In 1990, I bought a '58 182 with the wings in the rafters in the barn and chickens (literally) roosting in what was left of the back seats. But all the parts were there, and they only wanted $5K to get rid of it. Spent two years cleaning, rebuilding, and painting it up, Airtex upholstery, the whole nine yards. One day the then-wife said, "either that plane goes or I do." I sure miss her.
Spent $20K putting in new bladders, getting a country paint job, and reworking every damned bolt and fitting in the airplane. I haven't had but one or two relatively minor hiccups in 27 years. Yeah, the KX-170s are a bit long in the tooth and the steam gauges are really old, but everything on her works perfectly. And, I'm not the least bit ashamed to put her on the line at Oshkosh.
Yes, for some of us it is worth it. If you want to buy her I'd suggest that you come talk to my widow with a sackful of $100 bills because she has a real idea of what she is worth to the right person. The airplane, not the widow.
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Jim