jamessweet1.DeleteThis@trashmail.net> wrote:
Thanks James,
>> What is the normal failure mode for the Turbo?
>> Could sitting around create problems?
>> What impact does driving the car without it functioning have? Fuel
>> economy etc?
>>
>
>
>Usually the oil seals fail, but it sounds as if the impeller may have
>seized, you can verify this by removing the intake hose and trying to
>spin the shaft with your fingers. I suppose sitting around could have
>caused that. Another possibility is a clogged catalytic converter, I've
>seen that prevent the turbo from developing boost.
Thanks
>
>Without it functioning the car will be dangerously underpowered, fuel
>economy will suffer due to the exhaust restriction, and resale value is
>substantially lowered. If the car is as nice as you say it is, just
>fix/replace the turbo, they're not THAT expensive anymore.
I will call this to their attention.
I drove the car up the highway a bit and I didn't seem to notice much
difference as compared to my other 2 normally aspirated 740's.
>If you paid a mechanic to replace the turbo and fix the AC, you'd
>probably be looking at around $2,000, so this can certainly be a
>negotiating point. That said, dead AC in an old car is pretty much
>expected, and a lot of people don't seem to care. If you're a DIY guy,
>this could be a great car, as you can probably fix both issues for under
>$500 if you do it yourself. They're really solid dependable rides.
Somewhat of a rant follows...
The A/C is a no care.
One of the individuals that own the car is one of those people that
believe what they have is worth more than what it is. They are really
unwilling to negotiate at face value "Well, we have been driving the
car without the turbo and we don't mind"
Car is also one of those one-owner "My Baby" cars.
There is an interesting dynamic going on between the sellers also that
I won't get into.
There are some other things wrong like a small oil leak, which I did
not point out. Clutch feels a little odd so it may be time soon.
Question: If this is an M46, is the clutch automatically mechanical
like my other M46?
FWIW I did a KBB on the car and I assume they did. I don't usually use
KBB but I wanted to see if I could figure out where they got their
asking price. Who knows where they got the price though.
KBB is dangerous to those who cannot be objective about what they have
and what they don't have when selecting a condition level to market
their car as.
NO used car of any reasonable age should be "Excellent" That would
mean everything fixed and a proper dealer level detailing performed.
No one reads the caveats under condition descriptions.
The price they are asking is in that category for private sale.
Despite the nice condition, it still is an 18yo car with some
problems.
I have been driving good solid well-kept used cars all my life. Cars
that I call "good karma" cars. Fair values. I shoot for 1/2 way
between KBB/Edmunds wholesale and private party. I have never paid
anything close to average private sale figures. The 2 740's I have are
nice with some minor issues and I paid less for both combined than the
asking on this one.
Last I chatted with the owners they indicated that they were going to
take it out to have a mechanic look at the turbo. Dialogue with them
is still open I believe. They searched the net and found a turbo
repair kit for $40 and they "Would consider taking $100 off"
I watch a mint 240 with low, low miles go unsold for months as the
inflated price dropped and dropped. I believe the car still didn't
sell. I wasn't interested as it was automatic.
On this one, I believe I still have first on the sale not that means
anything.
I really would like to get the car but I am playing it close and not
getting the owners PO'd by harping on the car's flaws. I could see
this one lasting 10 years easy as I don't drive much.
It has come down in my mind to I will let the car go rather than pay
high asking without negotiation. That's coupled with them not
mentioning the turbo in the listing or on the phone.
I figure most of the people interested in this are other Brick Heads.
OBTW, I can most likely fix/rebuild the turbo unit myself or certainly
get it off and take it to a shop.
Apologies for the rant
jimB
PS then I would of course have to face the decision as to which one of
"my babies" would have to go <grin>
--------------------------------------------
JimB
--------------------------------------------
my SPAM defense: Replace all the X's in email address with M
>> Stay informed about: 1990 740 Turbo and other issues 
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