Downside - parts cost a fortune - try C$1600.00 for a mixture cable -
ouch! My friend bought a non Beech cable instead (I believe it was
actually a Cessna one) for less that C$100.00.

Can you do that? If so, I'm definitely going to go that route!

But I still love it - I'm looking for one for myself at the moment -
with the 200hp. I was told that the 200 hp models were all originally
sold as military trainers - don't know how true that is.

There is one (actually two, mine's one of them) on Trade-A-Plane.
There is another A23 with a 200HP conversion on www.controller.com
It actually looks like a sweet deal, but I needed the third row seat.

Adam