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Hi Folks, I am beginning a search for a plain 1990s M20J MSE a/c with a good IFR package. I'd look at an Encore too if there are any out there. It would be my first a/c, and getting me my instrument rating will be its first mission for me. Yes, people have told me to buy a high-time Piper first, but no I am not going to do it because the airplane market is so dysfunctional. I want to buy a plane I can stand to fly for several years. That way, I only pay for one soul-crushing depreciation instead of two. Folks in DC arranged a flight in a Mooney C for me and what a great airplane! I was so pleased, I was a little shocked. Sure beats the pants off a 172. Why not buy a "C"? I've met people who were very satisfied with their mid-1990's J. What I heard was that mid 1990s J's were built after the company pulled itself back together, got back to basics and put anti-carrosive material in the fuselage and wing components. (Fewer fuel leaks?) The C's I have seen have corrosion problems to some degree, maybe it's just the damp DC climate. Both J's and C's stick to the Mooney philosophy of low-drag speed generated by a cheap-to-run, reliable four cylinder io-360. But J's have a slightly longer fuselage and less TT and pretty much the same fuel burn. Less money spent on fuel and maintenance means better care for the a/c and more time in the air learning to become a good, safe pilot. Am I right? I have insurance commitments and (soon) financing and a tie-down for sure and a wait-list spot for a hangar. No rush, but if you think you might want to sell your MSE eventually to somebody who appreciates all things Mooney and the care that owners lavish upon them, you might let me know!