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18 hours ago, ragedracer1977 said:

The current owner bought it out of San Diego!

Times show it's been flown pretty regularly, it has 1370 now

770hrs in the past 10 years is great.  Many planes have <500hrs smoh but overhauled in the 80's and 90's...not a good thing imo. Hope everything works out and you fly the wings off it. 

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Savvy Aviation went over the logs for me.  They said it looks like a very good plane and should pass pre-buy without issue - as long as there's no corrosion.  Their only concern was time between oil changes.  They suggest that, unless the prior owner wasn't logging his own oil changes, the oil was only changed at annual.  They said that's not a big concern, just pointed out that it should be every 50 hours, not 60 or 70.  

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On 5/14/2017 at 9:31 AM, Godfather said:

770hrs in the past 10 years is great.  Many planes have <500hrs smoh but overhauled in the 80's and 90's...not a good thing imo. Hope everything works out and you fly the wings off it. 

I think we have generally identified that the 90s and early 2000s were the bad cam metallurgy years.  Funny thing about certified stuff is the manufactures have to fess up about their issues otherwise the rest of the population is just guessing.

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Anybody know what that big round bit is on the left handle of the upgraded pilot yoke?  Not a PC cut-off as this style yoke is set up for the electric PC disconnect (toggle on front left of that handle).  Enquiring minds want to know.  Nice panel.

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9 hours ago, MyNameIsNobody said:

Anybody know what that big round bit is on the left handle of the upgraded pilot yoke?  Not a PC cut-off as this style yoke is set up for the electric PC disconnect (toggle on front left of that handle).  Enquiring minds want to know.  Nice panel.

When I looked at the plane in 2007 the speed brakes selector was on the pilot's yoke. I don't recall if that pictured is it, but the owner at the time said it worked great to kill lift in the landing flare.

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So I got all the 337's on file at the FAA.

Mods it shows:  All the Garmin nav stuff. 

EI UBG-16 with modules for EGT, CHT, OAT, Oil pressure, voltage, and fuel flow.

Hartzell Plane power alternator and voltage regulator system

LASAR:  Nose gear steering pivot, Precise flight speed brakes, cowl closure, 201 style wingtips, 201 style windshield, dorsal fin and cuff, horizontal stabilizer root fairing, flap gap seals, aileron lower gap seals, elevator and rudder hinge covers, wheel well liners, reversed brake calipers.

Brackett BA6110 air filter

Whelen strobes

It did have an accident in 1967.  PILOT IN COMMAND ‐ FAILED TO SEE AND AVOID OBJECTS OR OBSTRUCTIONS MISCELLANEOUS ACTS,CONDITIONS ‐ UNWARRANTED LOW FLYING REMARKS‐ WIRES BROKEN,POWER POLES DAMAGED.PLT MADE NO REPORT AND DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ACDNT.  Sounds like he went UNDER the wires as there is an entry for replacing 'vertical fin and rudder' from about 2 months later.  Factory new parts were used.  I'm thinking that if it happened 50 years ago, any issues from that incident would have long since manifested... 

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On May 13, 2017 at 9:36 AM, ragedracer1977 said:

Already worked out.  I already have a flight booked for next Saturday to go see it in person and look it over. 

So, the next question is.. 

What exactly should I be looking for? There's the obvious stuff off course, such as exterior corrosion, hangar rash, etc etc, but what can I look for as just a regular guy that would make you walk away?

Fuel tank leaks!

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Just now, bluehighwayflyer said:

I wouldn't worry about that damage history, personally, as those are easily and inobtrusively replaceable components.  My J suffered a mid air back in the 80s that required the exact same repairs by Top Gun.  The NTSB report is scary to read but the damage, in the greater scheme of things, was very minor. 

Yeah, I'm not really worried about it.  #1, it sounds like he flew it home just fine and didn't even tell anyone.  #2, it was replaced with factory parts.  #3, if it was going to be a problem, I think it would have revealed itself in the past 50 years.

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13 minutes ago, gsxrpilot said:

All sounds good to me.   On sight visit next?

Yup.  Flying out there Saturday morning.  Have a CFI lined up to go fly around with me.

I'm thinking the earlier unwillingness to fly it to LASAR may be an issue of the owner not wanting to fly?  He said he wasn't comfortable taking me for a ride, so he arranged the CFI. I don't know what exactly, but as long as I get to fly it..  Hell, I need 10 hours with a CFI in it anyway, for insurance, so....  Kill 2 birds with one stone.   

Edited by ragedracer1977
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3 hours ago, MBDiagMan said:

Ooh!  Given that the entire tail section pivots for trim, that is a little concerning!  Does the trim work smoothly?

Everyone should be checking the tail for slop on pre flight.   Gently lift.  Should not move more than 1/4 inch.

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Pending pre buy, this baby is mine! All logs are present from day 1. Paint is probably an 8. Interior 7.  Wheel wells clean as a whistle. No corrosion evident anywhere I could get to without pulling all the inspection panels. Flew like it was on rails. Put it in a bank and let everything go, it just went hands off.  Trimmed for cruise at 24/24 was close to 170mph indicated at 3000msl.  No play in the empennage.  Speed brakes worked perfect. Did a few touch and goes.  Lands nice.  It just looks really good.  Belly was clean and dry. No oil drips anywhere.  I'm excited!

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Pre buy report.

 
Pre-Buy inspection report of Mooney M20C N6716U.
Run-Up / Warm up - Mag drops normal, carb heat normal, all temperatures in range and even with each other.  
Compression results; 1)78/80 2)76/80 3)78/80 4)76/80.
Magneto timing is correct, and they have been off for their 500 hr inspection 17 hours ago.  
Engine has new crankcase and main bearings, the cam and lifters have been reground, and new ECI cylinders just 50 hrs ago.
Amp meter does work and compares close to the after market gauge as well.
CHT - is INOP.  Investigation revealed that it is connected still, most likely the probe is bad or the wiring is faulty, rarely is the gauge bad.
Main gear shock disks are worn / sagged.
Main gear assist springs and the nose gear door assist spring are rusty and need to be replaced.
Nose gear has slight play in center steering bolt and bushings.
Nose gear trunnion is no longer painted and the steel is rusted.  Needs to be removed, cleaned and painted.
Speed brake cables outer housing is deteriorated and cables need replaced.  
Slight play in horizontal trim - well within limits.
Windshield is crazed on lower edge, sun has baked the Plexiglas against the black dash cover.
Wing tip lenses are cracked, but still serviceable.
Inside wings and fuselage there was no pitting to be found anywhere.  Note:  Aircraft aluminum is ALCLAD, which is a protective layer of pure aluminum as a sacrificial layer to protect the highly corrosive blend of aluminum underneath.  5056 or 2024 metal can corrode very badly but when coated with pure aluminum they are protected.  The pure aluminum gets frosty or cloudy, it is doing its job.  Pitting is when the corrosion goes beyond the pure aluminum and into the core metal.  There are corrosion prevention products such as ACF50 that are really worthwhile.  They benefit the pure aluminum coating and better protect the inner metal.  There are companies that specialize in fogging aircraft with these products.  
The logs do show that this plane has been in on its belly once back in 1973.  
My opinion of this aircraft is very very good.  It has been owned by very conscientious owners who have taken great care in its upkeep.  
 
 
 
 

 

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I didnt see on that report the condition of the main and rear stub spar nor the condition of the fuselage steel tubes.  Or the status of SB208 being complied with.

the spar caps are 7071 extrusions, and they are pretty succeptible to corrosion as well, but with no ALCLAD layer.  more than a hint of it anywhere, totals the airplane.

Edited by jetdriven
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