Well, the next time you see that pretty little blue '58 182 on the ramp in Iowa
City, understand that:

1. I found it in a farmer's chicken coop in Fresno; there were biddy hens
sitting on eggs in the back seat that did NOT want to depart the airframe for my
inspection.

2. The wings were off, but the cropduster owner told me that they were in
"perfect condition" in a barn fifty miles away. This happened to be the truth.
Not only perfect condition, but aftermarket corrosion preventive inside the
wings all over.

3. The internal plastic fairings (instrument cover, side panels, door covers)
were in a barn fifty miles in the OTHER direction. Again, the cropduster owner
told me that they were all in perfect condition. This happened to be the truth.

4. The paint was peeling in a dozen directions from hens roosting on the
elevator, rudder, and fuselage.

5. They stopped flying it because the engine had a "real bad knock in it". It
turned out to be a defective starter adapter plate. It could have been an
engine bearing. That is the crapshoot.

6. It had a midtime engine overhauled by a company that had since gone out of
business. The company did NOT have a savory reputation. Five of the six
cylinders were chromed back to standard. The sixth was bored oversize. Just a
bit shakey when it started.

7. There were zero radios in the stack. Zero. We ferried it home on a
handheld.

8. On the way home, the horizon was about 45° to the real horizon, the DG kept
a constant course no matter which way I turned, and the turn coordinator didn't.

9. The paperwork was...ummm..."cropduster correct." Even as an A&P IA, it took
me damned near a year to get a handle on the "undocumented mods" and installed
equipment with not even a HINT of how, who, or when it was installed. (And, in
a couple of instances, what it DID.)

10. On the other hand, I got a C-182 with a mid-time engine for $5K. Every
bolt, nut, and screw on it is now new. Every cable on it is new. The radios
are all "JimTagged" and working. The instruments are all overhauled. I've got
a $50K airplane for $25K in parts and one hell of a lot of sweat.

And, I can go to that airplane blindfolded and tell you what every single bolt,
nut, and fitting does. I can also tell you where the weak parts are, and what I
expect will happen should they fail.

It only took me two years to complete the task. You might just consider how
well you know your airplane and what it is worth to you to know just exactly how
well it is constructed and maintained.

Jim





"Jay Honeck"
shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

- While in California I had the chance to look at a LOT of Navions
-
-Whoa. And I though *I* was a risk taker...
-
-Of course, buying a classic Navion is a bit different than buying a
-Cessnoid/Piper/Beech, but still...

Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com