1966 M20E - sale pending/in escrow

[Ross Taylor]

Well, we didn’t see this coming… but after sharpening our pencils and going through a change in businesses, I am sadly listing our 1966 M20E for sale.  This is the second aircraft we’ve owned and, far and away, our favorite.  We’d planned to keep this as our forever plane.  But we’ve made the tough decision to close the restaurant we opened 5 days before the shutdown and focus 100% on our other business (converting buses and ambulances into RVs, for sale or rental)…which means all of my current flights are one-way commercial flights to pick up, then drive home, a vehicle.  As I type this, I’m actually flying to Washington to pick up a bus.  And, this will be our life for the foreseeable future…which means I’m not flying our Mooney and won’t be anytime soon.

About our E:  She’s a great plane, painted in the style of the MSE.  The numbers are - TT: 3206.8, Engine SMOH: 352.8, Prop Since New: 138.  Current annual, as of May 2010.  At that time, the compression numbers were 74/76/74/70 over 80.  She makes no metal and there are no mechanical concerns.  We operate out of a strip that’s close to 7000’ elevation and the performance is still confidence inspiring.

She’s got all the “speed mods”, leather seats, Precise Flight electric speed brakes, electric gear, Brittain AP with altitude hold, and fuel tank bladders.  All 3 tires and the Concorde battery are recently new.  The battery is kept on a BatteryMINDer, configured specifically for this battery, and that charger goes with the plane.

The IO-360 was replaced with a 0-time Lycoming, in 2004, with 2850 hours on the tach.  In 2011, the prior owner had a right gear failure on landing and the engine was torn down, inspected and repaired in accordance with factory guidelines.  At that time, she was fitted with a new Hartzell Scimitar prop so there’s no recurring eddy current AD there.

Earlier this year, we upgraded the JPI to a 730 and had a Garmin GNX-375 and a G5 installed.

Our mechanic owns 3 Mooneys, himself, and he said this is the nicest E he’s ever seen.  Now, I wouldn’t go quite *that* far…after seeing some of the amazing investments and avionics that some MSers have put into theirs…but this is a solid, good looking, well-loved E that will take you anywhere you want to go.  The prior owner was sad to let her go…and we are equally sad..but it has to be.

Known issues:  The altitude hold doesn’t work right (at least I never figured it out).  That’s it.

Price:  Call…just kidding…I know how much that’s hated by all…myself included!  $68500 (a guess…based on what we paid, for which I feel like we got a great deal, plus 50% of what we spent for upgrades this year).

Knowing it’s important to vet the owner as much as the plane, feel free to call me with any questions or just to chat.  We’re located in Northern Arizona (where, by the way, it’s REALLY dry and not a corrosion-prone place).  My cell is 928-554-5219 or you can email me at ross@rossvtaylor.com.  I’ll be on the road for a few days, driving a bus from Whidbey Island to Arizona…but I should be able to chat from the road.

Cheers and thanks,

Ross and Kara Taylor

Flagstaff/Williams KCMR

I'm posting this here, on MS, before listing it on the more "public" sites...hoping she'll stay in the MS family.  Here are some photos, but I realized that I didn't transfer all of the ones I took to my laptop before I left on this bus pick-up trip...so there's none (yet) of the front seats.  I'll upload more photos when I return to AZ.  I've also brought some of the logs and I'll upload the most recent pages, from annual, later today if I can.

[anthem4arequiem]

Beautiful looking plane. Wish I had some extra dough but right now this is just out of my price range.

I also think that it is awesome that you gave MS first grabs. 

[TonyPynes]

Definitely interested in talking. Will call later

[EricJ]

Aw, sad to hear!    I've seen Ross's airplane and it is definitely a very nice example of an E.    I suspect it won't last long.

 

[David Lloyd]

Ross, I kept looking at this airplane before you bought it.  I would have bought it but needed to sell another airplane first. $68.5 is a deal for this airplane!

[Rusty Pilot]

Electric gear on a 1966 E, was that an option or upgrade from the Johnson Bar?  Nice plane!  It should sell quickly.

 

[Richard Bronson]

Sorry to hear you have to sell.

I wish I could buy it back from you. I really miss it. I flew it to all the states in the map below in the 20 years I owned it.

 

The trick to the altitude hold is to set it, and then adjust the trim to nose down till it holds the set altitude.  Once trim is set correctly it does a good job. It also adds a few knots to airspeed by reducing the drag on the tail.

 

[carusoam]

Oh bummer!

Just when the Covid cure has a light at the end of the really long unknown tunnel...

Got a pic of one of your bus projects?

Also... It’s amazing to see people connected via a single Mooney serial number around here... 

Good luck with the next steps...

Best regards,

-a-

[Ross Taylor]

Well, this might not have been the best time to list...right when I was about to hit the road for a long drive through some pretty remote countryside...because I listed the plane then was without data coverage for two days.  So I see that I owe a few people some PM or email replies, and I'll try to get to those today.  But two people called me the morning I listed her and one was ready to go...so she's already in escrow and the sale is pending a successful PPI. 

If you emailed me or sent me a PM, I'll get you a personal reply as soon as I can!  The same goes for the replies above, which I'm just now seeing.  Thanks, all!

[FlyingFool]

Did it sell?

 

[carusoam]

5 hours ago, FlyingFool said:

Did it sell?

 

@Ross Taylor hasn’t checked in since December... 

I left a light on his dashboard if he stops by...

Best regards,

-a-

[Miami_Mooniac]

I guess thats a,Im too busy building these RV's and would assume it did sell..

[carusoam]

4 hours ago, avtech72 said:

I guess thats a,Im too busy building these RV's and would assume it did sell..

Ross was building a business, and fighting off the Pandemic... when seen last...

His RVs were not the flying kind of RV...  

Best regards,

-a-

[hammdo]

Looks like it sold too...

-Don