Cost to cut new panel.

[pirate]

Over the years I’ve had many panel upgrades on my 70C, now the panel needs modified yet again to accommodate a current GFC500 upgrade.

While it’s in the shop I’m thinking of having a new complete instrument panel custom made along with powder coat and silkscreen. 

Since many of you here on MS have done some really nice panel upgrades can you clue me in on what a reasonable cost should be for a new complete cut panel, powered coat, silkscreen and labor for R&R 

 

Thanks 

Ed 

[TheAv8r]

Are you planning on doing a 1-piece panel, removing the Mooney bend, or just having replacement metal where the plastic currently is?

[ArtVandelay]

Not that expensive, it wasn’t itemized in my estimate.

[ttflyer]

1 hour ago, ArtVandelay said:

Not that expensive, it wasn’t itemized in my estimate.

I've had two quotes:  One was $7K and the other was $6K for a "custom panel" when adding a G3X to our airplane.   Seemed pretty expensive to me... What shop did you use?

[PMcClure]

About $1500-2000 custom made in the aviation shop, including the bend, paint and silk screening. 

[ttflyer]

1 minute ago, PMcClure said:

About $1500-2000 custom made in the aviation shop, including the bend, paint and silk screening. 

Pell City is 30 miles from me.   Love to know the shop you used... Holder? 

[PMcClure]

4 minutes ago, ttflyer said:

Pell City is 30 miles from me.   Love to know the shop you used... Holder? 

It was and he did an excellent job. You are welcome to come check it out one day. 

 

[pirate]

3 hours ago, TheAv8r said:

Are you planning on doing a 1-piece panel, removing the Mooney bend, or just having replacement metal where the plastic currently is?

I asked for a quote on a one piece panel and a two place panel. If I do this I do not want an overlay. 
 

 

[pirate]

53 minutes ago, PMcClure said:

About $1500-2000 custom made in the aviation shop, including the bend, paint and silk screening. 

$1500 - $2000 would be an excellent price but i don’t think I’ll get that lucky here around the Great Lakes. 

[PMcClure]

1 hour ago, pirate said:

$1500 - $2000 would be an excellent price but i don’t think I’ll get that lucky here around the Great Lakes. 

I remember thinking  it was a lot at the time. But ended up being very happy with it. Not sure he would do it for that much again.

[ArtVandelay]

I've had two quotes:  One was $7K and the other was $6K for a "custom panel" when adding a G3X to our airplane.   Seemed pretty expensive to me... What shop did you use?

Wow, that’s insane. Treasure Coast Avionics at KFPR.
I had G3X,3 servo GFC500, AV20S installed for $30k, panel included:

[pirate]

1 hour ago, ArtVandelay said:

Wow, that’s insane. Treasure Coast Avionics at KFPR.
I had G3X,3 servo GFC500, AV20S installed for $30k, panel included:

What year did you have that done ? 

[carusoam]

We have discussed panel prices before…

1) buying an existing design off the shelf is dirt cheap…

2) getting one cut based on your layout doesn’t cost much more…

3) Things get expensive, the moment you go to install it…

4) We have a few resources around MS that do this…

5) It is easiest to copy an existing design…

6) Doing a complex layout with new equipment, often starts with an acrylic model first… to make sure everything fits in 3D…

 

Best regards,

-a-

[ArtVandelay]

What year did you have that done ? 

Last year, but price was quoted in 2021, it probably would be a little higher today.

[Pinecone]

2 hours ago, ArtVandelay said:

Last year, but price was quoted in 2021, it probably would be a little higher today.

Yeah.  I got quotes on G3X with 6 cyl EIS, GFC-500 with yaw damper, and PS audio panel last summer and they started at $50K

[Hank]

40 minutes ago, Pinecone said:

Yeah.  I got quotes on G3X with 6 cyl EIS, GFC-500 with yaw damper, and PS audio panel last summer and they started at $50K

Pull up in a C model, nobody quotes that high . . . .

[Steve Dawson]

I did my own for my J and M and others but have done auto cad and solid works for years. I had one shop quote $6.5K so I said no. I think I had 10 hours in the last designing it, $200 in the laser cutting including material, $200 in powder coating and the avionics shop charged me $250 for the aching. If I charged $100/hour for the design the total price would be $2000.00 

I'd suggest that If you're not that way inclined you can also look for panel shops that will do these or just have the shop that would charge no more the $2K for it. 

[EricJ]

Those numbers sound awfully high.    A friend that recently redid the panel in his experimental had several new panels cut while he experimented with fitment and placement of everything.   iirc he said they were a few hundred bucks a shot, which he thought was worth it to be able to actually mount and fit stuff to figure out a final cut.

[Aerodon]

Look at sixpackaero.com.  Lyle has put in a ton of research into C172's (even buying some wrecks to use for test fitting).  Now he can crank out panels for any model 172 and has an STC to install a taller panel in earlier models so a G500txi will fit above the controls.

Pricing is $695 for a bare two panel.  It was higher, so he has sold enough to recoup some development costs.  Painting and lettering would probably double that.

I can do M20K panels and have started on earlier models.  While I have a good library of shapes, it still takes a fair amount of time to lay it out and cut.

Some people seem to think you can take it down to a local powder coater and get a factory finish.  There are good powders, cheap powders, good applicators etc.  I have settled on Nextel Suade panel paints, it looks really good and is very durable.  And my next panel will have UV printed labels.

Aerodon

 

 

 

[pirate]

47 minutes ago, Aerodon said:

Look at sixpackaero.com.  Lyle has put in a ton of research into C172's (even buying some wrecks to use for test fitting).  Now he can crank out panels for any model 172 and has an STC to install a taller panel in earlier models so a G500txi will fit above the controls.

Pricing is $695 for a bare two panel.  It was higher, so he has sold enough to recoup some development costs.  Painting and lettering would probably double that.

I can do M20K panels and have started on earlier models.  While I have a good library of shapes, it still takes a fair amount of time to lay it out and cut.

Some people seem to think you can take it down to a local powder coater and get a factory finish.  There are good powders, cheap powders, good applicators etc.  I have settled on Nextel Suade panel paints, it looks really good and is very durable.  And my next panel will have UV printed labels.

Aerodon

 

 

 

I’ll check out sixpackaero.com 

I can usually do projects like this myself but do to my current business expansion my time is very limited the next few years. 

Thanks for the tip on Nextel Suade panel paints. 

[pirate]

9 hours ago, carusoam said:

We have discussed panel prices before…

1) buying an existing design off the shelf is dirt cheap…

2) getting one cut based on your layout doesn’t cost much more…

3) Things get expensive, the moment you go to install it…

4) We have a few resources around MS that do this…

5) It is easiest to copy an existing design…

6) Doing a complex layout with new equipment, often starts with an acrylic model first… to make sure everything fits in 3D…

 

Best regards,

-a-

I understand panels have been talked about many times, just trying to get a handle on up to date pricing that shops are currently charging. 
 

 

[ttflyer]

15 hours ago, ArtVandelay said:

Wow, that’s insane. Treasure Coast Avionics at KFPR.
I had G3X,3 servo GFC500, AV20S installed for $30k, panel included:

Thank you for that info!  I reached out to Treasure Coast already and they seem very nice to work with (over the phone anyway)... I am getting a quote!

Another question:  Did you have those yokes wrapped?  I know there is someone out in San Antonio (I think) who does that...  We are in need of this as well...

 

[TheAv8r]

19 hours ago, pirate said:

I asked for a quote on a one piece panel and a two place panel. If I do this I do not want an overlay. 
 

 

That's smart, I did the same when I was shopping around. I loved the look of the 1-piece panel, but it wasn't worth a huge $$ increase over 2-piece. Super biased, but heavily recommend the 1-piece panel if in your budget. 1000x cleaner than the pieces. 

The metal and the finishes aren't super expensive, it's the labor that this comes into play with. With a 1-piece panel, everything has to come out. Engine controls (Throttle, Prop & Mixture), parking brake cable, cabin vent cable, cabin heat cable, etc. Those all have to be re-run and rerigged. The yokes have to be taken off the shaft and PTTs/switches reconnected. Then with a 1-piece sometimes the frame has to be adjusted here and there to get everything to fit right, the new panel actually fit to the existing frame, etc. 

That's where the cost difference is, all the labor it takes to do all of that. With a lot of 2-piece or even 3-piece panels, those can all stay where they are at and you work around them. But, in my opinion, it makes the finished product look like a Frankenstein instead of a clean, polished design.

I went with a 1-piece panel for mine, but to be fair, I also replaced all the engine controls, all the switches, all the circuit breakers, etc. with new and new wiring (which I also highly recommend... replacing 50+ year old stuff as you're going to be touching it anyways). The cost difference between the 2-piece and the 1-piece was about $1800 more.

I paid $3700 for the panel, this included everything: cutting the panel, fitting it, the powdercoating, laser etching, all labor for removing everything and putting it back in. 

I did pay extra (10 hours) for installing a new Mixture & Prop cable.

[ArtVandelay]

Another question:  Did you have those yokes wrapped?  I know there is someone out in San Antonio (I think) who does that...  We are in need of this as well...
 

No they were done by previous owner. The rest of my interior was done by another shop at Fort Pierce.

[TheAv8r]

1 hour ago, ttflyer said:

Thank you for that info!  I reached out to Treasure Coast already and they seem very nice to work with (over the phone anyway)... I am getting a quote!

Another question:  Did you have those yokes wrapped?  I know there is someone out in San Antonio (I think) who does that...  We are in need of this as well...

 

You're thinking of Aero Comfort: https://aerocomfort.com/mooney/

Amazing craftsmanship, definitely recommend them.