Looking for C172N/P airport ads..

Lukas

Lukas

Filing Flight Plan
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Lukas
Hi everyone.
We've been looking for a 172 N or P for months now.
No luck. The market is unbelievably dry.
The only 172s left are either very high time or overpriced..

Could anyone help me?
If you see a local airport ad for a 172 could you please take a picture and PM it to me?
Or if you know someone who is selling their 172 please let me know.

Were no delaers, just two friends looking for a plane.
Hopefully something less than 6000TT and below 1200SMOH within $50k..
Thank you
 
Seriously?

I have never heard of someone having a hard time finding a 172 for ANYTHING, its like the Honda accord of airplanes
 
UngaWunga said:
Why an N model? They had that funky engine no one likes.
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Doesn't make it a bad engine. Run it on a regular basis and it's just fine. I'd have no problems purchasing an H2AD, although it wouldn't be my first choice. Running CamGuard has virtually solved the issues without extensive maintenance.
 
Ryanb said:
Doesn't make it a bad engine. Run it on a regular basis and it's just fine. I'd have no problems purchasing an H2AD, although it wouldn't be my first choice. Running CamGuard has virtually solved the issues without extensive maintenance.
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Agreed. The one in my 172N went to about 1850 hours before the first overhaul; and was running well at over 1750 SMOH when the decision was made to replace it with the O-360. Conventional wisdom is that the H2AD engine doesn't like cold climates -- but my airplane spent its first decade based at 6,000' elevation Truckee CA, which gets really cold in the winter.

The 172N was built for the 1977-80 model years, but there are differences. 1978 and newer have the 28-volt electrical system; and the 1979 and newer have the higher allowable extension speed for the first 10 degrees of flap (also available for older Ns with the Air Plains flap limit/increased MGW STC)
 
UngaWunga said:
Why an N model? They had that funky engine no one likes.
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Not many of them still have that engine. Most have been upgraded to the O360. But in my experience, putting the bigger engine in the N results in perpetual CHT issues. I have seen several that could never get a handle on that problem. Including mine, which I finally "upgraded" to a Bonanza. I couldn't be happier now.
 
JOhnH said:
Most have been upgraded to the O360. But in my experience, putting the bigger engine in the N results in perpetual CHT issues. I have seen several that could never get a handle on that problem.
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Curious. My 172N/180 has a 4-cylinder CHT gauge, and the hottest cylinder (#3) never gets above 380 or so, even in a climb on a hot day. In cruise it's usually about 350-355, and the others are cooler. Mine has the Maple Leaf fairing over the hole where the exhaust stack exits from the cowl. I'm told that helps keep air in the cowl flowing in the right direction, helping lower CHTs.

One advantage to the 180 hp conversion is that it allows you to maintain decent rates of climb at higher airspeeds, thus keeping the engine cooler.
 
The flight school in the PNW where I got my PPL had like 4-5 172Ns, also had their own shop, last I checked they are still running the same planes and I don't recall 180hps in many of them.
 
I did all my training in two 1979 172Ns...nice airplanes. 160HP
 
Had a 79 172N with Air Plains 180 hp and loved it. Zero cooling issues. Sold it with 1900 hours on the engine and it was still running like it was new.
 
arnoha said:
I thought, too, that it couldn't be hard to find an N model. I've flown plenty. But then I saw this:

http://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/1456921/1976-cessna-172n-skyhawk

$232,000!!!! And still only 160HP. Does this plane make sense to anyone?
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Ascend 172 by Yingling... Hadn't heard of it. Sounds like they rebuild these old birds with new parts and modern avionics. ADS-B in and out. Nice.

But they should have upgraded to a 180 HP engine for that price and even so I'm not sure why anyone wouldn't just get a new one for a little more if they absolutely had to have a "like new" plane. So no it doesn't make sense to me.
 
Ryanb said:
Doesn't make it a bad engine. Run it on a regular basis and it's just fine. I'd have no problems purchasing an H2AD, although it wouldn't be my first choice. Running CamGuard has virtually solved the issues without extensive maintenance.
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Just remember that running Camguard does not satisfy the requirements of AD 80-04-03 R2...

Even without running Camguard there doesn't seem to be much, if any more problems with the H2AD engines than other Lycoming engines these days. One of the local flight schools has an H2AD powered 172N that has been regularly run out to 2400ish hours between overhauls and hasn't ever had Camguard in it.
 
Cavorter said:
Ascend 172 by Yingling... Hadn't heard of it. Sounds like they rebuild these old birds with new parts and modern avionics. ADS-B in and out. Nice.

But they should have upgraded to a 180 HP engine for that price and even so I'm not sure why anyone wouldn't just get a new one for a little more if they absolutely had to have a "like new" plane. So no it doesn't make sense to me.
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Because a flight school could almost buy two of these Ascend 172s for the price of a new 172SP?

The way I see it, the target market for these and AOPA's refurbished 152s are flight schools or clubs. I think it could be a good thing for those cases.
 
mondtster said:
Because a flight school could almost buy two of these Ascend 172s for the price of a new 172SP?

The way I see it, the target market for these and AOPA's refurbished 152s are flight schools or clubs. I think it could be a good thing for those cases.
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And it's not even 180hp lol

Let's see, nearly a quarter mil for a 160hp 172N
Or 6 nice 180hp 172Ns
Or 2 nice 180hp 172Ns and a ton of working capital left in the bank for marketing
Wonder which one had a better ROI...
 
James331 said:
And it's not even 180hp lol

Let's see, nearly a quarter mil for a 160hp 172N
Or 6 nice 180hp 172Ns
Or 2 nice 180hp 172Ns and a ton of working capital left in the bank for marketing
Wonder which one had a better ROI...
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Just remember that nice but unrestored airplanes still have lots of components and wiring that may be close to the end of their life cycle, no matter how new the paint, interior, and engine are. That can lead to the planes being shop ornaments if you're unlucky. You could make up for the shop downtime fixing that stuff as it breaks by buying more airplanes or you could buy something nicer and just change the oil and keep them flying.

I personally wouldn't buy one for a flight school, I'd refurbish whatever I got myself. But I can see some value in what they're offering. To be honest, if I had my way I wouldn't even buy a 172 or a 152 with the asking prices on the late model American Champion stuff. But then you'd have to find decent tailwheel instructors and a client base interested in learning in something like that.
 
mondtster said:
Just remember that nice but unrestored airplanes still have lots of components and wiring that may be close to the end of their life cycle, no matter how new the paint, interior, and engine are. That can lead to the planes being shop ornaments if you're unlucky. You could make up for the shop downtime fixing that stuff as it breaks by buying more airplanes or you could buy something nicer and just change the oil and keep them flying.

I personally wouldn't buy one for a flight school, I'd refurbish whatever I got myself. But I can see some value in what they're offering. To be honest, if I had my way I wouldn't even buy a 172 or a 152 with the asking prices on the late model American Champion stuff. But then you'd have to find decent tailwheel instructors and a client base interested in learning in something like that.
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Really?

I learned in a 7AC, and built my hours in a 40s plane I bought, not a re imagine one or any of that nonsense, the downtime of the older aircraft was less than the newer 172s, diamonds, etc.
 
James331 said:
Really?

I learned in a 7AC, and built my hours in a 40s plane I bought, not a re imagine one or any of that nonsense, the downtime of the older aircraft was less than the newer 172s, diamonds, etc.
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Yes, really. I'm not comparing an old Champ with no accessories or electrical system to a new 172, I'm comparing an old 172 that might have a few nice improvements and decent maintenance to a new airframe or a refurbished one. I've been around enough new and old airframes that are similar and have seen the opposite of what you claim, the newer airplanes aren't all used up yet and spend less time in the shop.

There's nothing wrong with old airplanes, I own enough of them. To try and build a business on old and potentially unique airplanes without doing a thorough refurbishment on them seems foolish to me though. You can do it yourself or pay someone else to do it.
 
Man this post took a wrong turn all of a sudden..

I just wanted some help with the local ads out there guys.
And yes, its extremely hard to find a non-ridiculous priced N or P.
Most are engine runouts or 8000+ airframes for $50k and above.
Hence the cry for help
 
Clearing this engine stuff..

Ive researched extensivelly on airframes, engine options, and what i want to buy. Ive flown many of 172s also.
172 Ns come with the H2AD engine that suffered from cam shaft lifters wearing off. Yes the oil with special addictive makes it run without major problems but i still wouldnt buy an H2AD without the 'T-mod' already done (cam shaft replacement job). Its hard to re-sell these engines (people still dont want them).

172 Ps come with a much better D2J. An O-360 is simply out of my price range (you cant get them for less than $60-70k). Unless of course i can find one out there..

So please if you see any local ads for 172 Ns or Ps let me know.
Thank you so much
 
Why not 172I - 172M? They have a Lycoming engine. The L was the switch to the newer style landing gear, and the M had the wing redesign.
 
Lukas said:
Man this post took a wrong turn all of a sudden..

I just wanted some help with the local ads out there guys.
And yes, its extremely hard to find a non-ridiculous priced N or P.
Most are engine runouts or 8000+ airframes for $50k and above.
Hence the cry for help
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Sorry, I know my post took it there. Wasn't my intent at all. Welcome to PoA! Where your thread will go, no one knows...

(Actually, seriously, here and just about any forum I've ever been on...once you release your thread into the wild, it's got its own head. Maybe you get what you want out of it, maybe you don't. But trying to corral it into submission is generally an exercise in frustration.)
 
Welcome to the forum!
Like it or not, you have to expect some thread drift, and possibly even a butt head from time to time. That said, it's a great place to get info or just hang out and kill some time.

http://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/1404001/1977-cessna-172n-Skyhawk


BTW, if you're interested in the one that ChemGuy posted, I'm about 20 minutes away from it by air, and about an hour by land if you need someone to take a preliminary look at it.
 
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Thank you
Will look into it
 
Don't forget the single-shaft dual mag on the H2AD. If it weren't for that, I'd have never learned how to do an emergency forced landing on my fourth and first out-of-the-pattern solo


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Tampico Trauma said:
Don't forget the single-shaft dual mag on the H2AD. If it weren't for that, I'd have never learned how to do an emergency forced landing on my fourth and first out-of-the-pattern solo


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

See post #22. -Skip
 
Tampico Trauma said:
Don't forget the single-shaft dual mag on the H2AD. If it weren't for that, I'd have never learned how to do an emergency forced landing on my fourth and first out-of-the-pattern solo
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Story time! Let's hear it!
 
We had an -H2AD running 2600 hours into its second overhaul. The owner finally relented to the carping of the club president and had it overhauled. Of course, it was regularly flying and maintained in a training situation. Oddly enough, the thing is still flying but the current owner put a Thielert diesel in it.
 
I love the 172P! I have about 100 hours in the model and I think it's the best 172 available. I've flown the 172s and R and while both are newer- the 160hp R climbs line a brick because of the amount of fuel capacity( 53 gallons vs 40 in the P). I flew a 172S for about 100
Hours and it had a 180hp engine. Terrific airplane and lots of fun to fly, but they go for about 70,000 grand more than a P. The P model with a 180hp engine might just be the best 172 out there right now to buy in my opinion! I bet that's why you can't find much out there!
 
When i was looking about 2 years ago I saw the same things. Lots of very high time, overpriced 172s. I was looking for a similar Piper product as they seem to come me in a bit less for similar performance. It just takes a lot of patience. Lots of crap out there, something will come up eventually.

The trick is to know what you really want and jump when the opportunity comes up, the good ones dont last long. Good luck!
 
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