Help! About to Spend $170K on a Cherokee Six

Seems like a lot of dough for that airplane vw bob. Have you flown one some? they are sort of like a flying kenworth.
 
VWGhiaBob said:
Thinking seriously about buying this plane from Pristine Aircraft (Aircraft Sales Inc.). I has been pretty much restored to better than new condition...1979 Cherokee Six 300.

Has anyone had dealings with this company? Am I nuts?

http://pristineairplanes.com/listing-1979+Piper+Cherokee+6+300-146.html
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The engine was overhauled, not factory reman so it's the old technology.
it has a obsolete small display GPS
it does not have ADSB out ( garmin 327 )
no engine monitor

It looks live a nice plane but for that much money I'd keep looking.
 
Have you considered a motorhome?:D Kidding, good luck with whatever you get.
 
When I run a calculation in VREF, the value comes out to just a bit under what they are asking. Even tho' it's so old, the value is high mainly to low engine / airframe time and like new paint and interior.

Yes...Jim...I fly a Saratoga all the time. Love the PA32 series...major load hauler! Not the lightest controls out there, but hey...love the useful (1,500) and the luxury for passengers.
 
VWGhiaBob said:
When I run a calculation in VREF, the value comes out to just a bit under what they are asking. Even tho' it's so old, the value is high mainly to low engine / airframe time and like new paint and interior.

Yes...Jim...I fly a Saratoga all the time. Love the PA32 series...major load hauler! Not the lightest controls out there, but hey...love the useful (1,500) and the luxury for passengers.
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If you're happy with the deal then it's a good buy for you. It's a very nice plane, but not the one for me. Are the things that are important to that broker/firm, important to you? If so, then buy it. If not, what are you willing to not get to get a lower price?

Seems to me you could get most of what that plane offers for less money. Maybe that's important, but maybe it isn't. Only you can answer that part.
 
jtheune said:
The engine was overhauled, not factory reman so it's the old technology.
it has a obsolete small display GPS
it does not have ADSB out ( garmin 327 )
no engine monitor

It looks live a nice plane but for that much money I'd keep looking.
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The engine is always going to be old tech, all our planes are. As long as the overhaul was done right, its fine. Get a oil analysis done, compare the climb and cruise numbers to the book on your test flight, look it over.

The GPS is more then fine, guess you don't know much about these things, a GNS430W is a great unit.

My only gripe on the GPS side is that the plane should have a GNS530W too, or at least a MX20 MFD to compliment that 430, for real IFR work.

I would also want to see a HSI of some kind, but that's just me. I fly a good deal of night/IFR for work so a HSI, EHSI or PFD is a big deal to me.

Overall, its a pretty bird, seems all there (of course get a prebuy, blah blah), the times seem OK.

Now for a comparison, I recently purchased a C185F amphib, just as clean, 430/530,traffic,330ES,EHSI,JPI,STEC, WAAS, lower times, for about the same amount, but she's a working class aircraft which I could make living with if I wanted to.

Over all, if the 6 is the plane you want, that sure is a clean one, little light on the avionics suite, but a very clean 6.
 
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Would seem to be a little high on price,would like a better panel for that money. Also would prefer factory reman. It's in the ball park.
 
For $170k it would be worth your talking to a buyer's broker. S/he should be an expert at aircraft valuations and could perhaps haggle the sale price down a bit. I used a broker and it was the best $5k I ever spent because it saved me $20k.
 
run....Joey run. Don't confuse quality and value with that high price. Also, the panel is dated. For that price it should have a G600 and updated GNS equipment.

There are many deals to be had out there....this is a buyer's market.:mad2:
 
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I have purchased two planes from this company. Both are great planes and a good value. PM me your number and we can talk in detail.
 
Yea.. You are in bonanza territory with that price.. And I'm talking model 36.. Heck, might be in the price of a solid twin - including mx...
 
A 6 is a different animal than a Bo, different market, one isn't better.

If it were me, and I wanted a fixed gear, hauler, Id compare the 6 with a U206 with the 550 and wing tip extensions. Having the back country options really makes the airplane.
 
James331 said:
A 6 is a different animal than a Bo, different market, one isn't better.

If it were me, and I wanted a fixed gear, hauler, Id compare the 6 with a U206 with the 550 and wing tip extensions. Having the back country options really makes the airplane.
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Only if you want to fly there....how many people actually want to go "back country" anyway? Me thinks very few. I'm not gonna by a plane with floats for the same reason.
 
James331 said:
A 6 is a different animal than a Bo, different market, one isn't better.

If it were me, and I wanted a fixed gear, hauler, Id compare the 6 with a U206 with the 550 and wing tip extensions. Having the back country options really makes the airplane.
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No doubt (different markets). But wow.. 170k is a lot of coin. I haven't had the opportunity to fly a 206, but that might fit. Goes back to the mission.

(Most of the Bo operators I know operate off small grass strips. Me too..)
 
Having done a long XC in a Six 300 this year (MN to south FL) and back, along with a dozen or so shorter XCs in a turbo-normalized A36, I'd do the Bo in a heartbeat.
 
Looks very nice. I wouldn't pay the asking price, however. In this market they will likely negotiate if you're serious. Still, you will be paying a hefty premium for all that shiny paint and nice leather.
 
Unit74 said:
Only if you want to fly there....how many people actually want to go "back country" anyway? Me thinks very few. I'm not gonna by a plane with floats for the same reason.
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Too bad, flying from airport to airport is cool, having infinite other options is a game changer and is quite addictive.

But hey some folks are paint by numbers types, to each their own.

Back to the OP, that 6 is nice and that's why it's priced like that, I'd compare it to a U206 if I were him, the 206 is quite similar but they sell well, and hold their value REALLY well.

The 206 will do the boring 3k plus foot airport to airport thing, but will also land in the bush, or if it's a factory seaplane (anti corrosion everywhere, beefed up, etc) you will have a much tuffer airframe and options for later on for floats.
 
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James331 said:
The engine is always going to be old tech, all our planes are. As long as the overhaul was done right, its fine. Get a oil analysis done, compare the climb and cruise numbers to the book on your test flight, look it over.

The GPS is more then fine, guess you don't know much about these things, a GNS430W is a great unit.

My only gripe on the GPS side is that the plane should have a GNS530W too, or at least a MX20 MFD to compliment that 430, for real IFR work.

I would also want to see a HSI of some kind, but that's just me. I fly a good deal of night/IFR for work so a HSI, EHSI or PFD is a big deal to me.

Overall, its a pretty bird, seems all there (of course get a prebuy, blah blah), the times seem OK.

Now for a comparison, I recently purchased a C185F amphib, just as clean, 430/530,traffic,330ES,EHSI,JPI,STEC, WAAS, lower times, for about the same amount, but she's a working class aircraft which I could make living with if I wanted to.

Over all, if the 6 is the plane you want, that sure is a clean one, little light on the avionics suite, but a very clean 6.
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If you do some research on Lycoming and Continental engines you will see the improvements over time like roller tappets and different alloys in bearings. These changes get incorporated into factory reman engines but not into a rebuild from a third party.

As for the GPS, I know a great deal about the Garmin line having flow behind them for the last 6 years. The 430 has been replaced and even when it was current it did not have the feature set of the 530. Obsolete does not equal bad, it just means going forward you will have parts and repair issues that you would not have in current hardware. The fact that you would rather have other obsolete hardware instead tells me that you have not kept up with current trends in avionics. This is a high dollar aircraft and so it should have the current tech in it.
 
I just bought one for half of that with better avionics, 3 blade prop, 200hr factory engine and working AC. I could put paint and interior in in for 30k and be 50 k cheaper. I will be down for 3 months but I can rent a ton of airplane for 50k in 90 days.
 
jtheune said:
The fact that you would rather have other obsolete hardware instead tells me that you have not kept up with current trends in avionics. This is a high dollar aircraft and so it should have the current tech in it.
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I like the G1000 line, like proline, like most of the PFDs, just not a fan of the touchscreen on the GTNs.

Also Garmin still has plenty of parts for the GNS 430/530s, a GNS WAAS can shoot every approach a GTN can, and if your vision good enough to fly you shouldn't have a problem reading the "smaller" screen on the GNS.

I'd take a EHSI, 430/530W into the soup any day, and I'll have the same situational awareness as a 650/750, or a glass panel, and shoot any approach they can.

It's all personal prefs, just don't try to say the GNS430/530s are crap units.
 
James331 said:
I like the G1000 line, like proline, like most of the PFDs, just not a fan of the touchscreen on the GTNs.

Also Garmin still has plenty of parts for the GNS 430/530s, a GNS WAAS can shoot every approach a GTN can, and if your vision good enough to fly you shouldn't have a problem reading the "smaller" screen on the GNS.

I'd take a EHSI, 430/530W into the soup any day, and I'll have the same situational awareness as a 650/750, or a glass panel, and shoot any approach they can.

It's all personal prefs, just don't try to say the GNS430/530s are crap units.
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James you really need to go look at the definition of obsolete again. Nowhere in the definition does it say anything abut a unit being crap.
 
I can get you in a nice Vtail with Glass Panels for 40k less.
 
FWIW, I sold my fixed gear Saratoga last year for a little north of $100k. 5500 hours TT and an 800 hour engine. Very nice interior and way better panel than that one has.

That seems VERY steep compared to what else is on the market.
 
James_Dean said:
FWIW, I sold my fixed gear Saratoga last year for a little north of $100k. 5500 hours TT and an 800 hour engine. Very nice interior and way better panel than that one has.

That seems VERY steep compared to what else is on the market.
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I was thinking the same thing. That airplane is at LEAST $50k overpriced.
 
Its a really nice plane with a great panel. Now that is ideal. Garmin 430W with a nav com and a 6 pack! MY kind of panel! I never liked glass panels (I call them ass panels). Anyway, its nice, whether its worth it or not is up to you. Why not offer them 20-30 k less and see what happens?
 
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