Buying a Used Mooney M20R

[Coolshot]

Hi - new member here.  I have about 350 M20J hours and have decided to buy a used M20R 2GX or 3GX (2005 or later to get the Garmin G1000 with GFC 700 and SVT etc.  Not being lazy, but did not find answers elsewhere on the forum).  My mission is ~500nm non-stop in IFR and through Class B, taking off and landing in controlled airspace.  Here are some questions I could use some guidance and help with:

1. If I base my Mooney at KSVH (A&P mechanic on site but not a Mooney center) how do I get the plane to the nearest authorized service center if it needs service (if it cant be flown there)?  And where might the nearest reliable center be?

2. Where is the nearest center where I could do a pre-buy inspection (could not find anything closer than Fort Lauderdale)?

3. Does anyone know of any good planes (of the type described above) for sale?

4. Can someone please describe the buying process to me and how long will it take;

5.  Is it better to buy in NC or CT (I have domicile in both places);

6. Could you point me to a few links/resources where I can better learn about buying a Mooney?

 

Many thanks

[gsengle]

1. Any A&P can work on you Ovation. Ditto pre buy as long as Mooney knowledgeable. MSC is not required.

3. Controller, trade a plane, aso.

5. Airplane purchases are federal not local... don't think it matters, unless some state has some odd tax. CT is a good aviation state.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Godfather]

Congrats!

1. Mooney time and an inverse commercial flight helps for annuals. Most ther things find a good IA in the area. 

2. Try to find a well known one close to purchase location. 

3. Controller, barnstormer, trade a plane to start with. 

The rest of the process is similar to buying any other type of plane. Might be a little easier if you have some cash to get the party started (deposit etc)

[Coolshot]

Thank you very much.

The rub lies in the fact that not all A&Ps are Mooney knowledgeable (or experts).  A such I felt the pre-buy ought to be at a MSC.

[Coolshot]

Thank you Godfather.

[Godfather]

True for prebuy...the rest is pretty straight forward. Keep in mind for pricing overhauls are 50k, waas and svt are expensive upgrades. Look for a plane with the major features you want...to add tks is 50k.

[Rszent]

Where are you based I am in DXR bought an 04 O2 as I did not want the G1000 for certain reasons.. If you want drop me a line...

[gsengle]

Also, the Ovation is an excellent choice. But personally I like the pre G1000 birds better... have you had a G1000 airplane before? What's the budget?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Coolshot]

Yes Godfather.  I will be flying in the winter up in the Northeast so FIKI is a must (I wont be intentionally trying to get into ice, but ice is common in New England, as you know).  I agree totally that the major elements should be original equipment, otherwise it does not make sense.  Since I am going to be in the ~$300K range, I might as well go with the latest equipment. 

And Rszent: I currently fly out of KHFD (we are practically neighbors!) but may be moving down to NC and if we do, will base the plane out of KSVH.  I will reach out to you separately.

[Coolshot]

Gsengle: Yes; looking at post 2005 Ovations with a G1000.  Post 2008s have WAAS.  My budget is ~$300K.  NEVER used a G1000 (I am use to steam gauges) so I know I will need 5-10 hours of G1000 training and also Ovation training.  I am ultra conservative.

[Jeff_S]

As noted already, you don't need an MSC to do most of the work on your Mooney. There are a few things that an MSC might be better suited for, Mooney-specific stuff like making sure gear is in good condition, changing the shock absorbers (requires a special tool that most non-MSC shops will have to rent), stuff like that. But an engine is an engine, sheet metal is sheet metal, and a good A/P with the manuals can handle most stuff. Ditto with the pre-buy, there is a list of things to check.

I have no further information on sources of aircraft than what you've been given. I found my Ovation3 on Controller, but it seems that both Controller and Trade-a-Plane have the same listings these days...and for the Ovations it seems most of them are through Premier or one of the other agents.  I have seen many fewer owner-sold Ovations these days. With Mooney's recent "certified pre-owned" program you should really look into this, as it will probably give you a quality and reliable plane...although you'll pay more for it.

Check out the sales tax requirements in whichever state you want to register it. There can be advantages in some states that may not charge a sales tax. I don't know the difference between NC and CT.

Finally, if you're thinking about a G1000 bird that is non-WAAS, realize that this is much less of a sticking point now than it was a few months ago. Mooney's SB-305B now allows you to add WAAS to either a GFC700 or S-TEC system for about $24K, so you just need to factor that into the selling price compared to existing WAAS enabled planes.

[Coolshot]

That's helpful Jeff_S.  Thanks.

[StevenL757]

39 minutes ago, Coolshot said:

Hi - new member here.  I have about 350 M20J hours and have decided to buy a used M20R 2GX or 3GX (2005 or later to get the Garmin G1000 with GFC 700 and SVT etc.  Not being lazy, but did not find answers elsewhere on the forum).  My mission is ~500nm non-stop in IFR and through Class B, taking off and landing in controlled airspace.  Here are some questions I could use some guidance and help with:

1. If I base my Mooney at KSVH (A&P mechanic on site but not a Mooney center) how do I get the plane to the nearest authorized service center if it needs service (if it cant be flown there)?  And where might the nearest reliable center be?

2. Where is the nearest center where I could do a pre-buy inspection (could not find anything closer than Fort Lauderdale)?

3. Does anyone know of any good planes (of the type described above) for sale?

4. Can someone please describe the buying process to me and how long will it take;

5.  Is it better to buy in NC or CT (I have domicile in both places);

6. Could you point me to a few links/resources where I can better learn about buying a Mooney?

 

Many thanks

Sent you a PM.

[sgrooves]

If you're going to be at KSVH, you're only 30nm from KMRN, home to AGL Aviation (a MSC). I don't have experience with them, yet, but plan on taking my new-to-me M20J there for its first annual. I've read good things from others on here.

If you aren't buying from a retailer, I believe you'll need no sales tax in NC (not a tax professional). But if you do, its still capped at $2,500 I believe. It used to be $1,500. http://www.dor.state.nc.us/taxes/sales/impnotice0930_aircraft.pdf

[Hank]

There's a Premier agent, Richard Simile, based in Auburn, AL  KAUO, a half hour drive from where I live. He seems to always have a nice selection of recent planes.

[Oldguy]

20 minutes ago, Hank said:

There's a Premier agent, Richard Simile, based in Auburn, AL  KAUO, a half hour drive from where I live. He seems to always have a nice selection of recent planes.

FYI. Apparently Richard has moved out west to the Phoenix area, from what I hear.

[dlthig]

Don't forget about annual property taxes. 

[Coolshot]

This is a terrific community!  You guys are all so helpful.  Thanks sgrooves (will check out AGL).  Thanks Hank and Oldguy.  StevenL757: I replied - LMK when.

[Coolshot]

I am compiling a cost/purchase sheet with all the items.  When done, happy to share if it helps someone else.

[LANCECASPER]

You might wait and see what Garmin's big announcement is next Friday (March 31). It might make a pre-g1000 airplane a lot more attractive if they have an approval to add the G3X to certified aircraft.

I thought about a G1000 airplane but what scares me is that the avionics are part of the type certificate. Every avionics manufacturer pulls the plug on support for avionics at some point - when they do it on the G1000 you are stuck.

[gsengle]

I would seriously think twice about paying a 100k premium for a G1000 airplane with ten year old screens... there is so much that will come out in the next few years given the stc approvals that are happening.... besides this Ovation panel isn't so bad is it? (I'm based near HFD)




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[carusoam]

Sorry, I'm late to the party... 

CoolShot, do you have plane ownership experience yet?

There are a few threads around here that detail good purchasing experiences and some not so good ones too.

Buying an expensive plane is a blast!

My favorite topics are...

1) The Pre-purchase inspection

2) Transition Training

A few AMU spent in the right places is the best way to protect your wallet and the thing your wallet is attached to...

Best regards,

-a-

[dlthig]

There are quite a few spreadsheets in the download section.

[Jeff_S]

You can certainly take an old steam gauge panel and glassify it, but I don't think the G1000 adds $100K to the cost of a used plane. Planes that have G1000s in them are simply newer, which accounts for a lot of that value. And the G1000 is still an option even on brand new TBM 930s, which goes to show they have a lot of life left in them. I was reading in the latest AOPA magazine that TBM can even add back into the G1000 all the loss of control envelope protections they've put into the G3000, so the platform is extensible.

If you've never flown a G1000 before, go up with someone who has and watch how much utility it provides and how it simplifies so many of the complex tasks. There's a reason it's become the default platform for almost all GA planes over the last ten years.

[carusoam]

Use caution with some of the advice given here...

1) a simple ride in an O3 powered, G1000 equipped plane is powerfully addictive.

2) there are a few Long Bodies around here that have been glassified with G500 or Aspen equipment...

Now you can say you got fair warning.  

Selling new Ovations isn't a tough job.  Finding the customers with the required cash is the hard part.

Take a look at GS's panel photo above... the 199kt ground speed is pretty fun.

Best regards,

-a-

Edited March 25, 2017 by carusoam