"Best" airplane for 35k?

MarcoDA40

MarcoDA40

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Marco
I've been looking at airplanes in the 35k range and have a few in mind but other opinions are helpful..
I want the airplane for mainly medium XC flights and to get my Intrument Rating.. Single engine, 4-place is what I am after..
My cap is at 35k but willing to do 40k (it would have to be a superb deal)
A Cessna 172 would be ideal but not limited to that.. I've seen some pipers and bonanzas that definitely got my attention..
I would like an IFR certified bird, and would probably upgrade avionics with time. I want a platform that would be good in actual IMC and not just to train..
This will probably happen in late November/early December so I still have time to shop around and inform myself better..

discuss
 
Shameless plug, but have you considered a Mooney? You can get a C model for that price. It'll cruise a lot faster than a 172 and will only burn about 8 or so GPH. Insurance isn't bad on them and they're solid aircraft.
 
You gave us your acquisition budget. What is your operating budget? You can get a wide variety of aircraft at that price point these days, from a taildragging Champ to an early Bonanza., but the op costs will vary significantly between the two.
 
LevelWing said:
Shameless plug, but have you considered a Mooney? You can get a C model for that price. It'll cruise a lot faster than a 172 and will only burn about 8 or so GPH. Insurance isn't bad on them and they're solid aircraft.
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I'd love a mooney, can't seem to find them under $50k
 
When considering price, keep in mind that there will be additional costs associated with the purchase as well. These include prebuy inspection, unforeseen maintainance post purchase, sales or "use" taxes etc. In my home state (the USRW, or united socialist republic of Washington) my "use tax" on my 182J was several thousand $$$.
 
Fearless Tower said:
You gave us your acquisition budget. What is your operating budget? You can get a wide variety of aircraft at that price point these days, from a taildragging Champ to an early Bonanza., but the op costs will vary significantly between the two.
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I plan to fly in the range of 200hrs a year, the airplane would be bought with no loan so that cost can be factored out.
I plan on 1200/yr for insurance and tie downs at my local airport are $50/month.
This will be a split ownership 50/50
I'd really like to operate at $60- $70/hr range (dividing my monthly hours with my monthly fixed cost of insurance and tie downs)
 
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MarcoDA40 said:
I plan to fly in the range of 200hrs a year, the airplane would be bought with no loan so that cost can be factored out.
I plan on 1200/yr for insurance and tie downs at my local airport are $50/month.
This will be a split ownership 50/50
I'd really like to operate at $60- $70/hr range (dividing my monthly hours with my monthly fixed cost of insurance and tie downs)
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That helps. Stay away from the early Bonanzas then. I'd look for the best 172 that you can find within your price range.
 
Some Controller.com links - here's 3 with 35k as an asking price, all with low to midtime engines. Any of these will work for you. Go to advanced search and put 35k in the "To Price". Or go up to a little higher, it's possible you can get the price back down to 35.

These are just 3, there are better ones out there.

Mooney M20C - http://www.controller.com/listingsd...0C-RANGER/1970-MOONEY-M20C-RANGER/1266837.htm

Cherokee 160 - http://www.controller.com/listingsd...ROKEE-160/1962-PIPER-CHEROKEE-160/1384949.htm

Piper Warrior II - http://www.controller.com/listingsd...-WARRIOR-II/1978-PIPER-WARRIOR-II/1387819.htm
 
a decent mooney for 35k? one that he won't have to commit another 20-30k between shortly after purchase thru 2020 (ie 4-5 years)??!?! come on now......
 
eman1200 said:
a decent mooney for 35k? one that he won't have to commit another 20-30k between shortly after purchase thru 2020 (ie 4-5 years)??!?! come on now......
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I purchased my C model for a lot less than $35k and aside from needing to upgrade it for ADS-B, it doesn't need anything. There are great planes out there and there are deals to be had. You just may have to be patient and wait for the right one to come along.
 
+1 planes are like icebergs. The acquisition cost is peanuts....

For re-sale and operating costs, you can't beat a 172. It'll do everything the OP wants and do it well.
 
You'd love a Mooney M20C. And they are great Instrument platforms. Mooneys have pushrod control linkages and therefore very stiff controls. This makes them actually quite easy to fly IFR. They tend to stay where you put them.
 
My advise is to join a type club or two. Read about what to look for in a purchase. Get a sense of the values of various planes amd then start a seriuos search for your plane. I believe a plane has 3 components to value....the airframe, engine and avionics. You can trade value in one area for the other or in more than one to lower the cost.
I think any plane you get now is going to need ADSB so figure that in.
Good luck
 
My vote is also for a Warrior II. I owned one and flew the snot out of it for a year and change. Wider than the C-172 (42 vs 39 inches) and 10 more gallons. I did 420NM legs non-stop no problem with plenty reserves. Cheap as heck to operate. PA-28 airframe stupid commonplace and cheap to maintain. Semi-tapered wings are a real upgrade over the hershey bar. I now own an Arrow II and that is the one thing I miss the most about my warrior, the semi tapered wings. The post 78 wheel pants do truly give you 7 knots, the older pants don't do jack to help.

Alternatively you can go the 235 route, but you sacrifice the rear seat room. Personally I'd stick with the longer PA-28 cabins. Pricing on the Archers is a little frothy for what they are, doubly so for the Dakotas. People overestimate the cost delta for mx in Arrows, which is why they are priced lower than their fixed legged cousins. Most of these will still be above your price range though. Good luck!
 
You should be able to get something like an Arrow III, in the 2228 TTAF range with an engine time somewhere near 1510 and useful load around 1003#. Maybe one of the rare '77 or '78s, but the only one I can find is $65k out of Ohio and no one, I mean no one, buys planes out of Ohio so I'm waiting for that plane to come down to the <40k range so I can personally buy it. It really would be the right thing to do all around.
 
Archers in good shape should be in that range.
 
1975 Grumman AA-5 Traveler.

1958 Beech Bonanza J35.

64-71 Mooney M20C.

No brand C or P.
 
I second the vote for a well maintained and nicely equipped Warrior 2. I bought my 1980 model just after getting my PPL (had <50h). Earned my instrument rating in her. Fly the heck out of her (have 550+ h now and average 135h/yr). My son & I fly her from our home in Mississippi to Cleveland OH to Oshkosh back home to Mississippi every summer (1800nm).

Very stable IFR platform. Good on gas ~8gph. My wife, my son, me, light baggage and full fuel gives a range of nearly 500nm. Cheap parts, simple bird. Not much to break. Fabulous small family regional xc plane. Better utility than C172 I learned in and significantly lower acquisition and MX costs.

Only complaints: (1) a bit slow if you want to do a big x country. (My typical xc is 150-300nm where a fast plane is not much of a benefit) (2) climbs like a dog especially in the summer.

Ours has nice leather interior, reclining seats, digital radios, IFR approach GPS, and wing leveler AP. I slicked her up with speed pants. (She'll will cruise near 120kt @ 8000 for the long high trips. Flight plan 107kt for shorter and lower trips.) I keep neck pillow, blanket, compact binoculars, and full box of snacks under my wife's seat. My wife will happily fly in her for two 4h legs in one day. In fact, my wife just about refuses to drive our car on any road trips now. She insists on taking the "little Warrior".
 
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A 172 or a Cherokee 180 would fit the bill. Could find a Grumman tiger or maybe an older beech 35.
 
A close friend of mine recently bought a 1964 Comanche low time, in wonderful shape for $26k. He found it on trade a plane.
 
eman1200 said:
You should be able to get something like an Arrow III, in the 2228 TTAF range with an engine time somewhere near 1510 and useful load around 1003#. Maybe one of the rare '77 or '78s, but the only one I can find is $65k out of Ohio and no one, I mean no one, buys planes out of Ohio so I'm waiting for that plane to come down to the <40k range so I can personally buy it. It really would be the right thing to do all around.
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I bought two Ohio planes this year alone. And three total since 2001.
 
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Alternatively you can go the 235 route, but you sacrifice the rear seat room. Personally I'd stick with the longer PA-28 cabins. Pricing on the Archers is a little frothy for what they are, doubly so for the Dakotas. People overestimate the cost delta for mx in Arrows, which is why they are priced lower than their fixed legged cousins. Most of these will still be above your price range though. Good luck![/QUOTE]

You are so right about the Archers pricing. I just do not get it. A $20K premium for an extra 20 hp! I like Pipers but it has me looking for alternatives. I can get a Arrow for whatpeople want for the Archer.
 
Fly as fast as an Archer at a fraction of the cost in a Grumman Cheetah (160hp). Don't think there is an airplane out there other then the Mooney M20C that can match their combination of low acquisition cost and performance.
 
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For simple/cheap, I'd also say a Warrior II. Faster then a 172 and hauls more. Plus they typically sell for less well equipped.

You can realistically get a 430 equipped one for 35k.

For retracts, it's a buyers market. Tons of nice stuff but operating costs will vary and be higher.
 
Morgan3820 said:
Piper Warrior II. Everything being equal, $10k cheaper than a C-172.
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If we're pinching pennies, have to agree. I like the cessna better, but with the budget definitely consider the Warrior II. Same performance, same maintenance, lower cost to buy.
 
dell30rb said:
If you're actually flying 200hrs/year the extra cost of maintenance for one of these might not break the budget.
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The engine on this one is 1330 and its recommended TBO is 1500. At 200 hours/year, that's less than 2 years, assuming you actually need to overhaul it at 1500 hours. If he doesn't mind the overhaul then it might be worth looking at.
 
dell30rb said:
If you're actually flying 200hrs/year the extra cost of maintenance for one of these might not break the budget.
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If you fly to travel, you might well spend less per mile... and a lot fewer hours.

Great thing is, if you want to fly for fun, no need for speed, it is amazing how low your fuel burn can get in a Bonanza, as low as or lower than a 172, and still faster.

Of course, me, I can't stand to go too slowly.
 
I don't know if it was a "good" price or not, but overall it was what I was willing to pay and am happy with what I got. I fairly recently obtained an arrow 180 for 32500, the avionics are basic IFR.... i.e. still has to be upgraded for ADS-B compliance, but the speed, and fuel burn have been pretty fantastic. Engine has about ~450 SMOH, but the total time was around 7500 hrs.

I keep telling myself I'd love something else, problem for me is, it's seems like each incremental knot above 135 cruising is just very expensive.

The Mooney or Comanche is the cheapest way to go faster than that say a Comanche 250, but my mechanic quoted me a general estimate of around $800 for an annual on the arrow, while a comanche or mooney tends to just be more. I tend to think so far that an arrow is the most knot for the buck...

Added edit:

As for insurance, at the time I purchased insurance had under 150 TT and under 25 Complex, insurance was <$800/yr. through AOPA.
 
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I saw plenty of serviceable Mooneys well within that range. None pretty though. Mine was a little above what the OP specified, but the cosmetics are perfect and it has fuel bladders. It can easily be done.
 
steingar said:
I saw plenty of serviceable Mooneys well within that range. None pretty though. Mine was a little above what the OP specified, but the cosmetics are perfect and it has fuel bladders. It can easily be done.
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OP Should win a plane then trade it for a Mooney.
 
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