katzhome Posted March 13, 2022 Report Posted March 13, 2022 (edited) Hi All, I'm going to add my name to the pile here searching for the right M20 out there. I've been also looking at Beeches (Sierra/Sundowner/Musketeer) and Pipers (Cherokee/Arrow), but I keep coming back to the Mooney's for the value and performance. We finally got to sit in an M20C at Placerville, CA last week, and determined we can also make the E/C work but would really like a J or F or G. I'm on the ragged edge of the affordability envelope for a J, but F's and G's are definitely achievable. We are looking for a plane that has been flown consistently, but doesn't have to have a high-end exterior or interior. The avionics will depend on the plane under consideration...I'd like a relatively updated stack, but I can put up with doing some of that myself for the right plane. Most of the planes I've found so far have sat for some time (even if maintained) and in my Beech search I've become very leery of IO-360's that sit and what it can do to the cam. The Sundowner I backed out of pre-buy ended up having corrosion issues in the engine. The number of hangar finds seems to be rising with the rising of prices! So if you or someone you know is considering moving along from their J/F/G please get in touch with me. The right E/C would also be considered! Regards, Russell Katz San Jose, CA katzhome@pacbell.net Edited June 4, 2022 by katzhome Update Quote
katzhome Posted March 13, 2022 Author Report Posted March 13, 2022 I think there was a reply here at some point on my height and useful load needs. But it disappeared. Luckily our family is of slight stature. I'm 5'9" about 160 and my wife 5'7". My twins (son is in PPL training) are both shorter than my wife, and my daughter is only 5'2" and less than 100 lbs. The amount of times it will be all 4 of us may also be limited, so I am willing to look at C's and E's. I think the UL numbers are also a consideration, but I'm not looking for a huge load hauler. The G's seem to be a lot rarer as well...and so far none of them have met my other criteria. Thanks! Russell Katz San Jose, CA Quote
icurnmedic Posted March 14, 2022 Report Posted March 14, 2022 1967F , has 641 lbs Payload with full fuel,iirc, your height is not a problem either. 1 Quote
tim417 Posted March 14, 2022 Report Posted March 14, 2022 As a new owner of my first airplane, a 1963 C model, and not a rich man, I am glad I bought a little less airplane than I can afford so I have some margin for upgrades and repairs that invariably pop up. One month into ownership, one of the KX155s bit the dust. I opted to upgrade to a Garmin SL30 and then overhaul the KX155 as a spare for NAV/COM2. If I was stretched thin I would have been stressing out. 2 1 Quote
DCarlton Posted March 14, 2022 Report Posted March 14, 2022 I'm 6'1" at 210 lbs and I'm comfortable in the front of my F. You'll be fine in the front with your wife. As far as the backseats, those can fill up really quickly if you have any "stuff" at all that you need to reach. If you're planning to put anyone in the back, I would consider an F or J but I can only speak to my experience. 1 Quote
carusoam Posted March 15, 2022 Report Posted March 15, 2022 At one time… my family was similar in shape and size… Our M20C worked well for a decade…. Then our M20R worked even weller for the next decade… The M20F and J are nicely in the middle of the two… Go Mooney! -a- 1 Quote
Mcstealth Posted March 15, 2022 Report Posted March 15, 2022 9 hours ago, carusoam said: At one time… my family was similar in shape and size… Our M20C worked well for a decade…. Then our M20R worked even weller for the next decade… The M20F and J are nicely in the middle of the two… Go Mooney! -a- My favorite? Gooder 2 Quote
katzhome Posted March 16, 2022 Author Report Posted March 16, 2022 Thanks Nosky2high, If we buy a C/E, we may be in the market for an F in ‘25. Whether I can afford it by then we will have to see! Quote
Clearview Posted March 17, 2022 Report Posted March 17, 2022 On 3/13/2022 at 12:07 PM, katzhome said: Hi All, I'm going to add my name to the pile here searching for the right M20 out there. I've been also looking at Beeches (Sierra/Sundowner/Musketeer) and Pipers (Cherokee/Arrow), but I keep coming back to the Mooney's for the value and performance. We finally got to sit in an M20C at Placerville, CA last week, and determined we can also make the E/C work but would really like a J or F or G. I'm on the ragged edge of the affordability envelope for a J, but F's and G's are definitely achievable. We are looking for a plane that has been flown consistently, but doesn't have to have a high-end exterior or interior. The avionics will depend on the plane under consideration...I'd like a relatively updated stack, but I can put up with doing some of that myself for the right plane. Most of the planes I've found so far have sat for some time (even if maintained) and in my Beech search I've become very leery of IO-360's that sit and what it can do to the cam. The Sundowner I backed out of pre-buy ended up having corrosion issues in the engine. The number of hangar finds seems to be rising with the rising of prices! So if you or someone you know is considering moving along from their J/F/G please get in touch with me. The right E/C would also be considered! Regards, Russell Katz San Jose, CA katzhome@pacbell.net I sent you an email. Todd 1 Quote
carusoam Posted March 17, 2022 Report Posted March 17, 2022 6 hours ago, katzhome said: Thanks Nosky2high, If we buy a C/E, we may be in the market for an F in ‘25. Whether I can afford it by then we will have to see! Long term financial planning…. It really helps to know if your plane is going to be a forever-plane, or a decade plane, or a hope this works out kind of plane…. Our M20C was bought before the kids became a large expense…. Kids have a tendency to put a dent in the airplane budget… Our C was also a hope this works out kind of plane… we didn’t know how well general aviation was going to work for us…. The budget was similar to a new car… As we wore out the C, the kids grew in size… After the decade, we knew how well GA, Mooney, and the family were going together…. Committing to the next plane was easy… The budget was more similar to a house…. Get that fish in the boat before the kids start college… So… if you are good at long term financial planning… buy your Mooneys before the kids go through day care… and again before they go to college…. Some MSers have bought their forever-plane to match their retirement needs… Three Mooney windows of opportunity…. The lesser known fourth Mooney window of opportunity… often arises early on in life, before the wedding…. Ask 201er…. PP thoughts only, not a finance guru… Go Mooney! Best regards, -a- 1 2 Quote
katzhome Posted March 17, 2022 Author Report Posted March 17, 2022 7 minutes ago, carusoam said: Long term financial planning…. It really helps to know if your plane is going to be a forever-plane, or a decade plane, or a hope this works out kind of plane…. Our M20C was bought before the kids became a large expense…. Kids have a tendency to put a dent in the airplane budget… Our C was also a hope this works out kind of plane… we didn’t know how well general aviation was going to work for us…. The budget was similar to a new car… As we wore out the C, the kids grew in size… After the decade, we knew how well GA, Mooney, and the family were going together…. Committing to the next plane was easy… The budget was more similar to a house…. Get that fish in the boat before the kids start college… So… if you are good at long term financial planning… buy your Mooneys before the kids go through day care… and again before they go to college…. Some MSers have bought their forever-plane to match their retirement needs… Three Mooney windows of opportunity…. The lesser known fourth Mooney window of opportunity… often arises early on in life, before the wedding…. Ask 201er…. PP thoughts only, not a finance guru… Go Mooney! Best regards, -a- Hey @carusoam, it might be too late for me! My son and I have been working our PPLs together, and him and his twin sister (yes we get a double-whammy for college!) will be starting college in about a year and a half. So if I get the plane in the next few months, it might all just be ok. In all seriousness, we bounce between the forever plane and the for now plane. I do lean more towards the longer-term (I have restored a 1946 wooden sailboat for the past 12 years), so the forever plane is a more likely case. Thank you for the continued encouragement! Russell 1 Quote
Marauder Posted March 17, 2022 Report Posted March 17, 2022 Hey [mention=7104]carusoam[/mention], it might be too late for me! My son and I have been working our PPLs together, and him and his twin sister (yes we get a double-whammy for college!) will be starting college in about a year and a half. So if I get the plane in the next few months, it might all just be ok. In all seriousness, we bounce between the forever plane and the for now plane. I do lean more towards the longer-term (I have restored a 1946 wooden sailboat for the past 12 years), so the forever plane is a more likely case. Thank you for the continued encouragement! RussellRussell - I started out with an F back in 1991. In 2022, I’m still flying the same F. My kids were born in the 1990s. By the early 2000s the F became a challenge since my kids were growing. Instead of selling, I rented a larger plane for those several trips a year that required more useful load. By the late 2000s the kids weren’t as interested in flying with “Mom & Dad”. Fast forward to 2022. I’m recently retired and my F is the perfect plane for the trips my wife and I are taking. Of course owning the plane all these years, I have all the gremlins worked out and modernized it as well. Where you are at with your kids, it’s pretty likely that C/E/F/G or J will fit your needs. The only caveat is if you are intending on flying in higher terrains, then a turbo model might be something to consider. Hope this helps. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro 1 1 Quote
katzhome Posted March 19, 2022 Author Report Posted March 19, 2022 On 3/17/2022 at 8:04 AM, Marauder said: Russell - I started out with an F back in 1991. In 2022, I’m still flying the same F. My kids were born in the 1990s. By the early 2000s the F became a challenge since my kids were growing. Instead of selling, I rented a larger plane for those several trips a year that required more useful load. By the late 2000s the kids weren’t as interested in flying with “Mom & Dad”. Fast forward to 2022. I’m recently retired and my F is the perfect plane for the trips my wife and I are taking. Of course owning the plane all these years, I have all the gremlins worked out and modernized it as well. Where you are at with your kids, it’s pretty likely that C/E/F/G or J will fit your needs. The only caveat is if you are intending on flying in higher terrains, then a turbo model might be something to consider. Hope this helps. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro Thanks @Marauder, yes, currently I don't think a Turbo is necessary. I have been following the other thread on Turbo or NA. I may have a work geographic change in about 2 years that could change that assessment, but that is really just a "what-if". Renting the larger plane is definitely a possibility, but our current club is primarily C172s. I may have to stretch out to one of the others in the area to get access to the larger 4+ person planes. Thanks all! Quote
carusoam Posted March 22, 2022 Report Posted March 22, 2022 Russell, What did you think about this one? -a- Quote
katzhome Posted March 22, 2022 Author Report Posted March 22, 2022 I am looking at that one and another, nice to have good choices! Quote
dk580 Posted April 3, 2022 Report Posted April 3, 2022 Aircraft FOR SALE - FlightSimple Aircraft Sales I just listed my C model with these guys. Feel free to reach out with questions if interested. 1 Quote
dan nephin Posted April 3, 2022 Report Posted April 3, 2022 Check flight simple.com mike just listed a C that is beautiful. Quote
motolou Posted April 9, 2022 Report Posted April 9, 2022 What did you think of the M20c at Placerville? Quote
katzhome Posted April 9, 2022 Author Report Posted April 9, 2022 @motolou we really just checked it out for rear seat fit. At the time it had a deposit on it, so wasn’t immediately available. It was a clean plane to my untrained eye. From it we determined that a C/E would work for us. The avionics were pretty basic. We are currently under contract on a J and moving to pre-buy in the next 2 weeks. Quote
motolou Posted April 10, 2022 Report Posted April 10, 2022 Thanks for the reply. I have wanted a J model since they first came out, but nowadays they are much more than I am willing to invest. I am going to jet a F or G. Good luck with yours. Quote
katzhome Posted June 4, 2022 Author Report Posted June 4, 2022 (edited) All, Many thanks to @Clearview and colleagues and the help of those on this site, I closed on 1977 M20J N43CA this past week. They were great to work with as a first-time buyer dealing with my nerves and lots of questions. Now I just need to have Top Gun work through the squawk list and I can start my transition training! I know, pictures! I only have a couple from our visit checkout a month an a half ago. I'll add those to the post shortly! This forum has been a fantastic resource and inspiration...looking forward to my family's travels in our Mooney! Edited June 4, 2022 by katzhome Added photos 1 Quote
Clearview Posted June 26, 2022 Report Posted June 26, 2022 On 6/4/2022 at 7:34 AM, katzhome said: All, Many thanks to @Clearview and colleagues and the help of those on this site, I closed on 1977 M20J N43CA this past week. They were great to work with as a first-time buyer dealing with my nerves and lots of questions. Now I just need to have Top Gun work through the squawk list and I can start my transition training! I know, pictures! I only have a couple from our visit checkout a month an a half ago. I'll add those to the post shortly! This forum has been a fantastic resource and inspiration...looking forward to my family's travels in our Mooney! @katzhome we are glad that 3CA found a good home! 2 Quote
carusoam Posted June 26, 2022 Report Posted June 26, 2022 Great follow-up Clearview! Best regards, -a- 1 Quote
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