Should I grab this abandoned Mooney?

[Godfather]

@M20FanJesse  please listen to the posters above about locking down this Mooney. $20k is pocket change to a lot of people (flippers/enthusiasts) and they can find out the proper people to call in a New York minute. They might say I'll take it as is no questions asked or up the offer by $10k...

Quickly make an offer contingent on inspection and put a deposit on it if you are interested. 

[LANCECASPER]

17 minutes ago, peevee said:

I have never used one of those rnavs, I used to kind of know how back in college but the gns430 had just come out and we had a mix of those and kln89bs .

 

That's the one that works like a course Lin computer yeah? Builds a point to point route based on vor radials, more or less?

Yes

[M20FanJesse]

12 minutes ago, Godfather said:

@M20FanJesse  please listen to the posters above about locking down this Mooney. $20k is pocket change to a lot of people (flippers/enthusiasts) and they can find out the proper people to call in a New York minute. They might say I'll take it as is no questions asked or up the offer by $10k...

Quickly make an offer contingent on inspection and put a deposit on it if you are interested. 

Copy, I'll get on top of getting an inspection asap.

[RLCarter]

56 minutes ago, M20FanJesse said:

Copy, I'll get on top of getting an inspection asap.

Id jump on it with a half ass pre-buy mainly just looking for corrosion on the airframe. 

[carusoam]

Summary...

1) doing it right takes a lot of money... the end result is a great flying plane.

2) doing it wrong is going to cost even more... the end result is you have nothing, but you paid for something.

3) It makes no sense to buy it, and have it sit outside in the environment with no plan for a year...  better to deploy that cash so it can grow...

4) The idea of flipping it is great.  We have had exactly one person do this successfully.  Look up @Rmag... But to be like rmag, you are going to need to pick up some serious skills, and he still needed some help with electrical noises that couldn't be identified.

5) The idea of selling off a failed project.  You can call @acpartswhse Jerry is pretty good at taking away old projects...  it takes some strong negotiating skills to get your money back.  Jerry has years of negotiating under his belt.

6) trying to sell fractions/partnership of a nonworking plane to unknown pilots that want to fly.... this is just going the wrong direction.  Wishful thinking at best. Pissed off partners at worst...

7) every day a plane sits it gets more expensive to fix... sitting longer is not an option...

8) sitting outside, the aging process increases several fold...

9) I'm sure the old owner would love to see somebody caring for this bird...

10) I'm sure it wouldn't help any to see it sitting outside in the sun...

11) Looks like a great project if you can get on it now.

12) Looks like a terrible project if you can't get on it now.

There have been a few projects that have come through the pages of MS.  One got worked on by an MSer on his days off from being in Iraq(?)...

What's the worst that could happen... (make your own top 10 list)

Best regards,

-a-

[Bravoman]

I'll weigh in with my 2c for whatever it's worth, which is probably just that. After owning airplanes for lots of years and seeing what it costs to get utilized planes up to my standards of where I am comfortable as well as seeing the experiences of many others first hand,  I would have to say that the only way I would  embark upon this endeavor is if I was getting the airplane for free.   If it were me, I would want every component of that plane, including the engine, swapped out for new or overhauled. Sitting for 29 years is an almost incomprehensible amount of time as far as I am concerned. By the time you get done with the project, and factoring in the aggravation component (huge) and time before the thing is air worthy, it just makes sense to buy one that has been flown and cared for and start flying right now. 

[M20FanJesse]

@Bravoman I agree. Im not going to rush too much on making any decision. The mechanic and I will be inspecting it soon. 

Edited July 27, 2017 by M20FanJesse

[wishboneash]

We might just have to do a fly-in to KCMA when you get it ! Miss my frequent flights there after I switched companies.

[KLRDMD]

23 hours ago, M20FanJesse said:

My NEW Mooney T-Shirt Designs! 

That's a J, you need a K.

[Guest paulie]

Yeah everyone wants the A&P to look over their shoulder and "help" for free. If you can't afford to pay the going rate for a mechanic time and knowledge you can't afford a airplane.

I constantly have airport "friends" ask me to "just take a look at this". I'm sorry but I get paid for the work I do. I wouldn't think of coming to your job and expect you to work for nothing but airplane owners have no problem expecting airplane mechanics to work "because we're buddies".

That being said $20,000 would be a low figure to get this airplane in shape and that would be if you are a A&P with a IA.

 

[M20FanJesse]

The mechanic, Rick, is probably one of my best and closest friends, I see and help him every day after work with the planes he is working on, sometimes for longer than my actual job. We help each other in every aspect, and he told me this plane would be no different. Sorry that you have sh!##y friends. 

3 hours ago, paulie said:

I wouldn't think of coming to your job and expect you to work for nothing

You obviously have never worked in I.T. 

That being said. I've talked with Rick and another mechanic on the airport and after a long discussion about it they think it would be in my best interest if I pass on this one, and I take their advice very seriously. (And of course I take your all advice seriously as well haha) The family hasn't found the log books but we still plan on inspecting the frame soon once/if they get the keys. 

Edited July 28, 2017 by M20FanJesse

[Fighterpilot1232]

What a pretty machine, I'd love to see her restored to her original glory, for the time she was away allowed not that much time on the air frame she has to be still "new".

[takair]

8 minutes ago, M20FanJesse said:

The mechanic, Rick, is probably one of my best and closest friends, I see and help him every day after work with the planes he is working on, sometimes for longer than my actual job. We help each other in every aspect, and he told me this plane would be no different. Sorry that you have sh!##y friends. 

You obviously have never worked in I.T. 

That being said. I've talked with Rick and another mechanic on the airport and after a long discussion about it they think it would be in my best interest if I pass on this one, and I take their advice very seriously. (And of course I take your all advice seriously as well haha) The family hasn't found the log books but we still plan on inspecting the frame soon once/if they get the keys. 

If I could figure out a reasonable way to get it here I would ask you for the contact.  The lack of log books could be an issue, since it may also be difficult to re-build the history.  Keep us posted either way.  This will be an interesting one to follow.  Hope it doesn't end up on the abandoned planes page on Beechtalk.  That is a really sad thread.  This one still has hope.

[Guest paulie]

If you don't mind giving out the contact, I'm looking for a Mooney project.

[LANCECASPER]

11 hours ago, M20FanJesse said:

The family hasn't found the log books but we still plan on inspecting the frame soon once/if they get the keys. 

He's still planning on inspecting the airplane . .  give him some space to do that before you try to swoop in and snatch it . . lol

[mike_elliott]

8 hours ago, paulie said:

If you don't mind giving out the contact, I'm looking for a Mooney project.

Your an A$P, there are plenty out there and easy to find. A simple drive by a few airports nearby will usually turn up a ramp queen that needs TLC. Put in a bit of effort and you will get your very own barn find. Jerry Pressley made a career out of it as has the "reaper" Lets let Jessie work thru this

 

[M20FanJesse]

Haha Thanks guys. I take no shame in getting cold feet in a project of this scale, but there's a lot of people giving me good options to consider and I'm getting more every day. I'll do my best to try and go with the best option, but there's only so much I can do at this point as it's still the families plane, and I'm sure they are getting just as much advice from their father's pilot friends. I doubt it will go to the open market, but if it does, you guys will know first.

[Cyril Gibb]

14 hours ago, M20FanJesse said:

we still plan on inspecting the frame soon once/if they get the keys. 

Any local locksmith can open a Mooney lock in 30 seconds.  Take 5 minutes to make a lock rake from a blank and you can do it yourself.

[M20FanJesse]

15 minutes ago, Cyril Gibb said:

Any local locksmith can open a Mooney lock in 30 seconds.  Take 5 minutes to make a lock rake from a blank and you can do it yourself.

We'd like to get the families permission first. Its not our plane yet. Thats what they will likely want us to do. I agree! 

Edited July 28, 2017 by M20FanJesse

[M20FanJesse]

20 hours ago, KLRDMD said:

That's a J, you need a K.

Okay. To make everyone happy,  I made a K, and I made a Bravo with the round windows. 

M20K Link

Long Body Bravo Link

I'm interested in adding a scheme or two for each one, so if you guys have a good one, send me a PM or post in the T shirt thread. 

Edited July 28, 2017 by M20FanJesse

[Cyril Gibb]

3 hours ago, M20FanJesse said:

We'd like to get the families permission first. Its not our plane yet. Thats what they will likely want us to do. I agree! 

Now I'm confused.  You and a mechanic buddy used a bolt cutter to cut off the lock on a hangar that had a Mooney 201.  You pulled it out of the hangar and washed it (looks great by the way).   Now you're not sure if the family wants you to unlock the plane.  Did you ask them?  Something is missing here.

[M20FanJesse]

6 minutes ago, Cyril Gibb said:

Now I'm confused.  You and a mechanic buddy used a bolt cutter to cut off the lock on a hangar that had a Mooney 201.  You pulled it out of the hangar and washed it (looks great by the way).   Now you're not sure if the family wants you to unlock the plane.  Something is missing here.

The family was getting kicked out of the hangar by the end of the month. The rent payments stopped coming in (probably set up on an autopay system, and finally ran out) and the family didn't want to continue paying it once they found out. They called us and had us cut the locks off the door to get it out because they didn't have keys to the locks. We brought it over to Ricks shop, and I washed it off.

Edited July 28, 2017 by M20FanJesse

[Jallen0]

Love the wash however you also hurt your negotiating position with it. Showing the family a dirty dusty plane sitting in a hanger for years vs a very nice looking plane that is clean will cost you a few thousand dollars

[75_M20F]

I second that, cover it back up with dirt pronto!

 

[Guest]

21 hours ago, M20FanJesse said:

The mechanic, Rick, is probably one of my best and closest friends, I see and help him every day after work with the planes he is working on, sometimes for longer than my actual job. We help each other in every aspect, and he told me this plane would be no different. Sorry that you have sh!##y friends. 

You obviously have never worked in I.T. 

That being said. I've talked with Rick and another mechanic on the airport and after a long discussion about it they think it would be in my best interest if I pass on this one, and I take their advice very seriously. (And of course I take your all advice seriously as well haha) The family hasn't found the log books but we still plan on inspecting the frame soon once/if they get the keys. 

Your buddy Rick's tool box key likely fits the door, if not he must have a variety of old keys in a cup, most shops do.  I've never been kept out of a plane I wanted in.

Clarence