gouge on a 231?

[Spanky]

anyone have anything on this mooney or seller?  looking to purchase this one if all is good.  thanks 

http://www.controller.com/listingsdetail/aircraft-for-sale/MOONEY-M20K-231/1979-MOONEY-M20K-231/1171663.htm

Spanky

[KSMooniac]

Looks like a decent deal.  The software on the 430 is not-current, and I bet it is not a WAAS unit, so that is a bit of a downer.  Otherwise, there isn't much to nit-pick!  Intercooler and JPI would be mandatory equipment on a K for me, and a Merlyn controller would be very nice to have also.

[Skywarrior]

Spanky,

I haven't heard 'gouge' since the Nav. You must be a squid.

IIRC, the speed brakes are broke on that bird, and the 430 is non-WAAS. The owner repainted it because the paint was so bad. It has spent most of its time outdoors - have a look at the cloudiness on the airspeed indicator.

Chuck M.

[Buster1]

I've had my eye on that one too.  Has about everything I would want on it, but the price seems a little low for the options and TT/TBO.  Seems to me that maybe it could have a sketchy past and some thorough investigation into the logs would be warranted.  Also, most '79 231s have a 231xx tail number...why does this one have sharp paint and a non-standard tail number?  That, plus the low price makes me think 'something' is going on.

I'm still not financially ready to pull the trigger, but if I was (and hope to bee soon), I would be calling on this one ASAP to investigate!

[Mcstealth]

As usual you guys are hard on the new members. :)

Good luck Spanky and welcome to the best Mooney board!

Do you and Buster1 have something in common?

[KSMooniac]

My '77 J had a custom N-number right out of the gate, so I wouldn't read anything into the N-number on that bird.  Most others were N201xx just like the K's starting in '79 were N231xx.  The original owners could order an N-number if they wished.

[RJBrown]

The plane is like most 79s and has no oxygen. A turbo with no O2 ? It only took Mooney 1 year to figure that one out. As a rule most 79s did not have the equiptment of later years. Most had mechanical tuners for all the radios like the kx170 nav coms.

[jasonwojo]

Quote: RJBrown

The plane is like most 79s and has no oxygen. A turbo with no O2 ? It only took Mooney 1 year to figure that one out. As a rule most 79s did not have the equiptment of later years. Most had mechanical tuners for all the radios like the kx170 nav coms.

[RJBrown]

The only 231s I have seen without O2 were all 1979 year planes. I have heard all were built without, but it could have been added to any as an option. I have also been told there is no stc to add it. I have no first hand knowledge just "what I heard" Any one know for sure what the O2 situation was with the 79s?

Some like Jason believe thiers is original. At the other end a reputable Mooney dealer told me non were original. I don't know the truth either way.

On this one the O2 pressure gauge and the lever to turn it on are missing from the interior picture.

[KSMooniac]

Surely a built-in O2 system could be added to any '79K using the Mooney engineering data for the later models.  That would be a very easy buy-off, and not require an STC since Mooney already got it approved.

[FlyDave]

Quote: RJBrown

The plane is like most 79s and has no oxygen. A turbo with no O2 ? It only took Mooney 1 year to figure that one out. As a rule most 79s did not have the equiptment of later years. Most had mechanical tuners for all the radios like the kx170 nav coms.

[RJBrown]

If they used Mooney parts the O2 would be in the left armrest. It is not visible in the interior picture where it is in every 231 I have ever seen. Is the guy leaving his portable set in the backseat?

My question was does anyone have any firsthand knowledge on the O2 situation with the 79 231s.

I have heard conflicting info and would like to hear what the truth is.

[Skywarrior]

I was 'told' there was no STC for O2 in '79s.

Chuck M.

[Buster1]

Maybe it's a portable system...half the 231s on my list have portable O2.

[FlyDave]

Quote: RJBrown

If they used Mooney parts the O2 would be in the left armrest. It is not visible in the interior picture where it is in every 231 I have ever seen. Is the guy leaving his portable set in the backseat?

My question was does anyone have any firsthand knowledge on the O2 situation with the 79 231s.

I have heard conflicting info and would like to hear what the truth is.

[IFlyMooney]

When I bought my 231, it was sold as having factory oxygen.  The gage is mounted on the rear bulkhead.  Impossible to read while in flight.  I later learned that it was not installed at the time of manufacture.  It was added.  The bottle and hardware was the factory one that Mooney started putting in the 1980 231's, hence the statement that it is the "factory" O2.  All actual factory O2 installations I believe have the gage in the pilot's left armrest.

[mooneykflyer]

Engine time is a little high for my liking.

Quote: Spanky

anyone have anything on this mooney or seller?  looking to purchase this one if all is good.  thanks 

http://www.controller.com/listingsdetail/aircraft-for-sale/MOONEY-M20K-231/1979-MOONEY-M20K-231/1171663.htm

Spanky

[M016576]

Looks like a fair deal for a 5000 hour airframe with an engine approaching overhaul.  The paint and interior look NICE, as does the panel (Would love to have one of those aspens!).  could be worth a pre-buy and a test flight!

 

-Job

[Spanky]

prebuy uncovered an additional 500hrs, so canned this one.  too many hours and way too close to new engine. 

[danb35]

Just out of curiousity, where did those extra 500 hours come from?  That would make the engine ~2000 SMOH, right?  How was this missed in the original listing?