When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, right? That must be what this YouTuber had in mind when he bought a BMW 7 Series from the E65 generation. Being built during the final production year, 2008, this is a facelifted version. We’re bringing this up because of what he plans to do with the car, namely, take parts from it and give his personal car the LCI look.
Looks can be deceiving as it might look like a perfectly fine 7 Series 730d, but it hides a horrible secret. It’s always a bad sign when the engine cover is in a car’s trunk lid. Add an undertray bathed in oil and you begin to understand where this is heading. Under the hood, the straight-six 3.0-liter turbodiesel engine has certainly seen better days.
Since it’s a 2008 7 Series, we are dealing with the updated M57D30TU2 introduced with the mid-cycle facelift. Therefore, it packs more power, at 228 hp and 384 lb-ft (520 Nm). However, not this particular engine. It sounds quite terrible, tractor-like awful, and while the owner can’t pinpoint what’s wrong with it, the rod bearings could be the culprit.
Some would argue the car is worth saving provided fixing the engine is not too expensive. The owner hinted he will scrap the 730d, but not before removing some of the parts. Specifically, he will install those nice wheels on his pre-LCI 7 Series 760Li with the majestic V12 engine. Both are finished in Titan Silver, making it easier for him to also source the compatible body panels. In addition, he’ll also grab the headlights and taillights.
He will retrofit some of the bits and pieces from the interior as well, such as the steering wheel and the iDrive infotainment. George Austers only paid £1,400 for the 7 Series, so it’s fair to say it was a bargain. That’s just approximately $1,900 or €1,660 at current exchange rates.
[Source: George Austers / YouTube]
