glafaille

I work at KGGG and have been talking to Don Maxwell recently about Mooney purchasing. He knows a CFI on the field that is familiar with Mooneys, I believe his name was Jason but not sure. I'm sure Don can fix you up with anything Mooney, ask him for help.

Awesome panel! Amazing what can be done to breathe new life into an old airplane. It's also nice to know that it will likely be a very long time before your plane will be one of those tied down in the grass and neglected. You have done the Mooney community and older Mooney's in particular a great service. For many years in the future she'll be strutting her stuff! I too travel to Maine frequently, not so much this time of year, but June through October I get to spend some time in Rockland. Nice place, nice people, great food, awesome weather (in the summer) and awesome sailing. Worst part about Downeast Maine is trying to get through Wiskasset in the Summer!

I agree with everything you say Bob. The ability to avoid SUA when VFR is especially nice. Although I am looking for a capable IFR plane, I will not be flying hard IFR day or night in a 50 year old single engine aircraft. But for getting above a cloud layer or down through one into VFR conditions, I'm all for it. I intend to file IFR for most flights but will avoid weather that will require shooting approaches. I'm almost 60 years old and no longer feel the need to "push the envelope" although in my younger days I pushed it daily. I was one lucky SOB!

Don't get me wrong! I LOVE the cool electronic stuff available now, awesome power at your fingertips and many times more information IF you know how to retrieve it. As I have never owned an airplane before I am being very conservative in my budgeting. Complex systems sometimes develop nasty gremelins that require much maintenance magic from highly specialized wizards. My budget has sentenced me to steam! But I do marvel at what many of the folks here have done to improve their birds.

The plane I fly for my job has plenty of fancy gizmos and I like them well enough, but after replacing an MFD a few months ago for $10,000 exchange, I have no interest in having such things on my own plane unless I win the lottery. At the rate technology changes it may not take long for todays latest and greatest to become obsolete and difficult/expensive to repair or replace. There are millions of air driven DGs and AIs out there that will probably remain cheap and available for a very long time. As an old ex night freight pilot, the old stuff is comfortable, like a well worn pair of slippers. The new stuff is nice but the old stuff still gets the job done.

I'm interested in this plane as well. Autopilot? Fuel bladders? More info and an update would be great.

OK. Guys thanks for the advice. I added the E model to the title.

I'm looking for the fastest IFR C/E model I can buy for under $55,000. The mission is 1200 nm each way trips 4 times per year plus some shorter weekend excursions for myself and my wife plus bags. We are 5' 8" and 5' 2" tall and travel light. We need to be able to travel the 1200 nm leg in one day in less than 14 hours chock to chock including fuel stops. I think about 150k cruise should do it easily even with a little headwind. Here is my wish list: No corrosion Low to mid- time engine and prop Last Overhaul by reputable shop Good Autopilot - Stec or similar, altitude hold preferred Bladder tanks or total reseal within last 10 years Basic but recent avionics - I don't need and don't care to maintain the whiz-bang stuff - I have an Ipad Instruments arranged in "6 pack" order Excellent maintenance history - Service Center or FBO Serviceable paint and interior Speed Mods - Looking for 150 Knot cruise Engine monitor with fuel flow and carb temp a plus 1965 or newer - Someone told me engine access is easier with later models. Less than $55,000 I know it will be difficult to find a plane that hits every point but if you have something close, lets talk about it.

I am knee deep in looking for a suitable Mooney C/E/F to be my first aircraft purchase. I am a professional pilot so not new to aviation, but certainly new to aircraft ownership and Mooney airplanes. I know that this topic has been discussed in great detail before, and I have spent many hours reading all the threads related to the differences between the IO360 and the O360. Based on my research here and on other websites I came to the INITIAL conclusion that there was little NET monetary difference between the 2 engines after all costs and fuel burn differences were considered (operational differences aside). However, over the past couple of weeks I have reviewed the logbooks of 2 C models, 2 E models and one F model. ALL of the E and F models have a history of multiple engine problems, early overhauls, early engine replacements and cylinder replacements. Many of the problems happened early on in 1960's and 1970's but a few are recent. The C model engines look much better with few problems. I realize that these engines may have had teething issues early on, but I am unsure whether or not Lycoming has remedied the problem. Perhaps there are/were Service Bulletins performed at overhaul that increased reliability making the issue moot for recently overhauled engines. Any motorheads out there that would be kind enough to enlighten me about this? What should I look for when reviewing engine logs to minimize the odds of problems? I found a candidate aircraft with less than 100 hours on an A & P overhaul of one engine that experienced a problem within 500 hours or so of a previous overhaul. I like the aircraft but I'm not feeling the "positive engine vibes". Maybe I'm being too picky? Thank you.

Carusoam Thanks! Man you are a wealth of information. Certainly nice to have around.

Gentlemen I'm looking at a fuzzy cockpit photo of a vintage Mooney and spotted this gizmo. Anyone know what it is, who made it and what it does? Engine monitor - Fuel flow monitor or ??? Thank you.

Carusoam Thank you for the sound advice. I detect that your wisdom is borne of experience and I will ignore it at my peril. Most of what you say I have considered, but hearing it from you all packaged up neatly clearly illustrates the difficulty and expense of long distance deals. I do have a job that affords me generous time off, and I do have access to cheap airfares (DFW) but even still, one could spend a lot of time and money and still wind up empty handed. I may have to expand my search to include non-Mooney aircraft in order to increase the likelyhood of finding something within driving distance. I may be looking for a very long time, if I restrict myself too much. I'm not getting any younger.

Jim Yes it is easy to find a Mooney for sale in my area. BUT to find one that meets my needs, now that is a little tougher. I need a corrosion free airframe, a mid time engine, solid autopilot, no fuel leaks, 720 channel radios, and instruments arranged in an IFR friendly way, all at a price under $50,000 or so. Paint and interior not so important, but a decent maintenance history is. Finding all of that around East Texas is a challenge. Finding it anywhere is a challenge. Believe me, I'm as leary of a long distance "love affair" as anyone, but I can't afford to leave any stone unturned.

M20Doc I think I read that particular thread the other night. It's the one that is causing all of my anxiety. I want to avoid that situation at all costs!

Thanks to all for the advice. I am a professional pilot of a corporate jet and very involved with it's care and maintenance, so I know a bit about taking care of aluminum flying machines. I am familiar with corrosion and airplanes but not as it threatens Mooneys, hence my caution. If a proper pre buy "inspection", and diligent maintenance thereafter, will eliminate the threat of a serious corrosion event in the future, I am much encouraged. This is what I'm hearing. When I receive further information on the prospective aircraft, I will post it here in the hopes some of you are familiar with it. At this time I don't have much information except a few pictures, none of which show the N number. I can tell you that this aircraft is not a "bargain bin" special, and at this point priced well above market, so much is expected where condition is concerned. If the logbooks check out, I intend to fly to Boston for a "look see" sometime next week. I really appreciate all the help and advice everyone here has offered. I look forward to learning all about Mooneys from the folks on mooneyspace.

M20F Thanks for the encouragement. Sounds like the prebuy inspection is the most crucial piece of this puzzle. I'm leaning towards a pre buy at Webers in PA. I talked to Dorn at Weber this morning and he seemed very focused on finding corrosion and seems to know where to look.

Thanks to everyone for the pre buy advice, I'm waiting for more info from the seller before I decide on pulling the trigger. I'm really developing a feeling of extreme caution, which kind of spoils my airplane buying "Karma". I really want to buy a Mooney C or E model but I am having a difficult time getting my head around this corrosion issue. I have a fear that even with an awesome pre buy inspection and loving care, including a comfy hangar in Texas, I may still encounter an airframe destroying issue at any time, and without warning. It appears from some of the posts here that by the time the problem is discovered it's already too late. Are they right? Kind of frightening from a financial point of view. Or maybe I'm just making a big deal out of a 1 in a 1000 chance. Any advice?

Greetings to all and Merry Christmas! Long time professional pilot but new to Mooneys and this group. I live in Texas and seriously considering the purchase of a vintage Mooney based in the Boston area. I'm having doubts about the decision after reading a few threads on this board about wing corrosion and subsequent scrapping of entire airframes. Yikes! Any suggestions as to who I can send the plane to for a THOROUGH CORROSION focused pre purchase inspection? Considering the potential financial investment and loss of said investment, I'm not all that concerned with cost. I need peace of mind that when I show up at my local Mooney dealer, Don Maxwell, with my new to me M20C, he won't find a nasty surprise at my first annual. I wish I could take it to him but it's 1200 nm! I would appreciate any advice you gents can give me. Thank to all.