This is going to be a long reply, I'll try to answer everyone the best as I can. Let me start off by saying thank you to all of your input, I got more than I was expecting.
Ryan: I'll give you a different suggestion...If you are stable where you are at, ie not moving anytime soon, why not ship the a/c up to where you are at and work on it up there? It's not that expensive to have a known good aircraft hauler move it to your location.
With the one photo showing some serious surface corrosion, there is a possibility of there being lots more and a chance of some serious problems. Unless you have buckets of AMU's to spend AND have utmost faith in the integrity and honesty of whomever is doing the work, it would be much better to have it closer to you. By having it close and where you can do lots of the grunt work under the direction of an A&P or AI, you won't drop as many AMU's, you will gain tons of experience on maintaining a 185, and you will be ultimately familiar with this particular one. Also having it close will cut down on the back and forth's over do we do this or that when it does arise.
I am just starting with a technical college this year, I will be moving back down to Texas once I am done. I have another friend who told me pretty much exactly the same thing. For now I just need to find a guy who can inspect it thoroughly, and find any problem before it becomes a bigger problem down the road.
No interior is no problem. How you address the panel may get expensive. With the interior stripped and the panel out the fuel system is easily accessible and easy to service. Don't overthink it, it's not a complicated airplane.
It is complicated to me
Anyways most of the stuff is in a shipping container next to the hanger, I would probably need to have most of it reupholstered.
I would really like to put a later style panel into the aircraft, and do my instrument training with it. I had a photo but I can not find it at this time :/
I agree with Craig. This is not a project you want to handle from afar. You need to be able to check on progress periodically.
I don't want to just let some guy work on it and give me no progress updates, or worse misplace the logbooks and certificates. As I said earlier in the post I plan on moving back to Texas after I finish with my two year college program I am taking.
I also agree with Craig. Have the wings pulled and have it shipped to your local shop of preference in MN. You might also consider having the engine pulled down there and sent to a shop for IRAN and then shipped to your shop when it is ready. James also makes a good point on the interior. A little time and money and you could have not only a great plane to fly but possibly a real showpiece as well. Good luck!
There are not really any shops in Minnecolda other than Wipeair that I know of, and are they expensive or what?
It looks like it has had some water corrosion pretty bad as in salt water or sitting water. If it would not hurt your Grantfather's feelings too bad, I would ebay it as is where is. and then use the money to buy something you can fly. Unless you are mechanically handy or looking to become handy. The interior and guages are probably sitting in the hanger. Think about 750 each to overhaul. If you want to fly vs. want to work on a plane while other fly, just ebay it.
I am sure your 185 has sentimental value but you might want to sell the plane as is for someone else to restore.
Take the money from the sale, add the money you are going to spend (lots) and go shop a nice 185. Go fly!
Either way, good luck with it.
I cant sell the airplane, my parents will not allow it to happen. They grew up with it, just as I am about to.
It's not a 172 or a 182, you'll find a "nice 185" is going to be $150,000+. For what it would cost to fix this one up, factoring in he got it as a gift, no way on earth could be just sell it and get a done up 185.
If it were me, I'd bring it up to me, like the others suggested, find a good APIA to work with and do all the grunt work myself and have my AP inspect, teach/dictate and get her done that way.
For the panel, with some of the stuff dynon is getting certified, that might be a good way to go, there are also always folks selling aspens, think there's one for sale on this forum right now for 6k or so, not sure how many primary instruments that replaces however. ASIs and altimeters and such are plentiful on barnstormer and eBay, if needed, overhauls ain't to expensive, if even needed, ether.
If you send the engine, depending on the time and years on the current one, off for overhaul that will get you done firewall forward, look into doing the IO550 swap if you do this, my understanding is it's not much extra work and it WILL increase your resale and performance.
No mater what happens with the airplane, I will make my money back if I have to sell it. I practically got it as a graduation gift that needs a little fixing uping. Like I had put earlier in the post, I plan on doing a late panel conversion for instrument training. I have just enough cash to get it flying again, without a 550 swap. The 550 swap is planed for the future when I make some more cash
Does the plane still have the IO-470 or has it been upgraded to a 520?
It isn't a wreck, right? Any decent Cessna mechanic would have an easy time whipping that plane into shape. The cost will be driven by the panel equipment choices. The rest is simple. Having a TX shop do the work would be a fine choice if you find a shop you trust. It isn't a difficult project and regular updates from long distance are easy with smart phone cameras.
Go to Supercub.org and read the "light 185 project" thread. George Mandes had a '62 that Beegles worked over. He did upgrade his engine but if a light airframes has a healthy IO-470 I'd fly it until it needed replacing.
http://www.supercub.org/forum/showthread.php?32357-Light-185-project
It still has its original IO-470. I am pretty sure they upgraded it to chrome cylinders on the last rebuild. I will check out that light 185, and look into Beegles.
For sure!
I'd wager a beer and a buck that the airframe is going to be OK though.
I wouldn't bet you that, because I would lose! The air-frame has just sat and waited for someone to give it the time of day, nothing should be wrong with it at all.
Thanks again guys, I really want to get this airplane back into the air as quick as possible without spending my entire educational fund. Again the airplane was literally a graduation gift, as my grandfather couldn't fly it anymore. Whatever I put into it, I am pretty sure I will get back out of it.
