I, too, am training in Cessna 172s - and newer ones at that - but I
recently
had a demo ride in an older Piper Warrior and let me tell you that the
Piper
was oh so tasty smooth, responsive and panoramic (damn the single
starboard
door). For me, piloting a Cessna seems like I'm driving a Chevy Vega --
if
you're old enough to appreciate the comparison.

I agree with your assessment (my best friend had a Vega!), but I'll throw
this out for you to chew on:

In the price range mentioned ($40 - $50K) you can get a mid-70s Warrior or
Skyhawk.

Also in that price range, you can get a late '60s Cherokee 180. You might
be able to stretch into a Challenger (the 180 hp predecessor to the Archer),
but it'll be rough and high time.

I bought a '75 Warrior as my first plane, and loved it. However, it was no
speed demon, and it was huffing and puffing at high density altitudes. 150
hp will only take you so far, so fast.

Were I to do it over again, I'd have started with a 180 hp Cherokee,
preferably a post-'72 model. They stretched 'em 5 inches in '72, giving the
Cherokee an actual, usable back seat. I know the original poster said he'd
be solo most of the time, but every now and then it's nice to be able to
actually carry four real people in your 4-seat plane.

Had I done this, I probably would not have needed to sell our plane when my
kids got too big for the Warrior to lift.

Although we truly love our '74 Pathfinder (Cherokee 235 -- there's no
substitute for horsepower!), it cost more than twice as much as our Warrior
did. 33% more performance (in both speed and lifting capacity) cost us 100%
more money.

IMHO, if you can stretch your budget to the 180, you'll be way ahead in the
long run. It's a great half-step up from the 150 horse birds, without
breaking the bank, and you may never want to sell it.

Good luck!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"