Buying Warrior - Guidance ?

OK.... we are planning to make an offer on the1976 PA28-151.

700 SMOH, 60 since top (new Cyls) , 60 on prop, clean annual 2 mos
ago. All logs since new. 7700 Total time.

What should we check, watch out for?

Logs indicate this A/C is on it's 3rd set of Stabilator bearings.. ??

Had a wing repaired after a hit by a runaway baggage cart. (!)

Right wing removed and the skins under the wing walk replaced...
AD's we should peruse?

Dave

Dave,

Spend the money for a very good prepurchase inspection by an A & P who
knows Warriors. It will take a full day (2-3 hours on the logbooks,
the rest on the airplane). If it passes, have the mechanic complete an
annual inspection (it will be about a third done anyway), so you know
you've got an airplane that is in good shape.

Have you gone to the Piper support group websites to ask your question?

All the best,
Rick

I'm studying to do the same thing, and I read about an AD that might
affect you. Apparently, if the plane has any sort of strike, there's
some sort of requirement that the wings be pulled and inspected in some
certain special way. I don't have the specific bulletin in front of
me, but the book I was reading said that Cherokee buyers need to look
for a plane with a clear history, complete log books, or have evidence
that the proper wing strength inspection was performed. Crud, I'm sure
I'm pooching up the description, and I don't have my book with me. If
anyone else knows what I'm talking about, please feel free to jump in.

Here's the details:
There was a wing spar AD controversy in 87/88. A high time Archr
(7,500 hours) lost a wing, so the FAA issued an airworthiness directive
saying that all Cherokees with more then 5,000 hours had to have their
wings pulled for inspection. After a few hundred inspections that
showed the rest of the fleet was essentially fine, they rescinded the
AD and Piper issued a 'mandatory service bulletin (Piper Service
Bulletin 866) that recommends that high time, extreme usage (eg,
pipeline inspection) or aircraft that have encountered severe damage
(such as what you mentioned?) need this inspection within 50 hours of
the event and every 1,600 hours later.

If this service bulletin applies to you, you may want to factor the
cost of having the wings popped off every 1,600 hours (and how long has
it been since the last one? Will you get stuck with this on your next
annual?) for this.

Good luck on the purchase, hope everything turns out good!

Good choice on the Warrior. I bought mine 5 years ago and still think it's
one of the best values out there.

There are relatively few AD's out there on the Warrior and no deal-breakers
but one to watch for is the oil cooler hose replacement (95-26-13) with a
clarification in 1996 (Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin
ACE-96-01). That may cost you a couple of bucks if you decide to get the new
ones but nothing too crazy. Also check out the inside of the muffler with a
flashlight throught the two exhaust pipes to see if the inside is starting
to rust. Having the new copper cables would also add to the value not to
mention really help out on starting.

My A&P as well as others have said that the Warrior is one of the easiest
aircraft to work on and the majority of A&Ps are familiar with it. If it
doesn't have it, get a set of wheel pants as it will add about 5-7 knots to
your IAS. Just don't get them through the factory--too expensive!

Hope you enjoy the Warrior. Good luck.

Marco Leon



"Dave" wrote in message
...
OK.... we are planning to make an offer on the1976 PA28-151.

700 SMOH, 60 since top (new Cyls) , 60 on prop, clean annual 2 mos
ago. All logs since new. 7700 Total time.

What should we check, watch out for?

Logs indicate this A/C is on it's 3rd set of Stabilator bearings.. ??

Had a wing repaired after a hit by a runaway baggage cart. (!)

Right wing removed and the skins under the wing walk replaced...
AD's we should peruse?

Dave

On 9 Jun 2005 09:26:57 -0700, "Ben Hallert"
wrote:

Here's the details:
There was a wing spar AD controversy in 87/88. A high time Archr
(7,500 hours) lost a wing, so the FAA issued an airworthiness directive
saying that all Cherokees with more then 5,000 hours had to have their
wings pulled for inspection. After a few hundred inspections that
showed the rest of the fleet was essentially fine, they rescinded the
AD and Piper issued a 'mandatory service bulletin (Piper Service
Bulletin 866) that recommends that high time, extreme usage (eg,
pipeline inspection) or aircraft that have encountered severe damage
(such as what you mentioned?) need this inspection within 50 hours of
the event and every 1,600 hours later.

If this service bulletin applies to you, you may want to factor the
cost of having the wings popped off every 1,600 hours (and how long has
it been since the last one? Will you get stuck with this on your next
annual?) for this.

Just to point out - you do not have to comply with SBs to remain
airworthy. However, non-complied SBs may become a financial issue
upon resale as many buyers consider them AD-like in their importance.

Dave wrote:
snip
AD's we should peruse?


Not an AD, but check the logs to see if SB1006 has been performed.
It involves removal of the tanks to check for corrosion on the spar in
an area that is not normally visible from inspection panels. While
most aircraft that go through SB1006 turn out to be fine, I have seen a
few that required wing replacement over the years.

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)