San Antonio Area Pre-Buy advice

[Diesel 10]

Hi all - I'm hoping to join the Mooney owners community very soon.  I will be checking out a Mooney for sale in the San Antonio area next week and if all looks ok will want to get a good pre-buy done.  I am coming from quite a distance so will want someone who is easy to work with remotely.  Ideally I'd like to try to visit with the shop while I am down there next week.

 

FWIW the plane had an annual with Don Maxwell in Jan '15.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  I hope I am posting this in the correct folder.  Moderators feel free to move it I got it wrong.

 

Thanks,

Trevor

[carusoam]

Welcome aboard Trevor,

You have posted in the best spot available, I think...

You certainly have come up with a classic Mooney challenge.

Best regards,

-a-

[Yetti]

Don is regularly suggested as someone to get a pre buy done with

[rainman]

A recent posting asked the same question. I live in San Antonio and we have several good options. Dugosh in Kerrville is close by and well known. Ron Fisher is in the area and is as knowledgable as anyone I've met. He often works with All American. Chuck Reynolds at Boerne Stage Airfield has done several Mooney pre-buys in the past month with good feedback from buyers. PM me if I can be of any help.

Ray

[StinkBug]

Is All American doing the sale? I just bought my plane through them in December. They know a number of local places that can do a good job. I think they usually recommend Don Maxwell, but if he did the annual they'll probably steer you somewhere else just to get different eyes on it. My plane had been maintained by Don as well, and they weren't sure he would even want to do the Pre-Buy because of that. Chuck Reynolds at Boerne Stage ended up doing it for me, I had him do a full annual at that time and he was quite timely and so far I haven't found anything he missed. No complaints here.

[carusoam]

The challenge is...

A PPI is best done by somebody that is independent of the organization that has performed the maintenance...

Don's shop is the best maintenance or the Best source for a PPI.

An independent PPI will have to work really hard to find something wrong. If they do, the new potential owner will be happy to know...

DMax is the best protection for your plane.

The independent PPI is the best protection for your wallet.

Best regards,

-a-

[Diesel 10]

Yes the plane is at All American.  Thanks for the suggestions and I found the other thread.  As suggested I definitely plan to go to a shop not previously involved in the maintenance.  I will speak to a couple of the groups listed here and see where things go.

[N5756v]

i am doing the same prosess with all american i am using chuck reynolds. 

[Parker_Woodruff]

Another good guy is JD Casteel who does some weekend A&P work. He is a Falcon agent in the Kerrville office. I think he has a facility in Boerne he can use.

(405) 990-7535

I send everyone to Don Maxwell, but for a non-Mooney specialist, JD is a good fella. He used to work for Plane Plastics before he got onboard with us at Falcon.

[Guest]

I don't think that there would be anything wrong with taking the plane to Don Maxwell or any other reputable shop even if they had done previous work on the plane. I've been involved with a number of buy/sell deals in which I either previously worked on or have done the most recent annual.

Other than the optics, if you would trust Don's opinion on a different airplane, how is his opinion of one he has been involved in any different now? He is after all working for you not the seller/owner. I seriously doubt he or any other good shop would put their reputation at stake.

Clarence

[N5756v]

according to all american Don would not want to do the pre buy

[gsxrpilot]

Call Don and ask him yourself... and while you're on the phone ask him about the plane. a) he might suggest an alternative for the PPI, he might tell you enough about the plane himself, c) he might tell you enough to walk away.  Anyway I'd make the phone call.

[carusoam]

B + ) =

-a-

[JCasteel]

Chuck Reynolds + 1 He has a shop at 5C1 and my fiancé works for him. Very knowledgeable guy!

[Diesel 10]

Thanks for all the great help.  I am officially a Mooney owner now!  I purchased N161MP (1992 M20J MSE) from the All American guys and used Chuck Reynolds for the pre-buy.  Happy with the whole process.  

 

She is still down in San Antonio.  Wx-willing, I'll be heading down next week and flying her back to the Pacific Northwest.

[orionflt]

congradulations, you will love it

[carusoam]

Congrats!

Who are you transition training with?

Best regards,

-a-

[Diesel 10]

Thanks.  Galvin Flight Training in Seattle has a M20J that I've been getting some training in.  Also flying from San Antonio to Seattle with Bob Cabe.

[bonal]

Good job Diesel, hope it serves you well. Like always pictures please.

[carusoam]

Mr. Cabe is a wonderful resource!

Did you use the trifecta...?

1) AAA

2) DMax

3) Bob Cabe

The recipe for at least one man's success!

Best regards,

-a-

[Diesel 10]

Almost but not quite. 

 

1) AAA - Check

2) DMax for pre-buy - No but he did the annual in Jan!  Chuck Reynolds did a nice job,

3) Bob Cabe - Check