How crazy is buying a 60 year old 172...

Juliet Hotel said:
And not having seen it, you know that its actually in any condition to be flying how exactly?
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it flew for 75 hours last year why wouldn't it fly more?
Lots and lots of old aircraft are ugly as hell but fly very nicely
 
Sometimes the price is both too good and true. Take the case of this 210...

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/february/pilot/ownership

(Excerpt)
Art Friedman of Santa Paula, California, went shopping for that very Cessna 182 he was convinced would make a “serious traveler” that could haul four people, two dogs, and luggage. “When I rolled up to the ramp in my Cessna 150, I could tell [the 182] was a rat without every getting out of my plane,” Friedman said. While he was checking out the 182, the airplane broker came out to greet him, and agreed that the 182 was not a great prospect.

“Would you be interested in a 210?” the broker asked.

“I can’t afford a 210,” Friedman said.

“Oh, I’ll bet you can afford this one,” the broker said. He led the way to a 1964 Cessna 210D with recent avionics, and quoted an asking price less than the fixed-gear Cessna Cardinals, Piper Cherokees, and comparable airplanes with “coal-burning radios and peeling paint” Friedman had considered. The 210’s owner was being forced to sell the airplane in a divorce. Friedman bought the aircraft and flew it 18 years and 4,000 hours.
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asicer said:
Sometimes the price is both too good and true.
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And then there are those who's mission is to go fly as cheaply as they can, and a 8k 172 pops up.
 
I bought my Toga at what I considered a “red flag” kinda deal.” Hangar rent was due and the widow wanted to sell ASAP to avoid any more expenses on the plane. I just got lucky and saw the barnstormers add first. Yeah I was nervous but there’s risk in buying airplanes.

It’s 8k. I’d say if you’re new to aviation and 8k is much more than some extra spending money then it may not be the right plane. If you’re pretty well versed with the possible risks and have $8k to burn then why not.
 
yup....and if $8k is all you gots....this is not the plane for you. You'll need an additional $8-15k for potential problems to "own" this.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
yup....and if $8k is all you gots....this is not the plane for you. You'll need an additional $8-15k for potential problems to "own" this.
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That is some thing that applies to any aircraft you buy. I've always advocated you use 50% of your budget to buy, and 50% to fix.
 
Brad Z said:
I’ve got no skin in the game but my advice is if you’re going to be a successful “bottom feeder” in the used aircraft market, you’d best know what you’re doing. That means you’re 1) either an A&P, or have close access to low cost A&P willing to oversee your work, 2) access to low-cost parts and supplies, and 3) are willing/able/patient enough to be able to part out the plane if necessary and have the facilities to do so. While someone like Tom-D might meet this criteria, for most of us picking up an airplane like this represents buying someone else’s headache of decades of deferred maintenance. Most likely if you meet this criteria, you’re not coming on a pilot forum asking if it’s a good idea; you’d have already peeled off some bills—-or alternatively ran for the hills—depending on what you saw taking a closer look.
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Wondering what happens when you just fly the aircraft ? to hell with fixing the ugly stuff, Just keep it safe to fly. and by the way. 5 PSI is the minimum oil pressure for the 0-300 at idle. most of these old gauges are way off calibration. So if the gauge is showing anything, it is good to go.
 
You could spend $40K for one just out of annual and have a wing fold up. At $8K I would be likely to know more and trust it more because every single structural part would end up inspected and the engine would be checked over as completely as humanly possible without taking it off the mount. Stuff happens. Cirri have failures, go figure. If you have the cash to spare and some time to play with it, just do it. Somebody's gonna snap that up to fly or to part, won't be there long.
 
At 8k and it’s flying ,go for it.
 
Tom-D said:
Where did that come from?? some one has a over active imagination. ?
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No. Someone reads.

Caspar said:
Lots, but nothing that I know so far that prevents it from flying for another 6-12 months, don’t park it on a hill, no need to do VOR checks, gotta find a compass somewhere or use the sun...
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Tom-D said:
You could say that about any aircraft. How do you know your aircraft won't brake next flight?
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I hope any aircraft I operate will brake next flight. Preferably during the landing part and possibly during the taxi part.
 
Tom-D said:
Where did that come from?? some one has a over active imagination. ?
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Yes, very

Caspar said:
Lots, but nothing that I know so far that prevents it from flying for another 6-12 months, don’t park it on a hill, no need to do VOR checks, gotta find a compass somewhere or use the sun...
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Tom-D said:
I am amazed at how much people on POA can find wrong with an aircraft they know nothing about.
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Some of us are mechanics that have run into these "bargains." And some are folks who have friends who have bought such airplanes. It really doesn't take that much to render an old airplane unairworthy, and if there's enough serious corrosion, the parts aren't worth anything either. An "original panel" is likely full of ancient, worn-out instruments.

I would start into it thinking that it's a restoration project. If it turned out to be a really clean airplane for its age and hours, that would be a BIG bonus. Like winning the lottery, and we know how much chance there is of that.
 
Dan Thomas said:
Some of us are mechanics that have run into these "bargains." And some are folks who have friends who have bought such airplanes. It really doesn't take that much to render ANY airplane unairworthy, and IF there's enough serious corrosion, the parts aren't worth anything either. An "original panel" is likely full of ancient, worn-out instruments.

I would start into it thinking that it's a restoration project. If it turned out to be a really clean airplane for its age and hours, that would be a BIG bonus. Like winning the lottery, and we know how much chance there is of that.
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Fixed that for ya. and that's a big If. As stated some one did find some corrosion and fixed it..Wouldn't it be normal routine if you found some you'd look for more and fix it too?
 
Tom-D said:
Wouldn't it be normal routine if you found some you'd look for more and fix it too?
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Sure. If you were an honest mechanic working with an honest owner who was willing to fork over the cash necessary to do the required repairs. If you're not an honest owner, you might be inclined to find a mechanic who had a similar approach to honesty in order to get the annual signed off. I know, I know, that NEVER happens in your world. But I don't live in your world. And before you start making accusations about anyone claiming to 'know' things about a plane they've never seen, I am NOT claiming to KNOW the condition because I don't. And that's the point. I don't know and you don't either. What this all comes down to is certain people see a rough plane being represented as airworthy for an asking price that is extremely low, they assume the best and see potential value. That would be you. Others fear the worst and see potential nightmares. That would be me. Neither position is wrong.
 
If the engine runs it’s probably worth 8k to an airboater at minimum. If you want that hassle.
 
Juliet Hotel said:
Sure. If you were an honest mechanic working with an honest owner who was willing to fork over the cash necessary to do the required repairs.
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Was it stated, 5k was spent at the last annual.
There's no indication in this thread that anyone was cheated or the annual was a paper chase.
Every one is not out to cheat you.
 
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Salty said:
If the engine runs it’s probably worth 8k to an airboater at minimum. If you want that hassle.
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IF ..... the engine has low hours good compression (less than 1000) I have a owner that will pay $10,000 for it today.
This engine should be a 0-300-A those crank shafts are as rare as chicken lips.
Aircraft Speciality sells the 0-300-D (which are not rare) for $9,000 add $1000 if you don't have a core.
If this 172 is 60 years old, it will be an early straight tail, they are highly sought after aircraft. The cheapest one I've seen sold in the last year, went for 30k and it needed work.
 
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Tom-D said:
Was it stated, 5k was spent at the last annual.
There's no indication in this thread that anyone was cheated or the annual was a paper chase.
Every one is not out to cheat you.
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No indication is wasn't cheated either. Not everyone is out to cheat you, only cheaters.
 
Tom-D said:
A little corrosion ? I'll bet I can find a little corrosion on your aircraft. All metal aircraft have corrosion, and I'd expect a 60 year old aircraft to have corrosion.
Doesn't mean it isn't airworthy.
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Airworthy is a paper chase, often unrelated to the real structural integrity of an airplane. It might be sound, but I'd look a lot closer, since corrosion has had 60 years to progress, versus 25, or 35, or 45. The process is usually slow-ish. And there are some very difficult places to examine in this airplane. The risk of hidden, significant damage is higher, all other things being equal.
 
Sundancer said:
??????? . . . uh, yes, it's true; corrosion risk increases with aircraft age across models.
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So the older models are scrutinized more carefully than the new.

That IMHO is why some corrosion was found and 5k spent on the last annual.
 
This was a 5k 172 in 2005, see what can be done.
It was in horrible condition, it had sat in a hangar in Hoquiam Wa for well over 20 years.

now completely restored
 

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