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Anyone own a 1977 or 1978 M20C?

Evan Amaya
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Evan Amaya Rookie

Evan Amaya

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Posted

I am currently installing a Garmin GFC500 autopilot in the fourth to last M20C made in 1978.  The push-pull tubes in the back behind the service opening are the same as a J model on this plane so the installation kit for the M20C won’t work. I wanted to know if there are others out there with these rare late M20Cs that know what their tubes look like.  I fixed my problem by replacing the tube with an earlier designed tube.  The early tube is much larger in diameter and has machined cone type aluminum ends. The J style are smaller in diameter and are just straight with no tapered ends.  I’m sure Mooney was just trying to get their parts used up by making these last C models and I know this one I’m working on has some odd stuff done to it by the factory.  This will be my ninth Garmin autopilot I have installed in a Mooney and there have been a few issues but not like this.

thanks

Evan 

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carusoam Grand Master

carusoam

Posted
Posted

Ninth GFC500 install in Mooneys!

Great expertise shared!

Mooney was really good at using all of the parts going both forwards and backwards in models…

Standby to see who else has run into this challenge…

Thanks for sharing the detail…

Best regards,

-a-

LANCECASPER Grand Master

LANCECASPER

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, Evan Amaya said:

I am currently installing a Garmin GFC500 autopilot in the fourth to last M20C made in 1978.  The push-pull tubes in the back behind the service opening are the same as a J model on this plane so the installation kit for the M20C won’t work. I wanted to know if there are others out there with these rare late M20Cs that know what their tubes look like.  I fixed my problem by replacing the tube with an earlier designed tube.  The early tube is much larger in diameter and has machined cone type aluminum ends. The J style are smaller in diameter and are just straight with no tapered ends.  I’m sure Mooney was just trying to get their parts used up by making these last C models and I know this one I’m working on has some odd stuff done to it by the factory.  This will be my ninth Garmin autopilot I have installed in a Mooney and there have been a few issues but not like this.

thanks

Evan 

I'm sure Garmin would want to know that.

Andy95W Grand Master

Andy95W

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, LANCECASPER said:

It looks like 1977 C models went from serial number 20-1219 to 20-1243, and the 1978 C models were 20-1244 to 20-1258.

What I find most amazing is that even with the availability of the 201 (M20J), Mooney still sold 40 M20Cs.

LANCECASPER Grand Master

LANCECASPER

Posted
Posted
14 minutes ago, Andy95W said:

What I find most amazing is that even with the availability of the 201 (M20J), Mooney still sold 40 M20Cs.

Mooney, and everyone else, was selling a lot of airplanes in these years. In 1977 Mooney sold 407 airplanes. If they worked 6 days a week back then, they produced 1.3 airplanes a day. if they worked 5 days a week, it was 1.55 airplanes a day. And neither of those numbers account for any holidays.

In 1978 they came back with 394 airplanes. In 1979 they came back with 382 airplanes. If anyone financed an airplane back then the prime rate was as high as high as 15.5% in 1979. In 1980 with the prime rate as high as 21.5% (record high) they still sold 337 airplanes.

EricJ Grand Master

EricJ

Posted
Posted
36 minutes ago, Igor_U said:

According to Mooney events website, 1977 M20C was $35k and M20J was 41,200-45,500. 

So C's were still pretty attractive price-wise compared to a new J.   At that time the J was the brand-new hotness, so that likely added to the cost, where the C was the old standard.   I'm guessing Es were in-between price-wise.

  • 2 weeks later...
Dotto Rookie

Dotto

Posted
Posted

I have the same autopilot and went with 2 axis with manual pitch trim. I have the original 1962 M20C yokes that I had powder coated so wanted to keep as oem as possible. I also went with the smaller diameter flat ended tubes. I replaced both in case I want to add the other servo on the bracket later. My S/N is 2242. Sounds like we both had the same problem but mine was on a 1962.

20220528_113907.jpg

Ragsf15e Grand Master

Ragsf15e

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, Dotto said:

I attached the wrong pix. The gold panel is complete on this one. Next year is interior.

20220602_140246.jpg

Looks great! Are those gi-275s below/right of the adi?  I imagine one is typically on as HSI?

Matt_AZ Contributor

Matt_AZ

Posted
Posted

I have a 1977 M20C SN 20-1242. It is definitely an oddball with what seems to be a hybrid C/J of some sorts & seems to cause some confusion at times. 

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