"Douglas Paterson" wrote in message
That does leave me with one teensy questions...:

WHAT THE HELL DO I DO NOW?!?!?!?!?

Oh, that's an easy one.... practice being broke. Just kidding. Sort of.

Or more seriously, sit down with one or two A&P's/AI's and a couple experts
in your make and model, then make a list of things that you need to address
vs a list of things that would simply be nice to do. You've probably
already examined the log books, but once you have possession, go through
them and apply numbers and times to all the accessories.

How old is the vac pump? Mags? Brakes? Tires? Wheel bearings? Hyd, fuel,
vac hoses? Hyd pump? Starter? Alternator? (Belt?) Gyros? etc etc etc...

IF you still have cash in your pocket, you may decide to replace/rebuild
some of the accessories right at the get go, rather than spending extra cash
on non essential items then finding yourself behind the 8 ball when
something goes south.

Search the Service Bulletins and Service Letters. Are their any factory
issued alterations that could terminate any AD's? They could be simple
fixes and save you time and trouble in the long run.

Buy both the maintenance manual and the parts manual for your airplane,
engine, and accessories (if applicable). Talk to your A&P about the proper
consumables and lubricants as well as proper application. Be pro-active on
the inspection and maintenance. Often, an issue found early by the owner
will prove less costly than an issue that propagates until the annual
inspection.

Be prepared for sudden expenses, it will go along way towards keeping your
enthusiasm for ownership intact and growing.

Jim Burns