TheDyood

Thank you, this was what I was looking for in the ramblings that was the first post. Am I close with the following? Overhaul: $20k Avionics (say 2x G5 and a used 430): $15k Paint or interior: $10k

Thank you! I'm oscillating between being stoked that I don't have to study anymore and wondering if I should start looking at some IFR material...

Like I tell people who are interested in the wine business, everyone needs a hole to throw money down. All great points, and all things to take into consideration. Thank you! I'm definitely of the mind that there are a few things that it needs, and everything else is gravy. Airframe above all.

I'd like to carry four, but two is more than likely. Mountains are a possibility. I'm in E. Washington, the Cascade pass is at 5,440 and a lot of time to get there. Most of the peaks sit at 9,000 and under. There could be some real mountain travel (Sierra Nevadas/Truckee) but not until a mountain checkout down there. Otherwise, I can see the central coast and north bay of CA in the future as well. Mission and weight and balance wise, I don't see a lot of issues with the M20 (barring a high DA day in Tahoe, but that's going to hit a lot of GA planes). Most of time is in high wings (150/172/182) and a couple hours in an F. I liked it, but am definitely seeking more opportunities. I think my big concern is if there really is a way to not get too upside down on a 50 year old plane whose engine is due, especially if you don't have any plans on selling it and it's well looked after at PPI and annual. And if the engine does need to be replaced/remaned/overhauled, what is the worst case scenario and how much of that can be a surprise post purchase.

Hi all, I've had my PPL for all of a week but I have been looking at my options for a while now. I'm at a field with limited, if any, rental opportunities, and 250nm+ to the places I would like to be spending more of my time. The more I look at things, the more a C/E/F seems to be the way to go. What I don't wholly understand, but have a grasp on, is trying to find a plane at a price that makes sense. There was a great discussion late last year about pricing a plane that has been sitting, and brought up the general economics of buying a vintage bird, trying to bring it to modern times, all the while not losing your shirt in the process (especially with a high time engine). This is where I get lost and have been trying to research to no avail. I get that avionics are expensive, as are autopilots. However, it seems that there is actually movement toward competition and competitive pricing. This is great, especially for someone who is VFR and looking to get into a plane for IFR and beyond. Engines, engines I can't seem to find clear guidance. Looking at airpowerinc.com, who seem to have no problem publishing pricing, it looks like a new O-360-A1A is $75k, rebuilt is $50k, and overhauled is $44k, not including a core ($16k). I understand there are cheaper overhaul deals from reputable shops. Something crossed my eye about a shop not taking a core. How often is this the case? Basically, I can almost argue myself into a $30k plane knowing that it might be another $30k for engine and avionics, and that if/when it comes to sell, you won't see most of that money again. What I can't see is throwing $60k at it for negligible resale increase. I tend to run things into the ground as opposed to trading up every couple of years, so this would kind of be a forever plane. I've really enjoyed this site, and there seems to be a great amount of knowledge here. Please feel free to share any wisdom you might have.