10 year sitting plane

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Jameson

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Jguam317
I was looking for a used plane for a decent price and i found a 1965 piper cherokee 140 for pretty cheap. The only problem when i talked to the guy was that after his father died 10 years ago, it hasent been flown. It has just been sitting in a hangar and everything externally looks good but i wanted to know was it really worth getting? I could hire a mechanic to check it out but i want to know if i should even go that far since its not been flown for so long. Last annual was in 2007 and only 125 SMOH.
 
I would run away. Ten's years of corrosion...
All the hoses could be dried out and will crack who knows when.
And then what about the condition of the tanks, both fuel and oil.

Tim
 
Was the engine properly pickled?
 
He doesn't know, his dad did everything, he doesnt even have a license.
 
It's a crap shoot......how good at craps are ya?

as an A&P I wouldn't give more than $5-6K for it.

You could get it all cleaned up....with new hoses and then it takes a dump 2-3 oil changes from now.
 
How much do you think it would cost to repair it?
 
Geographical location plays a role in how well an airplane can pickle. Where is it?
 
Jameson said:
How much do you think it would cost to repair it?
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No possible way to determine such a number without having an A&P look at it. Far too many variables.
 
None of us can give you any more information about this than you already know. Get a mechanic and have them take a peek.
 
In a hangar?

Real world, could go ether way, won't know till you do a prebuy, but it should become pretty clear pretty quick, worth a look IMO
 
General consensus when I've heard this discussion before is to run fast unless you have the ability to do the work yourself and even then it had better be really inexpensive. My expectation of an unpreserved engine is that it's worthless. Rust sets in when an engine isn't flown and such an engine is a crap shoot as to reliability. I like to fly behind reliable engines or more like I don't want to fly behind an unreliable engine.

After the engine, the next thing I'd worry about is corrosion on the airframe. IF that is intact and IF all the controls and instruments are in good shape, then you might get away with only about 25k for an engine. But do you know what intact and good shape looks like?
 
First,need to know asking price,wouldn't trust an engine ,if your not sure it was stored properly. Avionics are most likely way out of date. How much of a gambler are you?
 
James331 said:
In a hangar?

Real world, could go ether way, won't know till you do a prebuy, but it should become pretty clear pretty quick, worth a look IMO
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even then....a bad cam doesn't always rear its ugly right away.....it can take a couple oil changes before it craps out.
 
Yeah I wouldn’t offer more than 5-10k for the airframe itself. By the time you get everything replaced you would’ve spent slightly less on a ready plane

Think about it

New battery
Engine overhaul
Prop overhaul
New spinner
New alternator
New hoses
Possible rewiring many of the avionics
Definitely would have to replace many of the instruments
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
even then....a bad cam doesn't always rear its ugly right away.....it can take a couple oil changes before it craps out.
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And a constantly run, but poorly run, plane will have screwed up jugs or worse, point is you don't know till you prebuy, presuming a often flown plane is in better shape than a plane that sat is equally as foolish.
 
What's the tail number? Send me a PM if you want I can drive by it most likely and give a quick impression.
 
Does the fuel tank AD apply to the 65 140?

If yes then you must remove the fuel tanks (big $ job) to inspect the wing spar for corrosion.

-Skip
 
Yet another rotting plane. So sad. Keep in mind he said the 2007 annual indicated the engine had 125 hours SMOH on it. How long did it take to put 125 hours on it? 10 years? 20 years? When was it overhauled and who did it? And was it a true overhaul, rebuild, factory new, etc?

The irony is the owner is probably thinking he/she can get 30K for it because it's an airplane, but as others said it probably isn't worth near that amount.

IF (and it's a big IF) the engine was pickled when it was grounded, it was hangared and it has even a "basic" amount of avionics in it you would still have to worry about corrosion. Unless the hangar was climate-controlled, or very well sealed, air is gonna get in there along with moisture and in 10 years that can absolutely ruin your day.

As others have said, get a competent A&P in there to look at it and assess the condition. If the owner did everything right you might be OK, but if not, best you can do is part it out and see if anyone wants 1965 avionics...
 
In ten years the registration has expired. run the N at FAA.GOV and see what the status is.

There is no sense in having a fixed pitch prop overhauled and the spinner will be OK.
but the cam in a Lycoming will be ruined. we don't know what cylinders were used at the last overhaul. they could be chromed cylinders and be OK.

Its a crap shoot, invest a couple hundred bucks and have a A&P do an inspection. Might just find a gem. but don't waste your time or money if the registration is messed up. remember you must have the Bill of sale signed by the dead guy or his properly authorized estate executive.
 
I wonder who paid the hangar rent for 10 years? this could be a prime example of a lean by the airport.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
how does a dead guy sign something? :eek:
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Ask this guy
JohnHancockSignature.jpg


His signature is still relevant even though he's dead.
 
An airplane that sits that long becomes a home for birds and/or mice and other pests. They make a mess and their droppings are extremely corrosive to structures of aluminum or steel.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
how does a dead guy sign something? :eek:
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I've bought guns and vehicles from dead guys (heirs), and it wasn't tough...I wouldn't think a plane would be much harder. But there are bigger issues with this plane than a signature.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
Dan.....it's in a hangar. o_O
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Hangars are often homes to birds and mice, too. Especially mice. They can get through the tiniest openings and will live in a place that isn't bothered too much by visitors.

The OP also needs to know that there is no such thing as a cheap old airplane. I'm in the maintenance business and know first-hand what these old things look like inside when they've been sitting a long time. There are numerous places in an airplane that a buyer will never look at; all he sees is the outside and the cockpit and maybe the cowl comes off. He doesn't see the mouse nests in the wings or aft fuselage or above the headliner. I can stick my nose in an airplane's door and tell you if there are mice in it; you can smell them. An experienced nose knows.
 
It should be priced as if it needs a new engine and some other stuff unless you do some research (change the oil and filter, warm it up, change the oil and filter again, look for debris in filter. If none give it compression test. If over 60 engine may have some life left in it). Annual it and fly it (brave you). If its ok and everything works it might be worth a low price. Ive seen them go for as low as $5k. Its really a mechanics plane and he resells it after hes fixed it up. Its a fixer upper. Its not a plane for a new owner or the faint of wallet. Its a plane for an owner that has owned planes or a mechanic and has resources.
 
tawood said:
I've bought guns and vehicles from dead guys (heirs), and it wasn't tough...I wouldn't think a plane would be much harder. But there are bigger issues with this plane than a signature.
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But that is the one that must be dealt with first.. How much money would you spend with out knowing the title can be transferred?
How do you know the guy who died was the last registered owner?
 
tspear said:
I would run away. Ten's years of corrosion...
All the hoses could be dried out and will crack who knows when.
And then what about the condition of the tanks, both fuel and oil.

Tim
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You don't know that it is corroded.
Yes I'll give ya the rubber parts will need changing.
The tanks ?? the fuel tanks are metal, the oil tank is the engine sump. So??
 
Tom-D said:
You don't know that it is corroded.
Yes I'll give ya the rubber parts will need changing.
The tanks ?? the fuel tanks are metal, the oil tank is the engine sump. So??
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And all that metal is exposed to moisture. Further, fuel contains some moisture, and oil holds a lot of moisture as a result combustion processes...
Let alone, how the plane was stored.

Tim
 
In 2008 my brother gave me a 1968 Cherokee that was in a similar situation to yours. It cost me $12,000 and 162 hours of work to get it flying again. Then after 46 hours the engine lost oil pressure on a flight and had to be replaced. Then for the next couple of years something expensive would break every couple of months. It’s been fairly reliable since then, but I would have been way better off buying a well-taken-care-of and frequently flown airplane.
 
Worth looking at? Heck yes! The motor would be the primary suspect for some corrosion. Even if it looks clean I'd keep some maintenance money aside for the unseen. Hoses and wires? Those don't age any faster sitting than they do flying. Pulleys will need some lube, inspections will need to be made, but that all happens at an annual inspection, which this plane will need anyway. I wouldn't fret any about it sitting and would want it inspected just the same as any prospect I was considering.
 
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