Looking at a Comanche 260 on Sunday

A

asgcpa

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CPA
Looking forward to seeing this Comanche on Sunday.....hopefully everything will work out.
 
What year? Let's see some pictures.
 
If it's not local why would you spend any time or effort to look at it without knowing the ask price?
 
Talk to some Comanche brokers and see what a reasonable price is. Then you are better equipped to make a reasonable offer. If you have wild ideas of value then it just creates a situation that is hard to recover from.

As with any of our classic birds you have the hangar queens, tie down queens that never fly, that are neglected, that have shabby or no maintenance or pencil whipped annuals at best. But then you also see the airplane with newish paint, newish panel, newish interior, possibly still not flown alot(average owner flies about 25-35 hrs a year) but everything is well documented and taken care of. The later plane is not likely to be stolen. There might be a brother in law, friend of the widow waiting to see what the sales offers are before he comes in to take the plane for a song. So low ballers play right into their hands. Make a reasonable estimate, be fair and you have a good shot at getting a really good airplane. Low ball and there is a good chance you will be ignored. In any case, once you decide to buy it stay in touch with the widow.
 
Which Comanche 260?

You are close enough to go look at EdFred's 250 . . .honestly - its prob the best airplane for sale right now for $50k out there. . ..
 
Condition is everything. Cover your eyes until you're on your back looking up into the wheel wells, and start your evaluation from there.
Good luck.
 
Chip Sylverne said:
Condition is everything. Cover your eyes until you're on your back looking up into the wheel wells, and start your evaluation from there.
Good luck.
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my wheels wells are pretty dirty . . . but ott - nothing is wrong with them afaik
 
comanchepilot said:
Which Comanche 260?

You are close enough to go look at EdFred's 250 . . .honestly - its prob the best airplane for sale right now for $50k out there. . ..
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Spoke to Ed. Real nice guy, and I am sure his plane is a nice bird. The problem for our group is that it has no autopilot, and that is a must for us. Would be $25K to install. Add another $3,500 for the WAAS upgrade for his 430, and that would bring the plane to $78,500 not including Illinois use/sales tax. Also, the plane we are looking at is abut 7-8 years newer, and is a 260.
 
Tony_Scarpelli said:
Talk to some Comanche brokers and see what a reasonable price is. Then you are better equipped to make a reasonable offer. If you have wild ideas of value then it just creates a situation that is hard to recover from.

As with any of our classic birds you have the hangar queens, tie down queens that never fly, that are neglected, that have shabby or no maintenance or pencil whipped annuals at best. But then you also see the airplane with newish paint, newish panel, newish interior, possibly still not flown alot(average owner flies about 25-35 hrs a year) but everything is well documented and taken care of. The later plane is not likely to be stolen. There might be a brother in law, friend of the widow waiting to see what the sales offers are before he comes in to take the plane for a song. So low ballers play right into their hands. Make a reasonable estimate, be fair and you have a good shot at getting a really good airplane. Low ball and there is a good chance you will be ignored. In any case, once you decide to buy it stay in touch with the widow.
Click to expand...

No other family members fly. Maintenance records are meticulous I am told. Spoke to the A&P and avionics shop that have maintained the bird. A family friend who does not want to buy flies it about 3 hours a month. the paint is older, i.e. very worn, but allegedly interior is relatively newish. They have spent big bucks over the last decade - landing gear totally redone, new mags, new exhaust system. Probably needs the horn AD done. Need to review logs. A&P thinks it is worth between 50 and 60. The family friend is driving the price and it is starting to bug me. We were thinking of offering $52-$55 K if it works out, but have to talk to all partners.
 
Is that the one in Maine? If not, the situation is very similar. If so, they've been trying to sell it for a long time.

asgcpa said:
No other family members fly. Maintenance records are meticulous I am told. Spoke to the A&P and avionics shop that have maintained the bird. A family friend who does not want to buy flies it about 3 hours a month. the paint is older, i.e. very worn, but allegedly interior is relatively newish. They have spent big bucks over the last decade - landing gear totally redone, new mags, new exhaust system. Probably needs the horn AD done. Need to review logs. A&P thinks it is worth between 50 and 60. The family friend is driving the price and it is starting to bug me. We were thinking of offering $52-$55 K if it works out, but have to talk to all partners.
Click to expand...
 
wabower said:
Is that the one in Maine? If not, the situation is very similar. If so, they've been trying to sell it for a long time.
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Not in Maine, but will look it up. This one is not on market per se yet. Do you have a link?
 
I looked at a C model with engine analyzer, fuel flow tied to duel 430w's, HSI, stec 55x, clean 8's across the board listed for $89k. I thought it was a mistake, waited a day to call but when I called it was already sold. It was meticulous. :mad2::yikes:
 
Nope, it's been discussed numerous times on various forums, especially the part about the friend who's involved with the plane. And I could be mistaken about the location as well, could be some other NE spot.

asgcpa said:
Not in Maine, but will look it up. This one is not on market per se yet. Do you have a link?
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Tony_Scarpelli said:
I looked at a C model with engine analyzer, fuel flow tied to duel 430w's, HSI, stec 55x, clean 8's across the board listed for $89k. I thought it was a mistake, waited a day to call but when I called it was already sold. It was meticulous. :mad2::yikes:
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This one apparently is a 260, single 430 not a STEC 55x. Spoke to avionics shop and to upgrade would be about $30,000 to add another 430 W in and change to a 55x. So moving back, we are still at a high of $59,000.

Don;t really know if it is a C model. have to wait to look at logs.
 
What's wrong with the one in Maine? I'm looking at it.
 
Dunno. Some of the POA guys have looked at it before and are more familiar. I just remember reading about it and thought the story was similar to CPA's deal.

Maybe somebody will see this thread and chime in.


cathead said:
What's wrong with the one in Maine? I'm looking at it.
Click to expand...
 
wabower said:
Dunno. Some of the POA guys have looked at it before and are more familiar. I just remember reading about it and thought the story was similar to CPA's deal.

Maybe somebody will see this thread and chime in.
Click to expand...

If it was Mo Schnur's plane we're talking about, there were three things. No IFR gps, high-ish time bottom end, though recently topped well maintained engine, and being a '58 model, didn't have 90 gals fuel. To the good, good airframe mx, nice a/p and new three blade prop. Good bones. I made an offer, but Mo wouldn't talk. He has since passed.

Last I heard, the estate's price was just about where my offer was. Lawreston had the most thread on this one a few months ago.
 
If they go into estate and no one is flying them regularly their value drops like a rock. I think it drops anyway as everyone knows they have no real reason to keep the plane and its a game of chicken to see who blinks first. After the widow holds it a year or two now its worth 35% less because not only is it an estate sale bird but has now become neglected.

Chip Sylverne said:
If it was Mo Schnur's plane we're talking about, there were three things. No IFR gps, high-ish time bottom end, though recently topped well maintained engine, and being a '58 model, didn't have 90 gals fuel. To the good, good airframe mx, nice a/p and new three blade prop. Good bones. I made an offer, but Mo wouldn't talk. He has since passed.

Last I heard, the estate's price was just about where my offer was. Lawreston had the most thread on this one a few months ago.
Click to expand...
 
What's in there that is so important to look at? I owned three of them including a Twink and don't think I ever had reason to do it other than during inspections.

Chip Sylverne said:
Shame on you...:D
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wabower said:
What's in there that is so important to look at? I owned three of them including a Twink and don't think I ever had reason to do it other than during inspections.
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It's been my experience that if an owner cares enough about his bird to see that the wells, trunions and actuators that are out of sight are kept clean, tight and properly greased, you can be reasonably sure there will be very little else on the bird that hasn't been taken care of. Look closely and you can tell if it's been done just for show, or if it's habit. Look at the inspection covers. Are all the little teflon washers there, or are some missing? If the little stuff is half-ass...

As for Joe, I was just yankin' his chain.
 
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No offense - its been over 100F here at Brackett in the sun every day since about July 4th - and the plane wash is over the other side of the field . . . no time to wash the underside and not melt . . . now that its finally cooled off - an airplane wash is definitely in the cards soon.

Interestingly, there is no water close to the hangars here - none at all. So washing under the airplane means a 10 min drive, another 10 min drive, then you need more water . . . its kind of unusual.

But there are plenty of other places to look for a well cared for airplane that does not involve dirty wheel wells . . .
 
Now that we know it is definitely a C model, with that equipment and reported condition and I'm doubtful about $55k getting it done.

asgcpa said:
No other family members fly. Maintenance records are meticulous I am told. Spoke to the A&P and avionics shop that have maintained the bird. A family friend who does not want to buy flies it about 3 hours a month. the paint is older, i.e. very worn, but allegedly interior is relatively newish. They have spent big bucks over the last decade - landing gear totally redone, new mags, new exhaust system. Probably needs the horn AD done. Need to review logs. A&P thinks it is worth between 50 and 60. The family friend is driving the price and it is starting to bug me. We were thinking of offering $52-$55 K if it works out, but have to talk to all partners.
Click to expand...
 
Theories abound at the airport, and I'd be the first to agree that yours is certainly one of them.

Chip Sylverne said:
It's been my experience that if an owner cares enough about his bird to see that the wells, trunions and actuators that are out of sight are kept clean, tight and properly greased, you can be reasonably sure there will be very little else on the bird that hasn't been taken care of. Look closely and you can tell if it's been done just for show, or if it's habit. Look at the inspection covers. Are all the little teflon washers there, or are some missing? If the little stuff is half-ass...

As for Joe, I was just yankin' his chain.
Click to expand...
 
One of my maintenance customers is selling his 260 C. We just did a firewall forward restoration and the tail horn AD. TTAF is 5000, has 90 gal fuel tanks. Century II autopilot. He spent 75K with us and wants 85K. I have flown it. He is buying into a Cirrus. Ron 707 523-2800
 
Sonoma Flight Center said:
One of my maintenance customers is selling his 260 C. We just did a firewall forward restoration and the tail horn AD. TTAF is 5000, has 90 gal fuel tanks. Century II autopilot. He spent 75K with us and wants 85K. I have flown it. He is buying into a Cirrus. Ron 707 523-2800
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Buy it . . . except for the avionix - nice.
 
Again, C model PA 24s hold value really well. Nice birdies.
 
About 3-4 years ago I had the Chance to upgrade to a 71 C model Turbo C and it was a hangar queen that I was going to do a modest restoration on and the guy wouldn't budget from $99K so I passed. It is now for sale for $89k but it has not flown in the last 3 years at all, although it was kept in annual.

This guy might actually be a little crazy....I was thinking $69k 3 years ago today I wouldn't consider it.

SCCutler said:
Again, C model PA 24s hold value really well. Nice birdies.
Click to expand...
 
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