Help with picking a model

[gitmo234]

Hello everyone!

I owned a C172 until last summer. Had it for two years and almost all of my hours are/were in that. I have 2 hours logged in a mooney. I sold my C172 because I was getting deployed. The proceeds from the sell are now in various investments awaiting my return. From my research it seems that a mooney makes sense for me. Same fuel economy, far better speed and slightly better payload. A lot of my trips were long distance my 172 was old, so flying from northern maryland to southern GA was a pain in the ass both literally and figuratively.

My budget is up to $60k but I'd like to be lower than that. Here's my general wishlist:

~1000ish or less SMOH engine

Visual GPS (430, 650, etc prefer garmin so I can just swap the transponder for $5k or so for ADS-B O/I)

^^ coupled with GS prefered

Autopilot

Seems reasonable and I've found a lot that was close to it. I wont be buying until next fall but I wanted input from everyone, or things to consider. Cosmetics is a consideration but not a great one. I generally make flights that either 90 minutes one way or >3 hours one way in a 172, with four or five flights a year that are 8 hours or more. 70% of the time its just me, 20% of the time its me and my wife, and another 10% of the time we have a load of luggage, dogs or a guest. We will start having kids soon as well.

Any input?

[peevee]

with a 60k budget you can swing a K model.

[KSMooniac]

Updated F model with as many mods and avionics as you can find.

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[Marauder]

Updated F model with as many mods and avionics as you can find.

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I agree. I wouldn't accept an F with anything less.


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[Bob_Belville]

Given your mission as outlined, you may not need the extra 5" back seat leg room that come with the F, J, K. For any given budget you should be able to get more panel, mods, P&I, etc. in a C.

A 180 HP C model seems to suit many folks here.

[Hank]

Personally, I'd choose a long-legged blonde model . . . Oh, wait, wrong thread . . .

There's nothing wrong with short bodies. Like Bob in his E, I sometimes take 4 adults up in my C; but Bob has 20 more hp, so I don't go quite as fast. That's pretty good for an hour or two. I do have to say, though, that I'm taller than Bob!    There's still room. Several people on this board were raised in the back of a C, others are raising their own children there. Check one out! I really, really, really like mine!

[Bob_Belville]

13 minutes ago, Hank said:

Personally, I'd choose a long-legged blonde model . . . Oh, wait, wrong thread . . .

There's nothing wrong with short bodies. Like Bob in his E, I sometimes take 4 adults up in my C; but Bob has 20 more hp, so I don't go quite as fast. That's pretty good for an hour or two. I do have to say, though, that I'm taller than Bob!    There's still room. Several people on this board were raised in the back of a C, others are raising their own children there. Check one out! I really, really, really like mine!

I used to be much taller. Don't get old.

[Hank]

13 minutes ago, Bob_Belville said:

Don't get old.

It sure beats the alternative! Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

My brother lost a little over an inch from jumping an unseen ditch on a snowmobile during a storm, from a compression fracture in his lower back. The fun part was riding the snowmobile back into town then flying back to Atlanta. (So much for the Yellowstone winter vacation . . . )

[LANCECASPER]

On 1/19/2017 at 10:16 AM, peevee said:

with a 60k budget you can swing a K model.

Most K's in that price range have a lot of deferred items needing attention. Assuming there is no airframe corrosion here are four things I always consider when buying an airplane : 1 engine, 2 panel, 3 paint and 4 interior. (If it's a Mooney you also have to consider number 5, Fuel Tanks)  If you can find one that has all of these items the way you like it, even if it's more money than you were planning on, you are usually money ahead. Three out of five might still be ok. Most of the time you will be thousands ahead by finding an airplane where the previous owner did the upgrades rather than you.

[TTaylor]

OK, so the real budget is about 46AMU for the plane, 4 in taxes, ppi, etc. and 10 in reserve.  You can buy a reasonable C, E, or F model with what you have.  Being on the east coast the IO is not critical to your mission.  Right now without teenagers complaining "are we there yet" you don't need the extra 5 inches of space.   A well equipped C or E would likely be your best bet, if you find an F in the same price and equipment range grab it. Speed wise they will all be 140 knot +/- 5 @ 9gph unless you find one with speed mods that will get you close to 150 knots.  Find a good plane that has your list of wants and you won't be unhappy.

[gitmo234]

Thanks everyone. The budget for the price of the plane is $60k, the rest I have stashed aside. Taxes, inspection, etc.

At first I was interested in a C model because of the speed loss but it doesn't seem to be that much of a difference. I just can't take another 12 hour day cross country in a slow bird. Especially one without an autopilot so I don't have to always, 100% of the time be constantly 200% engaged and making constant adjustments. I can push that back to 99% engaged and save a touch of mental energy

Here are two examples I'm looking at:

 

http://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/1453905/1966-mooney-m20c

http://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/1326701/1966-mooney-m20e-super-21

 

Either one of them, pending an inspection, seem to have everything I need and if there was a way to buy now, I would.

Also, I like the boards so far. Big change in attitude compared to others.

 

[3914N]

Hey Gitmo, welcome to the forum.

To meet all your requirements for $60k purchase price you are on the correct subforum (pre-J models).  The common players for short bodies are the C and E, and for the medium bodies the G and F.  The medium-bodies boast 5 extra inches for back seat pax, and 5 extra inches in the baggage compartment.

My general advice is to start with a short body, and only look at the mediums if the C/E is too small for you.  Why pay money or performance for 10 extra inches if you won't use them.  The C/E will be perfect for you and your wife plus a backseater.  But if you're looking for an airplane for a growing family, maybe its not enough.

I bought a 'G because I wanted the extra legroom but buying an 'F would have been a financial stretch.  I pay for my extra 10" by flying 7 ktas slower than a 'C on the same fuel burn.

[carusoam]

Expect the price of a C to be the base line...

Add 10amu for either adding fuel injection or 10" of space.

Add another 10 amu for both...

If a C is 30 amu, an E or G is 40 amu, an F is 50 amu...

Unfortunately the baseline discussion doesn't account for nice instrument panels, auto pilots, OH'd engine, and paint.

Two small kids rode around in the back of my C for a decade.

Fun times...,

-a-

 

Edited January 21, 2017 by carusoam

[rbridges]

Get one with the gps and autopilot already installed.  Those are the two biggest ticket items. A friend of mine bought a low priced 172 only to drop 14k on an stec shortly afterwards. 

[supersoldier71]

I'm nowhere close to finishing my PPL (barely started!) but my mission and budget are essentially the same, so this thread interests me greatly.

[Drumstick]

On 1/21/2017 at 8:39 AM, rbridges said:

Get one with the gps and autopilot already installed.  Those are the two biggest ticket items. A friend of mine bought a low priced 172 only to drop 14k on an stec shortly afterwards. 

Ouch!  Especially when the 172 will be the FIRST models of the new autopilots coming on the market and are probably BETTER than the STEC.  I've heard quotes as high as 20K for an STEC installed on a Mooney but the VREF only adds 3500 to its "value".

[3914N]

9 minutes ago, Drumstick said:

Ouch!  Especially when the 172 will be the FIRST models of the new autopilots coming on the market and are probably BETTER than the STEC.  I've heard quotes as high as 20K for an STEC installed on a Mooney but the VREF only adds 3500 to its "value".

What you pay for labor adds exactly $0 to the value of the airplane. I bought a VFR airplane and took a huge loss to make it IFR. But, someone has to do it or Mooneys would never get upgraded!

So yes, try to find an airplane with the avionics you want. 

But you will have to compromise on something. Most of us can't find an airplane with 1. No corrosion 2. Perfect avionics 3. Flown regularly in the last 5 years 4. Good paint and interior 5. Young engine 6. Hangared 7. Cared for by a MSC 8. Rubbed with a diaper every weekend. 

I had to compromise on #2 and #4 because I refused to sacrifice #1 and #5. But priorities are not the same for everyone on MS. 

Best of luck with your search!

 

 

[Bart Chilcott]

Like everyone before me has said, get all the avionics you can that are already installed.  I LOVE my E as it fits my mission perfectly.  I looked long and hard at a J model but finally decided that I didn't want to spend more and get less.  I too was plowing the sky in a 172 sixteen months ago.  Any Mooney model will spoil you quickly on speed and economy.  Good luck with your search!

[gsxrpilot]

What you pay for labor adds exactly $0 to the value of the airplane. I bought a VFR airplane and took a huge loss to make it IFR. But, someone has to do it or Mooneys would never get upgraded!
So yes, try to find an airplane with the avionics you want. 
But you will have to compromise on something. Most of us can't find an airplane with 1. No corrosion 2. Perfect avionics 3. Flown regularly in the last 5 years 4. Good paint and interior 5. Young engine 6. Hangared 7. Cared for by a MSC 8. Rubbed with a diaper every weekend. 
I had to compromise on #2 and #4 because I refused to sacrifice #1 and #5. But priorities are not the same for everyone on MS. 
Best of luck with your search!
 
 

Actually you can, you just have to pay for it.

[rbridges]

1 hour ago, gsxrpilot said:

Actually you can, you just have to pay for it.

true.  a new mooney meets those criteria.