Good buy m20b?

[teethdoc]

1961 m20b. 4500tt, 1000smoh. P&I good 8/10. Current annual. Sat for a few months prior to sale this summer, but flown regular since then lots of Xc trips. Avionics are all old. $24k obo (I think you could get close to $20k). Could you drop a 430w and some Aspen glass and still a good deal? I'm not up for the challenge, but curious.

[Marauder]

The avionics upgrade will eat you out of house and home... An installed Aspen PFD and Garmin 430 (for the street prices I am seeing offered) will cost you close to $20k. Maybe more if you don't have an audio panel to support it.

Wen you say the avionics are old, are you talking 360 channel radios or old analog stuff like a KX-170B. There is old and then there is REALLY old...

[Alan Fox]

Had a B model for years , Great plane....the only drawback is the MGTOW is 2450 , and most stc's are for c models on up.....rudder travel is light compared to the C , can be upgraded with a bellcrank from a yard (about a hundred dollars) 24 K is not a bad value..... Pay close attn to the corrosion on the cage as the older mooneys are not epoxycoated.....make sure the gear has been converted to the lord stacks , 4 mains 3 nose , ......

[stevesm20b]

Sound like a deal to me.

[N33GG]

I will throw a few thoughts and opinions on the pile here...

I recently put a 430W in my aircraft with a Garmin audio panel/marker receiver, a KY 197 comm, KT 76A XPNDR, and a GPS 496 in the glove box. (BTW, The 430W is coupled to an AccuTrak II that works amazingly well for the technology it is.) The only thing new I had to buy new was the 430W, and all the rest was either already in my aircraft (AccuTrak and 496), or in a collection of radios I had from other aircraft I had upgraded in the past (audio panel, comm, and XPNDR). I am extremely pleased with the result of my avionics upgrade, and it made my aircraft much more versatile. However, it did cost a fair amount of money, and my aircraft is a 68 C-Model. My C is a very clean and straight, and I felt it was a worthwhile upgrade for my intended use. Was it a "good deal" to upgrade? It would make my aircraft more attractive to sell if I wanted to, but I doubt I could get my money out of the avionics cash outlay. In fact I am sure I could not get the money back if I sold at this time.

In the past, I have put way too much money into panels of various aircraft because I wanted whatever new technology was available at that time. Rarely have I gotten my money back on such upgrades for various reasons. First is the cost of the install, which is almost always more than you plan for. Next is that technology has moved so fast that what is hot today might not be worth much in a very short few years. Last, but not least, the return on avionic upgrades is very sensitive to the appropriateness of the install. Does the combination of avionics installed make sense with the airframe involved?

I have seen a lot of money spent on another C-Model, and it was indeed a really cool C-Model. But at the end of the day, it was still a C-Model. I feel I am probably at the limit of what I would want to spend on my aircraft panel at this time. I would be even more careful with my money if I were dealing with an older or limited airframe.

Of course, if you have plenty of money and just want to do it, knock yourself out. But it will probably be hard to honestly argue that it is a "good deal".

As always, IMHO FWIW YMMV etc. etc.

[DaV8or]

Sounds like a good deal. Maybe I can see putting a used 430 in it, but Aspen??! Unless you love this particular airplane and intend to keep it for decades, putting an Aspen in it is a silly idea and by no stretch "a deal". It's still a B and is valued as such. Like a lot of vintage owners, you get into the plane cheap and love it, but after a time... many move on to either newer Mooneys, or other aircraft types altogether.

Having said that, I do recognize that there are A,B,C,D,E and F owners that have no intentions of "moving up" and love their planes. If you buy the B and find that it's the perfect airplane for you and you have loads of money, go for it, but beware. Other airplane lust often sets in after a few years. On the other hand, you will be making the next guy real happy, so maybe you can look at it as charity.

[N33GG]

Well said Dave! I agree with everything you posted.

[Wildhorsesracing]

Buy it, fly it and sell it to buy a newer one when you want to upgrade the panel...