Prebuy / Annual in the Detroit or Michigan area

[anthem4arequiem]

So last time I asked for prybuy advice MS Delivered! The M20C I was looking at didn't work out, but since then an old acquaintance of mine found me and asked if I would like to partner up on an M20J. We found one near Detroit and have a contract. It is a really nice looking plane with only 359 SMOH but the overhaul was in 2006 and in the past 4 years or so the logs only show about 3-5 hours a year. It has been stored in a temperature controlled hanger though. So we (my partner and I) are looking for a rather serious and thorough prebuy with an annual since it is due in the spring.

Since we are in MD, we have been talking to Byron as suggested and wow, this guy is amazing! Our hope was to bring the plane down here so he can do the whole thing for us, but the seller / broker wants to keep the plane within 150nm. The next thought is to pay for Byron's time to travel up to the plane, but  that only works if we have a shop for him to work in and hopefully all the panels removed. 

So, can MS deliver again? Any excellent Mooney shops in that area to do a through inspection or let us bring in our own mechanic?

Thanks in advance

[Culver LFA]

1 hour ago, anthem4arequiem said:

So last time I asked for prybuy advice MS Delivered! The M20C I was looking at didn't work out, but since then an old acquaintance of mine found me and asked if I would like to partner up on an M20J. We found one near Detroit and have a contract. It is a really nice looking plane with only 359 SMOH but the overhaul was in 2006 and in the past 4 years or so the logs only show about 3-5 hours a year. It has been stored in a temperature controlled hanger though. So we (my partner and I) are looking for a rather serious and thorough prebuy with an annual since it is due in the spring.

Since we are in MD, we have been talking to Byron as suggested and wow, this guy is amazing! Our hope was to bring the plane down here so he can do the whole thing for us, but the seller / broker wants to keep the plane within 150nm. The next thought is to pay for Byron's time to travel up to the plane, but  that only works if we have a shop for him to work in and hopefully all the panels removed. 

So, can MS deliver again? Any excellent Mooney shops in that area to do a through inspection or let us bring in our own mechanic?

Thanks in advance

I don't know if the same crew is still there but I bought my Mooney out of Michigan a few years ago and had the pre-purchase inspection completed at Lapeer airport D95.  There was a Mooney service center (not sure if they still are?) there and the guys were really accommodating during the inspection allowing my Mooney friend and I access to everything while the airplane was opened up.  I had a real good feeling about them and really appreciated how welcoming they were allowing us in the workshop.

Hopefully that is an option as it is just north of Detroit.

Where is it located exactly? That's my old stomping grounds growing up.

[anthem4arequiem]

6 hours ago, Culver LFA said:

I don't know if the same crew is still there but I bought my Mooney out of Michigan a few years ago and had the pre-purchase inspection completed at Lapeer airport D95.  There was a Mooney service center (not sure if they still are?) there and the guys were really accommodating during the inspection allowing my Mooney friend and I access to everything while the airplane was opened up.  I had a real good feeling about them and really appreciated how welcoming they were allowing us in the workshop.

Hopefully that is an option as it is just north of Detroit.

Where is it located exactly? That's my old stomping grounds growing up.

It is at willow run. 

I was looking at the MSC in Leeper thinking that might be a good option. Seller recommended a place in Ann Arbor but I am hesitant to use a seller suggested mechanic. 

[carusoam]

The purpose of the PPI is at odds with using owner recommended suppliers...

If you accidentally end up at the same resource the seller used, independently...

You know you did the homework the best you could...

If you use the sellers recommendation, you feel really bad when something goes south...

nice pirep for Byron @jetdriven!

PP thoughts about buying machines only...

Best regards,

-a-