Anyone want to talk me out of...

Avionics access it from a panel outside the plane which
is tricky to re-seal.

True for earlier models, not on the M20J.

Just could not stay out of this one.
A partner and I bought a 1977 Piper Archer in June from a private source in
California.
Negotiated $52,000 which reflected low hours airframe, high time engine and
original avionic stack and some minor pre-buy issues.
We reckoned on spending $5,000 to fix the pre-buy squawks and assumed that a
paint job was needed as it looked faded and very dull.
Flew it home to Ohio, what a trip that was !
The squawks are now all fixed well within the $5,000 budget and after a
couple of days of hard graft with a cyclo buffer and a lot of elbow grease
we a really have a great looking plane that does not need painting.
We have put 50 hours on it so far and we reckon we had a good deal.

Go for it Jon, the best think I have done this decade !!

Roy Page
Beloit OH 44609

"Jack Allison" wrote in message
...


Jon Kraus wrote:

buying my first airplane?
Heck no! Besides, we need some fresh meat around here when it's time for
your first annual :-)

Hope all goes well Jon. Some day, I'll be in your shoes. I look forward
to copying your sig. line student aircraft purchaser.


--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL, IA Student

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

Thanks Roy... We just got back from the pre-buy. Only about $300.00
worth of squawks adn the owner is going to take care of them. Gave him
the down payment and should take delivery maybe by the end of the week.

Jon Kraus
PP-ASEL-IA
Student Mooney purchaser

Roy Page wrote:
Just could not stay out of this one.
A partner and I bought a 1977 Piper Archer in June from a private source in
California.
Negotiated $52,000 which reflected low hours airframe, high time engine and
original avionic stack and some minor pre-buy issues.
We reckoned on spending $5,000 to fix the pre-buy squawks and assumed that a
paint job was needed as it looked faded and very dull.
Flew it home to Ohio, what a trip that was !
The squawks are now all fixed well within the $5,000 budget and after a
couple of days of hard graft with a cyclo buffer and a lot of elbow grease
we a really have a great looking plane that does not need painting.
We have put 50 hours on it so far and we reckon we had a good deal.

Go for it Jon, the best think I have done this decade !!

Roy Page
Beloit OH 44609

"Jack Allison" wrote in message
...


Jon Kraus wrote:


buying my first airplane?

Heck no! Besides, we need some fresh meat around here when it's time for
your first annual :-)

Hope all goes well Jon. Some day, I'll be in your shoes. I look forward
to copying your sig. line student aircraft purchaser.


--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL, IA Student

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

Thanks Roy... We just got back from the pre-buy. Only about $300.00
worth of squawks adn the owner is going to take care of them. Gave him
the down payment and should take delivery maybe by the end of the week.

Ooooo, boy, the hands are really starting to sweat now...

Respiration and blood pressure are up, too.... hand writing is
illegible...easily distracted at work...time seems to drag...the sky is
perfect VFR...

Yep, you've got "The Fever"!

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

The bottom is starting to fall out of aircraft prices. Exactly like it did
in the 80s. The forecast is up to a 50% drop in value over the next
couple years. Fuel prices are getting ready to double, provided
it's still available. Anything that won't burn auto gas isn't going to fly.



"Jon Kraus" wrote in message
...
buying my first airplane? Better hurry because Monday we have the prebuy
inspection to go thru. If that goes well then probably by the end of next
week I'll be an airplane owner (co-owner actually). I have really gotten
a lot out of this and the Mooney owners news and email groups. It appears
that we have found a clean '79 M20J for a decent price. I am paying more
then I originally bugeted but welcome to aviation right? I figure that I
would take the plunge in a plane that I can use for a while with out
feeling like I need to upgrade right away. I have a feeling that that is
what would happen if I would have bought a 152 or Warrior. The Mooney can
hold 4 people and cruise at 150 knots on 10 gph. I think that will satify
me for a while anyway. Anyone have any regrets about airplane ownership
they care to share?

Jon Kraus
PP-ASEL-IA
Student Mooney purchaser

Amazing..... it's like your a fly on the wall observing everything I am
experiencing... :-)

Jon Kraus
PP-ASEL-IA
Student Mooney owner

Jay Honeck wrote:
Thanks Roy... We just got back from the pre-buy. Only about $300.00
worth of squawks adn the owner is going to take care of them. Gave him
the down payment and should take delivery maybe by the end of the week.


Ooooo, boy, the hands are really starting to sweat now...

Respiration and blood pressure are up, too.... hand writing is
illegible...easily distracted at work...time seems to drag...the sky is
perfect VFR...

Yep, you've got "The Fever"!

;-)

Jon Kraus wrote:

Amazing..... it's like your a fly on the wall observing everything I am
experiencing... :-)

Look over your left shoulder. See that speck about 7 feet up? That's Jay.

George Patterson
If a man gets into a fight 3,000 miles away from home, he *had* to have
been looking for it.

"NYJim" wrote in news:eed6d.1673353$ic1.169999
@news.easynews.com:

The forecast is up to a 50% drop in value over the next
couple year

Excellent ! Sr22's for under $100K

Funny I thought that the market was starting to come back some... Are
you sure you're not just a Democrat fear monger? :-)

Jon Kraus
PP-ASEL-IA
Student Mooney owner

NYJim wrote:
The bottom is starting to fall out of aircraft prices. Exactly like it did
in the 80s. The forecast is up to a 50% drop in value over the next
couple years. Fuel prices are getting ready to double, provided
it's still available. Anything that won't burn auto gas isn't going to fly.



"Jon Kraus" wrote in message
...

buying my first airplane? Better hurry because Monday we have the prebuy
inspection to go thru. If that goes well then probably by the end of next
week I'll be an airplane owner (co-owner actually). I have really gotten
a lot out of this and the Mooney owners news and email groups. It appears
that we have found a clean '79 M20J for a decent price. I am paying more
then I originally bugeted but welcome to aviation right? I figure that I
would take the plunge in a plane that I can use for a while with out
feeling like I need to upgrade right away. I have a feeling that that is
what would happen if I would have bought a 152 or Warrior. The Mooney can
hold 4 people and cruise at 150 knots on 10 gph. I think that will satify
me for a while anyway. Anyone have any regrets about airplane ownership
they care to share?

Jon Kraus
PP-ASEL-IA
Student Mooney purchaser

Jon Kraus wrote:

Funny I thought that the market was starting to come back some... Are
you sure you're not just a Democrat fear monger? :-)

No, he's a broker and hoping to scare people into selling out cheap.

George Patterson
If a man gets into a fight 3,000 miles away from home, he *had* to have
been looking for it.