Thinking about selling late-model M20J... talk me out of it or write a check! :)

[ZuluZulu]

Well... when I bought my J in 2020, I didn't think I'd ever sell it.  But a job change, some other life changes, and interest in joining a club for a few years so I can pursue additional ratings and getting ready to upgrade to another plane someday (M20S?  M20R?  A36?  B55?) have me thinking about putting it up for sale while the market is still relatively strong.

I have a friend who has bought and sold his planes very simply: agree on a flat price, minimal pre-buy, easy transaction.  The seller takes less than he might otherwise get but doesn't have to spend a lot of his time selling while the buyer gets a good deal quick with a little more risk.  That kind of arrangement has some appeal, but I'd also probably enjoy the selling process and trying to get full market value as a reward.  And I'm really torn about selling it, so if someone out there finds this package compelling it might push me off the fence.

Here are the basics (subject to verification because my mechanic currently has my logs):

• Model year: 1994 M20J (MSE)
• Engine: IO-360-A3B6D
• Airframe time: Approximately 2850
• Engine time: Approximately 450 SMOH (2015)
  • I don't recall ever seeing any of the compressions below 70
  • New engine mounts and hoses in 2015
• Propeller time: Same as engine; OEM McCauley two-blade (OH in 2015)
• No known damage history
• Hangared prior to and during my ownership, and covered on the road with only a couple overnight trips
• Paint:
  • Original (1994).  Some chips and flakes missing.  Not terrible but they're there.
  • TLS scheme with Mooney Commercial Green on bottom and White on top
  • Shines up quite well with WashWaxAll and Race Glaze but I was planning to repaint it in next 12-24 months
• Interior:
  • New interior plastics from Vantage in 2023 (including new headliner and new side pieces forward and aft.  A few pieces were still in good enough condition that I elected not to replace, but all the badly cracked and broken ones are gone now.)
  • Carpet is original, was planning to order new ones from SCS.
  • Original seats
  • Glareshield lights work (LED), instrument panel lights work, map lights on yokes do NOT work, interior roof lighting works (all bulbs replaced with LEDs, red on the flight deck and warm white for the passengers in the back)
• Airframe upgrades/mods
  • Monroy long-range tanks (94 gallons)
  • Whelen Orion LED nav lights (with synced strobes at wingtips and tail)
  • White tail position light added in 2023 (added a wire for the Whelen Orion; previously was strobe-only)
  • New-ish (in last couple years) Whelen G3 taxi lights
  • New-ish (in last couple years) Whelen Prometheus Pro landing lights
    • People often tell me they thought I was a jet or a PC-12 after landing thanks to the lights!
  • New wingtip lenses, installed 2023
  • New landing/taxi light lenses, installed 2023
  • New MaxPulse-controlled wig-wagging recognition lights (MaxPulse installed in 2023)
  • Precise Flight speed brakes (electric)
  • LASAR hubcaps and tie-downs
  • Bose/LEMO jacks at pilot and co-pilot seats repaired and working, 2022-2023
  • Vacuum system removed in 2020, all-electric
  • Battery always on a BatteryMINDer when in my hangar
  • Leather-wrapped control wheels by AeroComfort (blue, despite the exterior green, because of the anticipated future paint job)
  • New vertical card compass in 2022
  • Engine preheater (unknown manufacturer, installed by a prior owner)
• Notable maintenance
  • Maintained during my ownership by a Mooney-factory-trained mechanic and recognized Mooney maintenance expert (was quoted in Flying magazine!)
  • New landing gear shock disks in 2020
  • New fuel drains in 2020
  • New Concorde battery in 2021
  • 406MHz ELT in 2021
  • Alternator overhauled in 2019, IRANed in 2020
  • Voltage regulator IRANed by Don Maxwell in 2020
  • New windshield and pilot window in 2019
  • Brakes redone/bled in 2020
  • Cowl flap hardware replaced with new parts ordered from Mooney factory in 2021 or 2022
  • Right wing main and Monroy tanks resealed in 2022, eliminating leak along inner seam of Monroy (left wing doesn't leak)
    • New main visual fuel indicator, right wing (because the resealers broke the old one)
  • New tires in 2021 or 2022
• Avionics 
  • Garmin G5 attitude
  • Garmin G5 HSI
    • The G5s display OAT, TAS, winds, density altitude
  • GTN 750 GPS/NAV/COMM #1
  • GMA 35c (remote audio panel with Teligence button installed on pilot's yoke)
    • Aux audio-in jack on panel
  • GNC 255A NAV/COMM #2
  • GTX 345
  • Four-axis GFC 500 autopilot (including pitch trim servo and yaw damper)
    • Latest software update applied (and the trim runaway never happened to me)
  • JPI EDM-830
    • Displays MAP, RPM, Oil-T, Oil-P, OAT, voltage, HP%
  • Digital primary engine instrumentation (EI M-1 and R-1)
  • MidContinent MD93H clock/USB charger, installed 2023
  • Flight Stream 510 (my old one wasn't working so I paid for an exchange replacement from Garmin, received March 2023)
  • Stratus USB charging ports installed at pilot's seat
• Extras (would be included with a no-hassle sale)
  • B-Kool air conditioner
  • Redline Sidewinder
  • Custom Bruce's canopy cover with matching tail number
  • Wing and tail covers
  • Cowl plugs
  • BatteryMINDer for Concorde
  • External power adapter for running avionics
  • I might have a spare tire
  • Portable oxygen tank with cannulas
  • USB charging ports, not yet installed
  • Might find more next time I'm in the hangar...
  • Tanis heater (not permanently installed)
• Notes
  • The G5s consistently read 159 KTAS in cruise.  Not sure how much I buy that because the OAT also reads a little high on the G5s compared to the JPI, but it definitely performs at typical J speeds.
• Located in San Diego, CA

The "bad":

• I figure it's only fair you know what I've been working on.
  • Due to labor shortages and mechanic-related delays I could not control, the plane sat most of 2022, much to my frustration.  It flew in January, February, May, and October.  (But it flew very often prior to 2020, in 2020, and in 2021.)
  • I am still waiting for the new interior plastics to be installed.  The shop says it needs two men to do the job and has not had two available due to being overwhelmed with work.
  • Annual is due next month, which will be completed when the interior is finished.
  • The wing tank reseal job took a different shop five months to get right, also much to my distress.
    • However, they caused a new, very slow seep from the wing next to the cabin.  My mechanic says he can fix this by going into the wing walk.  This is planned to be taken care of by next month.
  • For some reason, the MAP gauge has always read high when the engine is running on the ground.  We never found any trace of an induction leak.  The engine has always ran strong and started right up, and I spent a lot of time trying to chase this down and never got anywhere.  Appears to be a quirk of this plane but maybe you're smarter than me and can figure it out.
  • Like I mentioned earlier, it could probably use new paint, new carpet, and new seats.  All those things are next on my list if I keep it.

I really love this plane.  It flies great and I love the avionics.  If someone really wanted to take it off my hands right now I probably would not be able to say no, as sad as that makes me to say.  Otherwise I'm gonna keep flying it...just as soon as I get it back from the shop.   And if it officially goes on the market, I'll list it here in the MooneySpace classifieds first.

[ilovecornfields]

Sounds like an amazing airplane! If I was in the market for an M20J I’d fly down to San Diego and take a look at it tomorrow. 

[ArtVandelay]

Useful load?

[Steve0715]

Message sent.  Let’s talk.

[MIm20c]

I remember pointing you to this listing on BT, I’m glad it’s been a nice plane for you!

IMO you have a somewhat unique plane with LR tanks, updated avionics, and a fairly late model J. However, I do feel like the top of the Mooney market passed us a number of months ago.  Personally I don’t feel the value of your plane will change very much (up or down) over the next few years.  I’d enjoy it as any trade up in the future will be much more expensive. A NA mid or short body Mooney is dirt cheap to own if it fits your mission. 

[ZuluZulu]

9 hours ago, ArtVandelay said:

Useful load?

It was a bit short of 950 when I got it, removing the vacuum system probably helped.

[ZuluZulu]

Proof of the 159 KTAS displayed airspeed!  Also I forgot I have a set of Jet Shades that would also be included, they look really cool on the ramp and they do a great job of blocking light and heat inside.  And I also forgot I added Rosen sun visors in 2020.  As you can see I have not been shy about adding upgrades.

[ilovecornfields]

9 hours ago, MIm20c said:

I remember pointing you to this listing on BT, I’m glad it’s been a nice plane for you!

IMO you have a somewhat unique plane with LR tanks, updated avionics, and a fairly late model J. However, I do feel like the top of the Mooney market passed us a number of months ago.  Personally I don’t feel the value of your plane will change very much (up or down) over the next few years.  I’d enjoy it as any trade up in the future will be much more expensive. A NA mid or short body Mooney is dirt cheap to own if it fits your mission. 

With the G5’s, 750 and GFC 500 as well it seems it has everything you could want in a J. I’d be surprised if this doesn’t sell quickly given all of the rusted-out airplanes that have been selling for ridiculous amounts of money recently. I wouldn’t be surprised if the next topic that gets posted is “Looking for a pre buy in the San Diego area.”

[ZuluZulu]

18 minutes ago, ilovecornfields said:

With the G5’s, 750 and GFC 500 as well it seems it has everything you could want in a J. I’d be surprised if this doesn’t sell quickly given all of the rusted-out airplanes that have been selling for ridiculous amounts of money recently. I wouldn’t be surprised if the next topic that gets posted is “Looking for a pre buy in the San Diego area.”

Well, if someone wants to give me a ridiculous amount of money as well, I suppose I would not be opposed.  Full disclosure: I tried to trade it to the Chicago Bears for the number one pick in the draft but was rudely turned down. Sad!

[RoundTwo]

1 hour ago, ZuluZulu said:

Proof of the 159 KTAS displayed airspeed!  Also I forgot I have a set of Jet Shades that would also be included, they look really cool on the ramp and they do a great job of blocking light and heat inside.  And I also forgot I added Rosen sun visors in 2020.  As you can see I have not been shy about adding upgrades.

If your temp probe is under the belly, it’s sitting in engine exhaust air and probably reads 4 or 5 degrees higher. That will push your TAS up. Mine has a belly mounted temp probe and reads happy TAS also.

[DCarlton]

Where are you located?  I’m at KCRQ.  Since you asked for opinions ….  It looks like you really haven’t been able to enjoy it.  Perhaps it might make sense to work through your maintenance issues and enjoy it for a while.  There’s usually light at the end of a very long tunnel.  Buy another plane and you’ll just start all over again.  But if you list it please let us know.  Newer Js for sale in SOCAL are few and far between.  
 

[carusoam]

What is the high end of the range for M20Js…?

Near 200amu lately?

Trying to find a plane this nice is a real challenge lately…

In other news… markets are up off the bottom, 401Ks are getting refilled…

But, an invisible recession is reported to be out there somewhere…

and a few banks have failed… without much domino affect….yet.

 

GLWTS…. or not selling… whichever happens.

Go M20R!

Best regards,

-a-

[haymak3r]

On 3/31/2023 at 2:31 PM, RoundTwo said:

If your temp probe is under the belly, it’s sitting in engine exhaust air and probably reads 4 or 5 degrees higher. That will push your TAS up. Mine has a belly mounted temp probe and reads happy TAS also.

Dang, 98 degrees at 5500???! 

[ZuluZulu]

Just remembered another one: the seat belts were sent out for rewebbing in 2021.