*** UNDER CONTRACT *** 1981 M20 J with 1,810 TTSN O SMOH Eng & Prop

[Frank B.]

I have what I think could be someone’s forever airplane. 1981 M20J, N1156P, with 1,810 TTAF, O Since major overhaul on the engine and the prop. Engine done by Flightline / Certified and the prop done by Stalling Aircraft Propeller. New engine mounts, new battery, fresh 500 hour on the mag, new style wingtips from factory and they have new lens. All new brakes and wheel bearings. Two previous owners since new and NDH ever. I have personally known this airplane since 1986. 

Paint: NEW Complete strip and paint in 2024. This airplane has a vintage paint scheme that is era appropriate for the plane. Midnight Blue, White with silver metallic stripes.

Glass: The glass is all in excellent condition, shows like new with no checking or crazing, and the windshield was replaced at the same time the aircraft was painted last year. 

Interior: Very Nice - Very Ugly … Original red plaid, that’s in really good condition. It is the OEM interior that came in the airplane day one from Mooney.

Avionics: Very original - Legacy, antique, how ever you want to say it, but it does have a nice century auto pilot. It does NOT have ADSB.

Annual, current and recent (note no ADSB & pitot static - transponder checks need to be accomplished).

Fuel tanks - Absolutely zero leaks. No stains, no runs, no drips.  The RH tank had a slight seep professional repaired before the paint work was done.

I will answer all serious emails and arrange showings to accommodate, or you are welcome to call me.

How many TRUE 1,800 hour TTSN, NDH, M20J’s are out there today. This may well be the lowest time 1981 M20J on the market today. 
ALWAYS HANGARED SINCE NEW ! 

A full price offer includes a used, but in the box, Lynx L3 Transponder with built in WAAS. (The one with the screen)

Price: $135K

Thanks, Frank

www.BullardAviation.com

N1156P

*** UPDATE ***  

#1 A couple of people that know Mooney’s a lot better than I do have pointed out to me that this airplane is a 1982 year model and not a 1981. To clarify, the AW date was 7/20/81, so it does have some distinguishable 1982 features that make it look like a 1982 that I guess that were not on the 1981, don’t ask me what they are because I don’t know, and if you look it up in some of the price reference books by SN, they do show it as a 1982. But, the FAA calls it a 1981 with a late July 1981 AW date. Hopefully this clears up the confusion.

 

#2 When the engine was installed yes, it got all new or rebuilt accessories. New Lord engine mounts, a new silicone hose kit with fire sleeve, new spark plugs, and the engine mount was powder coated black. The previous owner rebuilt the master cylinders and replaced all of the brake hoses behind the panel before he would let me fly it away. We did not paint the firewall because it is perfect. It’s VERY clean with zero corrosion and looks like new. I figured why paint an OEM firewall that is still in perfect condition.

#3 I added interior photos. Just like I said, really dated, but in good condition. Recover the inlays in the side panels, re-cover the seats, and throw in a SCS Interiors carpet kit, and you are good to go with a perfect interior. “I do not have any headrests for this aircraft”. The previous owner who bought it from the original owner when it was approximately three years old said that he did not get any headrests with it. 

 

[NickG]

Thats definitely going to make someone very happy.

[201Steve]

Very cool looking to see all original in good condition. Someone left photos of my airplane before it was upgraded in the log books. Neat find. 

[Slick Nick]

Strange place for a clock…

[mooneyflyfast]

My J SN 1057 built in 1980 is an 81 Model

[icurnmedic]

J model,low time airframe , newer year model, new paint, New engine and prop= Heck of a deal on this plane, IMHO.

For those of you in the market, better take a look here. 

[Frank B.]

Holy Smokes Guys & Gals, what’s up here? I seriously thought when I priced it at $125K, that it was a steal and would sell instantly!

Complete strip and paint, new engine, all new or overhauled accessories, new hoses, new engine mounts, new Good Year FC III tires all the way around, all new wheel bearings, both the engine and prop done by famous shops? Zero fuel leaks!
 

Stop looking at the bond market … it will rebound eventually …. But there aren’t many 1980 / 81 1800 TTSN M20J’s left out there.

Install some Dynon Glass and make this your forever airplane.

I am open to SERIOUS offers ! 

Thanks, Frank

[DCarlton]

I'm no expert but the market does seem to have slowed with inventory growing.  Does it help to have put 10-20 hours on it after the overhaul to shake out any issues?   A buyer might need confidence he can get the plane home for interior and avionics work.  Perhaps a bit more info about the engine overhaul shop; pics with the cowling off, etc.  The plane / price did catch my eye when you posted it.  

[Frank B.]

9 hours ago, DCarlton said:

I'm no expert but the market does seem to have slowed with inventory growing.  Does it help to have put 10-20 hours on it after the overhaul to shake out any issues?   A buyer might need confidence he can get the plane home for interior and avionics work.  Perhaps a bit more info about the engine overhaul shop; pics with the cowling off, etc.  The plane / price did catch my eye when you posted it.  

I added some engine photos to this post. I am hesitant to break it in because no matter how I break it in it’s going to be wrong in someone else’s opinion. I would surely hope that someone could appreciate breaking in a new engine the way that they want it broken in. I would also hope that a recently overhauled engine by a big name engine shop would make it home. I would hate to take this thing back apart and part it out, and I will only do that as a last resort, but it’s looking like I can sell the fuselage, engine and prop all separately for substantially more that it’s going to bring as a flying airplane. If someone has a serious offer / interest in the aircraft, and brings money to the table, we can put 10, 20, 30 or every how many hours they want to put on it locally before they take delivery of the aircraft.

[ArtVandelay]

I'm no expert but the market does seem to have slowed with inventory growing.  Does it help to have put 10-20 hours on it after the overhaul to shake out any issues?   A buyer might need confidence he can get the plane home for interior and avionics work.  Perhaps a bit more info about the engine overhaul shop; pics with the cowling off, etc.  The plane / price did catch my eye when you posted it.  

Flightaware shows this tail number belongs to a Cessna 310 and hasn’t flown since 2006. So that brings up a lot of questions.

Such low hours (41 hours per year) is not considered a good thing.

Asking prices have dropped about 7% since last year, but it’s not like the market has crashed.

[DCarlton]

 

[201Mooniac]

The FAA registry shows N1156P as belonging to this M20J.  Maybe flightaware got it wrong.

[ArtVandelay]

The FAA registry shows N1156P as belonging to this M20J.  Maybe flightaware got it wrong.

Probably, I wonder why?

[Frank B.]

Since we all know that ADS-B didn’t exist 18 years ago, we can discount that. Use the FAA Website to search registrations, not FlightAware.

Dustin bought the airplane, with my assistance, and due to a few major changes in his life he decided that aircraft ownership was not currently in his cards, so I got the airplane back and done the engine and prop. You can reach out to Dustin on this site and verify this. Cody Stallings at Stallings aircraft can confirm that he done the prop for me.

As for the N number being to a 310, boy I can’t help you with that one, maybe try using the FAA Aircraft Registry instead of FlightAware and you will see that it’s a dealer registry, to me, Bullard Aviation Services, Inc. 85 Hangar Way #10 Ormond Beach, FL 32174. Federal Dealers License # D008442.

https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/Search/NNumberResult
 

This N number has been assigned to this aircraft since day 1 and I have know this airplane since at least the mid 80’s. 
 

Thanks, Frank

 

[Frank B.]

6 hours ago, ArtVandelay said:

Probably, I wonder why?

Use the FAA Website to check aircraft registrations. ADS-B did NOT exist back then. N1156P has always been with this aircraft since day 1, brand new.

 

Thanks, Frank

[Frank B.]

6 hours ago, ArtVandelay said:

Flightaware shows this tail number belongs to a Cessna 310 and hasn’t flown since 2006. So that brings up a lot of questions.

Such low hours (41 hours per year) is not considered a good thing.

Asking prices have dropped about 7% since last year, but it’s not like the market has crashed.

Art, it’s a real and legit ad. I am the real owner. It’s a M20J, not a 310 Cessna. Look at the FAA website. Not FlightAware. ADS-B did not exist back then. This aircraft has obviously NOT flown 40 hours a year. It flew a lot of hours for a few years, then was put away in a climate controlled hangar. I purchased it for a friend / associate Dustin P. He decided not to do the restoration so I got the aircraft back. I had the engine overhauled and the prop done. The rest of the work was done in my shop by my A&P/IA. Come look at the airplane. It’s like NOS. Very CLEAN, very NICE, but unfortunately still has the older avionics. It’s a ONE OF A KIND super nice, very low time, M20J. 
 

I personally think the market has crashed. Maybe asking prices have came down by 7%, but sales have all but stopped. I figure most people that would see this airplane for what it is and have a serious interest in it are like me and will take advantage of the lower market to BUY BUY BUY BARGAINS BARGAINS BARGAINS !
 

This aircraft is totally and legitimately, in my opinion, one of the cleanest nicest low time 201’s in existence. Its rarity should command that special buyer that is looking for his forever airplane. Install the transponder that comes with the airplane and fly it like it is or take advantage of the super affordable Dynon Certified Avionics and build the glass dream panel. 
 

Thanks, Frank

[NickG]

Frank. Looks like a lovely J. The market has not crashed but rather taken a breath. Many buyers on the sideline waiting for the new administration to bring back 100% bonus depreciation.

[AJ88V]

I like this airplane - and it's actually on my 'consider' list.  All the planes I like fall into the "good, fast, cheap, pick two" paradigm, but for planes it's "instruments, engine, cosmetics, pick two".  Avionics will easily pop this one up $30K to $70K.  Nice that it's a J model (the Mooney I'd be most interested in) and your comments about Dynon are spot on with the autopilot.  That would make this one hell of an airplane.  But the current price alone would tap out my budget.  Like I said, pick two.

[Frank B.]

2 hours ago, AJ88V said:

I like this airplane - and it's actually on my 'consider' list.  All the planes I like fall into the "good, fast, cheap, pick two" paradigm, but for planes it's "instruments, engine, cosmetics, pick two".  Avionics will easily pop this one up $30K to $70K.  Nice that it's a J model (the Mooney I'd be most interested in) and your comments about Dynon are spot on with the autopilot.  That would make this one hell of an airplane.  But the current price alone would tap out my budget.  Like I said, pick two.

I actually have a “tentative contract” on the plane. The contract is based on his trade in being “as represented” when it gets here. These days I don’t count any deal closed / sold until the funds are in my account. 
 

Frank

[AJ88V]

13 hours ago, Frank B. said:

I actually have a “tentative contract” on the plane. The contract is based on his trade in being “as represented” when it gets here. These days I don’t count any deal closed / sold until the funds are in my account. 
 

Frank

 Good luck, Frank.
I’m not able to move that fast.
Looks like a heck of a plane.

[Flyler]

This is beautiful.

[Frank B.]

20 hours ago, Flyler said:

This is beautiful.

Thank you.

My trade deal fell through. The seller lost some log books for his trade in.

I feel it’s a very rare aircraft for the person looking for a long term airplane and don’t need a turbocharger. 

I could arrange a phone call, for any serious buyer, with the msn who took possession / ownership of this airplane when it was three years old and owned it until such time as Dustin and myself bought the aircraft and took possession of it.

 

Thanks, Frank

[billy hellcat]

Nice!   I have a Nice C for trade. Looking for my forever plane.  

[JBlueSkys]

Hello, is this J still available?

 

[Frank B.]

On 1/26/2025 at 1:05 PM, Slick Nick said:

Strange place for a clock…

I would call it unique, not strange, but Mooney did do some very “Unique” things. I would have to wonder if Roy LoPresti were still alive today, if Mooney wouldn’t still be building airplanes.