The mysterious B12 E38 LWB 21/11/21

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simon13
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Re: The mysterious B12 E38 LWB

Post by simon13 » Wed Mar 31, 2021 11:46 pm

i think its age discolouring. Almosts looks a french car, the silver looks shit but the car has xenons so i imagine not easy to change
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Re: The mysterious B12 E38 LWB

Post by Alpina Jim » Thu Apr 01, 2021 2:34 pm

Congratulations on your new purchase and progress to date Simon. I personally see the E38 B12 as one of the best looking Alpina models produced.

I am surprised to see your 5.7 engine has a distributor as I thought all BMW based cars of that era would have had full electronic injection by then. Did they wait until the 6.0 was introduced to update it?
Jim

'98 B10 3.2 #174 in Alpina Blue owned since 13th Sept 2002.

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Re: The mysterious B12 E38 LWB

Post by AG » Sat Apr 03, 2021 3:09 pm

I'm pleased that B12 has found its way to you, at least you can see it'll be done properly, but another B12 here currently for sale, 163k, its only just about run in

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Re: The mysterious B12 E38 LWB

Post by Drew » Sat Apr 03, 2021 8:08 pm

Alpina Jim wrote:
Thu Apr 01, 2021 2:34 pm
Congratulations on your new purchase and progress to date Simon. I personally see the E38 B12 as one of the best looking Alpina models produced.

I am surprised to see your 5.7 engine has a distributor as I thought all BMW based cars of that era would have had full electronic injection by then. Did they wait until the 6.0 was introduced to update it?
Not just one distributor, but two! One for each bank, single plug per cylinder. Pretty sure the 6.0 B12s were the same. The M70 family of engines were built to operate as two fairly independent straight six engines joined at the crank. So two ECUs, two intakes, two inlet manifolds, two distributors, etc.

I read about a chap who bought a project 750i and it took him a while to notice that only half of the V12 was actually running! Can't help but think that being 50% down on power would be quite noticeable, but it's all possible, in theory....
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Re: The mysterious B12 E38 LWB

Post by Alpina Jim » Sat Apr 03, 2021 8:37 pm

Drew wrote:
Sat Apr 03, 2021 8:08 pm
Alpina Jim wrote:
Thu Apr 01, 2021 2:34 pm
Congratulations on your new purchase and progress to date Simon. I personally see the E38 B12 as one of the best looking Alpina models produced.

I am surprised to see your 5.7 engine has a distributor as I thought all BMW based cars of that era would have had full electronic injection by then. Did they wait until the 6.0 was introduced to update it?
Not just one distributor, but two! One for each bank, single plug per cylinder. Pretty sure the 6.0 B12s were the same. The M70 family of engines were built to operate as two fairly independent straight six engines joined at the crank. So two ECUs, two intakes, two inlet manifolds, two distributors, etc.

I read about a chap who bought a project 750i and it took him a while to notice that only half of the V12 was actually running! Can't help but think that being 50% down on power would be quite noticeable, but it's all possible, in theory....
Thanks for that Drew, very interesting as I have not heard of that before.
It is also good to know that I have half of a V12 engine in my B10. :)
Jim

'98 B10 3.2 #174 in Alpina Blue owned since 13th Sept 2002.

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Re: The mysterious B12 E38 LWB

Post by simon13 » Sun Apr 18, 2021 9:32 pm

I've been busy buying bits and bobs i've thought are in most need

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new front discs as the old ones well i should take a picture, they've had a motorsport refurb! worn out old rubbish thats been tonced up. 2 new brake reaction arms. The drivers was very very worn. Would of been alot easier on ramp



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So a jist of it all picture wise. Took me hours the hype about a spark plug change is real!! no.12 plug literally took 30mins on its own it fought me the whole way

Its had 12x new plugs i can't recall when these where las changed
2 new throttle body pipes
2 air filters - they had 2007 on them
2 new rotor arms original 1997!
2 new distributor caps original 1997!




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While she was up i thought i'd check the air con compressor. Its not seized spins nicely. Thats a good sign in my book. There is no gas in the system. I presume its leaked out slowly when it was laid up all those years. I'm tempted to gas it up and see what happens if the system holds pressure on the machine



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Went for a spin to the old photo location and a little drive. Steering is much nicer now more responsive it all just felt a bit vague and mushy before so thats good. Engine runs as smooth as before but now we have a bit of bass on idle and it bloody flies now really feels sounds stronger and hauls its fat arse with ease. I have to say it revs very eagerly and pulls hard to the red line. I'll have to get it on the dyno!
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Re: The mysterious B12 E38 LWB

Post by PhillV8S » Sun Apr 18, 2021 10:33 pm

Hats off to you Simon. You are the king of the big projects, hope all goes well with this new one.
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Re: The mysterious B12 E38 LWB

Post by Drew » Thu Apr 22, 2021 7:18 pm

Good job on the plugs, I got CPC to do mine. Chickened out of that job DIY. I did replace one of the crankcase breathers though, and that was epic enough for me. No space to work in that engine bay!
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Re: The mysterious B12 E38 LWB

Post by simon13 » Sun Nov 21, 2021 7:52 pm

I've not updated for a while on the old girl. She's been going great guns but i have been doing a few jobs along the summer and a fair bit of driving

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the boot struts where knackered and a heavy boot like this wouldn't stay up




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i took a chance and re gassed the aircon, the compressor wasn't seized or anything so why not? It only worked! Its blown cold all summer aswell, the gas must of gradually leaked out when the car was laid up all those years




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Next was a jolly good clean as best i could inside, wet vacced the floor mats and carpets, all came up alot better. Interior i find baby wipes really clean alot off so that took some time as its leather everywhere! Then fed everything. Pretty tidy for the mileage




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Then as best i can on the outside, a clay bar and wax. Its still scruffy but a bit more ok from 10-20 foot now away




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We holidayed in the cotswolds this year near Cheltenham, which is about 90 miles each way. Perfect tool for the job, took all our stuff for the week for me missus and two kids.




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Then i took it to Norfolk, my dads from tiny farming village up there. Its like another country up there bit like the cotswolds! Check the average MPGs!





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To BMR for an auto gearbox oil change flush full shizzle. Theres nothing wrong with the box but the oils been in there since 2007/8 when this car had a complete new unit from the main dealer for around £8000! So i thought it prudent to keep it happy. Its only covered about 50,000 miles since being fitted



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I needed a new transmission cooler as mine was knackered but thats cars!!



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I got hold of a lovely re trimmed steering wheel, but it doesn't fit! So i'm going to get the one on the car re done at some stage





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Why does a £108,000 Alpina plus extras not get some clocks to match?!





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Rejoice this car now has! Its been a bit of work, none by me though, Namely finding an Alpina cluster - this one came from an E39 6 pot. Then you have to have the clocks wiped as such the original cars Identification deleted. Virginised they call it. Then something else i can't remember. Someone else set the mileage or maybe it was the man who virginised them?! Then they are coded to my car

Anyhow its the little touches and this really peps up the old limo. Really happy being able to get this done and not the take it to Alpina way like that blue 6.0 car did years back!


I've fixed a few more things like the PDC, 2 rear tyres. Needed a new pipe to sort a PAS leak. Still could do with some fronts tyres. Also on the list is the rear DSP sub speakers are shot on the rear shelf, i've a knackered electric head rest motor that needs changing and a rear top mount has gone. This is going to be do all 3 jobs while you are there affair. Its running really well and hopefully keeps being nice to me and no nasty big V12 bills are coming! It has wife approval, she's even driven it - try getting her in my E34! The car gets alot of attention more than any Alpina ive had before, even my neighbours have asked about it, people at petrol stations, thumbs up from folk. Note on the windscreen. Never had this before!
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hap
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Re: The mysterious B12 E38 LWB 21/11/21

Post by hap » Sun Nov 21, 2021 8:08 pm

Great work si as always
Yes those little oem things make all difference with the dials , one question as they are 200mph I presume when your doing 30 it’s 30 not 60
Keep it up 👍

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Re: The mysterious B12 E38 LWB 21/11/21

Post by Frosty » Sun Nov 21, 2021 8:10 pm

The car is looking great. Good to hear it is behaving engine wise.
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Re: The mysterious B12 E38 LWB 21/11/21

Post by bss325i » Mon Nov 22, 2021 12:51 am

hap wrote:
Sun Nov 21, 2021 8:08 pm
Great work si as always
Yes those little oem things make all difference with the dials , one question as they are 200mph I presume when your doing 30 it’s 30 not 60
Keep it up 👍
The speedo is accurate so 30 is 30. The clocks had the VIN and mileage set and the pixels repaired by the same person who did my E39 M5 touring clocks then I re wrote the VO and coded the to the car.
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Re: The mysterious B12 E38 LWB 21/11/21

Post by Bob » Mon Nov 22, 2021 2:57 am

Great update Si. Love the blue dials, guessing that’s not a trick that would work for an E36. Can’t think of any suitable donor that has Blue dials and mph.
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Re: The mysterious B12 E38 LWB 21/11/21

Post by ScooBeeFive » Mon Nov 22, 2021 11:48 am

Fantastic Simon. I love how it's getting used as it was intended. Sometimes not being 'perfect' condition is a good thing as you're not afraid to use it. If it was a low mile concours car, you'd be a lot more reluctant to get it out the garage.
Paul

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Re: The mysterious B12 E38 LWB 21/11/21

Post by simon13 » Mon Nov 22, 2021 8:59 pm

I'm not sure but is there a higher mileage B12 out there?

Paul, its parked in the road most nights as gate guardian

Bob unless you got some LHD clocks in Kmh i can't see a way of doing it on an E36, infact i looked into it when i had mine and Alpina never bothered on the UK cars at all until the E39's appeared

I spoke to soon, I drove it last night and this evening and I can smell a light wiff of petrol. I've had a cold so maybe its stronger. Either way, with the price of super and V12 action this must be resolved!
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