C vs E, really night and day difference?

[Skates97]

33 minutes ago, rbridges said:

I started off looking for an E, but I found a C that caught my attention. When shopping for 40-50 year old planes, you're not going to find a perfect example. Given the minimal real world difference between the two, I'd be fine with either. 

I was looking for a B (I have flown in my friend's and liked it), C, D (converted), E, F (if I happened to find just the right one. The extra leg room would have been nice but not super high on the list. With just my wife and one kid left at home I figured if I needed to I could put people in the back seat on those few occasions. Having a broad spectrum to look at left me with lots of options. I ended up with a converted D and I have been really happy with it.

[Shadrach]

I think the performance differences between the two are noticeable but only really start get significant at high altitude.  Either model will perform better than it has a right to above 10,000'. The injected birds shine a bit more in the thin air. My F is very usable in the mid teens so an E ought to do a little better.

[mooneym20c]

Thanks guys for the feedback! Yes it seems there isnt a whole heck of a lot of difference between the two. I just wanted to see what you Mooney pilots would say regarding the two! Now there are 3 Mooney's at my local airfield, a E, F, and C. I talked with the two owners of the C the other day, nice old fellows, they bought this plane as a partnership together. Turns out this plane has been sitting without being flown, outside, for the last 5 years. The owner sadly got alzheimers and cannot fly anymore, so the two sons that got the plane didn't know a hope in hell what to do with the plane, so these two guys bought it for dirt dirt cheap. Plane needs a new paint job badly, like its bad. The cockpit is very very old and outdated, but the one partner Eldon (82 years old), has been maintaining this plane for the last 20 years and he says its rough on the outside but in amazing condition internally. So I may be considering that, the guys are going to be restoring it mechanically and may paint it so we will see. 

Trevor

[carusoam]

One of the most valuable experiences you can have is knowing the guy that has owned or maintained the plane.

at 82, that guy is still younger than our oldest MSer...

Best regards,

-a-

[mooneym20c]

9 hours ago, carusoam said:

One of the most valuable experiences you can have is knowing the guy that has owned or maintained the plane.

at 82, that guy is still younger than our oldest MSer...

Best regards,

-a-

Very, very true!

[neonbjb]

Similar to some of the other guys in this thread, I was in the market for an E/F and ended up with a C simply because a nice one that was also an incredible deal came around. I would look for a solid plane at a good price over the model designation. All else being equal, though, absolutely get the E. I would have gladly paid an extra $10k on my plane to have it be an E.

[Raptor05121]

The carb'ed model is a much better bang-for-your-buck, especially when I know finances for a plane owner our age is not readily available. The extra 20hp the E model has equates to a few more minutes to climb or a few more minutes in cruise between them. BUT, when you need to swap a cylinder, the carb'ed model is MUCH cheaper. I haven't priced them accurately, but I hear a complete O-360 cylinder is about $800, whereas an IO-360 cylinder is well over $1,000, maybe close to 2k when the labor is said and done (fuel injectors, lines, etc).

[mooneym20c]

2 minutes ago, Raptor05121 said:

The carb'ed model is a much better bang-for-your-buck, especially when I know finances for a plane owner our age is not readily available. The extra 20hp the E model has equates to a few more minutes to climb or a few more minutes in cruise between them. BUT, when you need to swap a cylinder, the carb'ed model is MUCH cheaper. I haven't priced them accurately, but I hear a complete O-360 cylinder is about $800, whereas an IO-360 cylinder is well over $1,000, maybe close to 2k when the labor is said and done (fuel injectors, lines, etc).

Hey bro, long time no talk lol, yeah your so right. I think the one i found at my airport might be the one I could possibly get this summer. The interior is nice, non of the plastic panels inside are cracked, the seats yeah they are old and cloth but boy are they comfortable, the only thing the plane would really need is a new paint job eventually. The plus side to it, is the fellow that owns it now with his parent has maintained that plane for the last 20 years. He knows the plane inside and out and says there is no corrosion in the wings, I believe that they are re sealing the fuel tanks which would be a huge plus because I know mooney's have the tendency to leak. As for the landing gear, they are putting in new pucks, which is good but pucks aren't cheap. Considering that I know they got the plane for dirt dirt dirt cheap, I bet I can still buy it from them for cheap. Im going to look into it more! 

Thanks everyone for the feedback, feel free to keep posting on the thread!

Trevor

[neonbjb]

11 minutes ago, mooneym20c said:

Hey bro, long time no talk lol, yeah your so right. I think the one i found at my airport might be the one I could possibly get this summer. The interior is nice, non of the plastic panels inside are cracked, the seats yeah they are old and cloth but boy are they comfortable, the only thing the plane would really need is a new paint job eventually. The plus side to it, is the fellow that owns it now with his parent has maintained that plane for the last 20 years. He knows the plane inside and out and says there is no corrosion in the wings, I believe that they are re sealing the fuel tanks which would be a huge plus because I know mooney's have the tendency to leak. As for the landing gear, they are putting in new pucks, which is good but pucks aren't cheap. Considering that I know they got the plane for dirt dirt dirt cheap, I bet I can still buy it from them for cheap. Im going to look into it more! 

Thanks everyone for the feedback, feel free to keep posting on the thread!

Trevor

Don't take anyone's word on corrosion. Even the pros regularly miss it. Check the spar from tip to tip, including underneath the rear seat panels. It'll take about 4 hours but is time well spent.

[rbridges]

9 minutes ago, neonbjb said:

Don't take anyone's word on corrosion. Even the pros regularly miss it. Check the spar from tip to tip, including underneath the rear seat panels. It'll take about 4 hours but is time well spent.

this.  If you want to turn a "good deal" into a nightmare, find some corrosion in a bad spot.  Have someone who knows mooney open some panels and remove some seats.  check the roll cage and make sure the newer insulation is in it.