Hood stops and parking brake cable bracket
Tracked down a rattling noise to a missing grommet on the bracket that holds the parking brake cable, which was causing the bracket to bang against the chassis over bumps. Replaced the grommets, and also swapped out both failed hood buffer stops whose spring-loaded ejectors (the ejectors push the hood up when released) had collapsed.
Trunk rattle solved & new emblem
Something in the trunk lid was rattling - a loose metal cap from one of the rubber trunk stops was rattling around. It had probably been broken off at some point and no one bothered to remove it when they put in the new one. Replaced the BMW emblem which had fallen off as well.
Carpet cleaning & floor mats
Unbolted seat rails to pull the seats and cleaned the carpets - Dr Beasley’s carpet cleaner, a drill brush attachment, and a Bissell Little Green extractor. New Lloyd’s floor mats. Epoxied a cracked seat rail cover.
Headliner replacement
New headliner and pillars upholstered by a local upholstery shop in Annapolis.
Radiator & alternator
New radiator to fix leaking end tanks which left a puddle of coolant under the car. The alternator was also cracked and leaking, so it was replaced as well.
Interior cleanup begins
Had the burnt-out gauge cluster LCD pixels repaired. New trunk struts. Replaced armrest storage trays with an eBay donor. Cleaned the hazard switch - someone had spilled something sticky in the console (soda?). Unplugged the TCU to dismiss “BMW Assist Inactive” warning after I removed the old, fraying carphone charging cord. Replaced rear quarter window sun shade.
Initial service
Safety inspection, changing oil, brake fluid, and coolant, power steering pressure hose, timing chain cover gaskets, valve cover gaskets, AC compressor replacement, transmission service.
Acquired
2001 740i Sport with 71,833 miles. Jet Black over Sand Beige leather and garage kept. Oil under the car, a burned-out gauge cluster LCD, a sagging headliner, and a low coolant light. Two sets of floor mats were stacked on top of each other, hiding dirty carpets underneath. But the body was straight, the paint was in very good shape, the undercarriage was rust-free, and the leather was crisp. Overall, the car looked great.
