Looking to purchase used M20J 201

[jwg]

I am new to this forum but a previous owner of a Mooney Ovation for 8 years.   Now I am looking for a used and less expensive plane.   I love Mooney's but I don't have the contacts to help with pre-buy.   Any suggestions ?   Should I find a plane with the right panel ?  Or buy a strong engine and have a new panel retrofitted ?

I am looking for recommendations on an expert shop that can help me find the right plane for me.   Not a sales center that is only interested in their planes ?

Any recommendations and how I should proceed.

Thanks

[carusoam]

Welcome aboard JWG!

You are looking for a buyer’s agent..?(there is a name for this type of service, it just hasn’t come to mind yet...)

As apposed to a sales agent...

Decide which Mooney you want to go after...

Check the usual channels for what’s available...

Based on where it is... get an independent Pre-purchase inspection (PPI) organized... (local to the plane)  PPI is best for your wallet.

Hire a Mooney specific instructor for your Transition Training (TT).   TT is best for your health...

 

My favorite way to learn what plane I like best... is to visit the only shop in the world with multiple Mooneys in it at one time...

You can stop by a Mooney Service Center (MSC) to see multiple Mooneys... but those planes already have owners...

For shopping... this place is a fun stop...   http://allamericanaircraft.com/Default.htm

There is an inventory tab there, if you can’t go in person...

So... if an Ovation is too expensive...slide down the list of other normally aspirated Mooneys...

• Eagle M20S
• 201 M20J
• M20F like a J, only the earlier version
• M20G like an F, with a carbureted O360
• M20E, like a perfect machine for two people on a retirement budget...
• M20C, a perfect Mooney for getting started in the NA Mooney world... (M20B, M20A are also similar....with variations)

What is your typical flying mission?

Do you have a budget you want to stay within?

Will you be an avid IFR flyer?

Best regards,

-a-

 

[jwg]

Answering a few questions ...

I file 90% of the time IFR, Typical mission is 250 to 600 miles from 8000 to 11000 altitude ... hoping to limit flights to 3 hours max, budget is around 100K which is why I have narrowed things down to the M20J 201.  As I mentioned in my initial email, I loved the Ovation I owned for 8 years but sold it after I had sold my business.   Now 10 years later, I want to have a more economical plane for retirement.

 

[BaldEagle]

2 hours ago, jwg said:

I am new to this forum but a previous owner of a Mooney Ovation for 8 years.   Now I am looking for a used and less expensive plane.   I love Mooney's but I don't have the contacts to help with pre-buy.   Any suggestions ?   Should I find a plane with the right panel ?  Or buy a strong engine and have a new panel retrofitted ?

I am looking for recommendations on an expert shop that can help me find the right plane for me.   Not a sales center that is only interested in their planes ?

Any recommendations and how I should proceed.

Thanks

If you can wait a few months you might see more inventory and a buyer’s market.  Nasty recession = lots of people selling their toys.  I found my J in the online Mooney Flyer magazine.  Not the prettiest J example but very well maintained by the former owner (a retired airline pilot).  There are also some listings in the MAPA Log magazine you don’t see listed in the usual places (Controller, Trade a plane, barnstormers, etc).  If I was shopping right now I’d probably reach out to All American Aircraft this time around.  If you tell them what you’re looking for rumor has it they may reach out to you with a prospect before the airplane lists in Controller, etc.  Happy hunting!

[carusoam]

Are you out in Arizona?

Do you remember the tail number?

Enough about my plane... 

 

let’s look to see how many Js are on the market currently...

1) MSCs are where many nice planes coming to market first become known as being for sale...

2) Knowledgeable Mooniacs list their Mooneys in a few Mooney rich places...

• MS has a planes for sale area...
• All American as listed earlier... aka GMax... as AAA combined with DMax last summer...
• Lasar also has a few Mooneys on line
• MAPAlog for MAPA members...
• MooneyFlyer

3)  there are not many people that use the buyers agent routine...  mostly because to become familiar with each valid candidate requires a trip to go see it before presenting it to you...  lots of leg work can be completed prior to the visit... but a few visits really adds up to being extra expensive...

4) Expect spending thousands just looking  at a few maybes....

5) Then there is the PPI... Pre purchase inspection... to make sure the plane is as good as expected...

6) While looking for mine, I set up business visits in a city and looked at planes while I was there...   that’s a chancy set-up requiring lots of luck...

7) Business took me to a machine shop in San Antonio.... so I went to visit with Jimmy at all American... my plane was listed for sale on line so arranging a visit with Jimmy was pretty easy...

8) When dealing with AAA... it is full service if you want...  unfortunately, you will be limited by the inventory he has... fortunately, he has more inventory than anyone else... and it is usually the top half of what is otherwise available...

9) There are a couple of Js, an F, and a few other Mooneys in today’s GMax list...

https://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/list/?pcid=17527&dlr=1

PP thoughts only, not a plane sales guy...

Best regards,

-a-

[ArtVandelay]

There has been a lot of new avionics tech come to market in the last few years. You will find most panels are somewhat dated as most people who upgrade their panels plan to keep the plane for a long time. You need to decide what the plane must have, what you like to have. I spent 6 months tracking Js on the market before I started to contact sellers. Spend some time on Controller, TAP, and other sites...check out every J, it will give you a feel for what’s out there, and maybe help you decide what you want.

[jwg]

Great responses ... I really appreciate everyone's input.

[Oldguy]

@jwg you seem to have identified your mission pretty well, so now it comes down to what is important to you to have/find in a plane to buy. GPS, autopilot, engine monitor, PFD/MFD, etc. as well as airframe and engine time, recent usage, paint, interior, etc. are some of the pieces of the puzzle to prioritize as well as others. The better you can define wants versus needs versus must haves, the easier it will be to sort through candidates you find.

@jgarrison is a seller many of us know and/or have used to buy planes in the past. He has his finger on the pulse of available Mooneys literally across the US, and can keep an eye out for something meeting your requirements, if you would like him to do so.

Not knowing exactly where you are located, another option may be to contact a nearby Mooney Service Center (MSC) to see if they have any owners wanting to sell their planes.

Congratulations on the retirement. I am working to finish upgrading my J in the next couple of years so when I retire we can spend more time flying than working on it!

[Dave Sliv]

I have a Mooney Missile for sale on Controller which is a cheap Oviation but goes 200 KTAS at 10.5..call if interested 561 241 6111 Dave

[Bentonck]

Sharp looking Missile.