I bought a Cherokee 6 for under $30K

FlyingMonkey

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FlyingMonkey
I bought a Cherokee 6 for less than $30k and it changed my life. This is the story of N631BW and its total renovation and resurrection from Engine Overhaul to Avionics to Paint and Interior. I hope you enjoy this video! My family had a great time making it.

 
Love the upgrades. My wife too hates to fly but we have a 6/260.

I am familiar with Jesse's shop. Can you shoot me a PM with some numbers of that panel overlay and the A/P install?

We are getting ready to do the airtex interior. Any thoughts on that?
 
Nice video. Thank you for posting. Beautiful plane (and top notch video production) :)

Would you be willing to share in ballpark terms the total costs to complete a similar restoration?
 
ummm, your headset cable is showing

View attachment 84818

Scandalous!

Enjoyed the video too
Oh yeah have you seen the full video? Here it is.... my wife’s jacket gets sucked out the improperly closed door! It was quite an event...the meat of the incident is at the end of the video (although I really like the rest of the video because Sedona is incredible)

 
i think that 30k is what he is sticking with ... around his wife at least ...:p

great plane and enjoy your videos @FlyingMonkey
 
I bought a Cherokee 6 for less than $30k and it changed my life. This is the story of N631BW and its total renovation and resurrection from Engine Overhaul to Avionics to Paint and Interior. I hope you enjoy this video! My family had a great time making it.

Epic.. nice work! I have a sweet spot for all Piper products..

Great video! I'm a little envious of you right now.
A little?!?! I'm *very* jealous
 
Nice but unless I missed it, it would seem that you only mentioned in the initial purchase price and left out the final cost. ;)


Maybe the title should be "Honey, I Shrunk the Bank Account"?


I don't watch a lot of videos, but I did enjoy this one. :thumbsup:

Nice to see a Piper brought back from that condition, and being used the way they are supposed to be. Bringing joy!
 
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A little?!?! I'm *very* jealous
Well, I'm currently active duty military with a high probability to move at least two or three more times. This just helps me tell myself that now is not the time to make a purchase on a plane. Don't get me wrong, if the wife said "lets buy a plane tomorrow" I wouldn't argue one bit and the search would begin. Who am I kidding, the search has already secretly started, but its only window shopping for now.
 
@FlyingMonkey - What's the current investment. 30k my ass.

Better get back on that YT channel.
Haha.
Well, I'm currently active duty military with a high probability to move at least two or three more times. This just helps me tell myself that now is not the time to make a purchase on a plane. Don't get me wrong, if the wife said "lets buy a plane tomorrow" I wouldn't argue one bit and the search would begin. Who am I kidding, the search has already secretly started, but its only window shopping for now.
Don't worry I still browse sites like Trade a Plane for all kinds of planes. Half the fun is looking and dreaming...
 
Oh yeah have you seen the full video? Here it is.... my wife’s jacket gets sucked out the improperly closed door! It was quite an event...the meat of the incident is at the end of the video (although I really like the rest of the video because Sedona is incredible)

Holy crap, looks like it would have been no issue until the jacket got sucked out of the door. When I was on a stage check in a Piper Cherokee with the Chief Flight Instructor at my school , the door wasn't latched all the way. I told her when I saw light through the doorjamb while flying and she popped it open about 2 inches and slammed it shut. All at 2500 feet. Acted like it was a normal thing. The rest of the stage check went without a hitch and we safely landed 30 minutes later. The next day I went to fly some more and the plane was grounded for maintenance, the problem, door won't latch shut...
 
Guess the answer is “no”, not willing to share.

It’s not hard to guess and be close enough.

I’ll guess $15k paint, $45k engine, $75k avionics, $10k interior.

I may be wrong on the individual parts, but the total is probably $145k +\-10%. Close enough?
 
I don't care much for the humblebrag behind the whole 30K thing, but I'm willing to overlook it as click bait. Other than that, cute little video. Brings a smile to my face to see flying families enjoying the hobby.

Personally, one could replicate the same family memories with the aircraft in original condition, so there's hope for others.
 
Guess the answer is “no”, not willing to share.
It’s hard to specify the total cost since the project was done over such a long period of time and in phases, and considering my buddy was doing a lot of the work at friendly rate. I will have to go back to all my spreadsheets and add things up or maybe I better not! I sort of estimated the first phase of the project (before the Dynon/Autopilot) and then kept very rough track as we went, just taking it month by month if I could still afford it. Each step of the way I was kind of re-assessing the value of the plane in case I would have to sell it and always concluded I could get out nearly the complete amount I had put in so far. It’s safe to say it was likely around an additional 100k and maybe more? The engine overhaul was less expensive than most estimate- I do remember that. There are Sixes on the market equipped with 530W's and DME's for $150k so I feel alright on where I'm at with it. I have always been of the mindset that the return on investment in an airplane is the joy we get out of it and not what you get when you sell it, however. I may end up making a follow up video about the numbers since there seems to be quite a bit of interest in it.
 
I sure hope the dynon and AP is not 75k considering Dynon was getting hopes high at 25k installed
 
I don't care much for the humblebrag behind the whole 30K thing, but I'm willing to overlook it as click bait. Other than that, cute little video. Brings a smile to my face to see flying families enjoying the hobby.

Personally, one could replicate the same family memories with the aircraft in original condition, so there's hope for others.
I'm sorry the title of the video is off putting for you. I always struggle with the titles and finding the balance of something people will click through to actually watch vs pass over. As a creator I think we just want people to see our work and as an aviator I'm excited to share this hobby through the best way I know to communicate. Restoring an aircraft is definitely not a prerequisite for aviation family fun! Just get up in the sky one way or another and enjoy what aviation has to offer.
 
I sure hope the dynon and AP is not 75k considering Dynon was getting hopes high at 25k installed
Dynon and Trutrak and panel overlay 26k all in. That one was recent and I have it top of mind.
 
Dynon and Trutrak and panel overlay 26k all in. That one was recent and I have it top of mind.

Thanks for sharing, that is in fact the first time I have heard that install price with Dynon and TT no less. A dual G5 and GFC 500 is close that and you still get to keep all your round dial and don’t even get the bigger screen
 
Thank you for the info. Very helpful for me (and others in my position) who, while Internet shopping, are debating whether to follow in your footsteps and refurbish.

thanks again for sharing.
 
Thank you for the info. Very helpful for me (and others in my position) who, while Internet shopping, are debating whether to follow in your footsteps and refurbish.

thanks again for sharing.
I would say in general if you enjoy customizing everything to your liking and are not going to expressly worry if you can get out what you put in then go for it. Really, it can be super fun to choose and plan everything and then have it the way you like it. But if you are someone who will obsess that the next guy is going to be getting such a good deal on your plane it may not be for you. I think if you have an A&P who will allow you to do some of the work under supervision you could save enough money to not stress about that sort of thing anyway. Let me know if you have any other specific questions and I can go back through and look at specific costs for things!
 
Thank you for the info. Very helpful for me (and others in my position) who, while Internet shopping, are debating whether to follow in your footsteps and refurbish.

thanks again for sharing.

I have thought long and hard about this topic, finally decided to make my plane exactly the way I want it. It was a tough call but I finally made it after 3 years of ownership. I don’t know what’s in future and how long I will be able to keep her, but until that day I am going to enjoy the heck out of her.
 
A dual G5 and GFC 500 is close that and you still get to keep all your round dial and don’t even get the bigger screen
A G3x/G5/GFC500 combination is probably closer, although you do get much more functionality from that trio than the Dynon.
 
I bought a Cherokee 6 for less than $30k and it changed my life. This is the story of N631BW and its total renovation and resurrection from Engine Overhaul to Avionics to Paint and Interior. I hope you enjoy this video! My family had a great time making it.

Great video! Thanks for the post.
 
Subbed to your channel. Nice camera work and the Sedona vid was awesome.
 
Awesome! I subscribed and look forward to future videos. Im looking to buy a Six in the next 12-24 months to haul my family around, so your videos are right up my alley. Your daughter did an amazing job as the mechanic.... that was cracking me up.

The "midlife crisis" magazine was a nice touch too lol.
 
Awesome! I subscribed and look forward to future videos. Im looking to buy a Six in the next 12-24 months to haul my family around, so your videos are right up my alley. Your daughter did an amazing job as the mechanic.... that was cracking me up.

The "midlife crisis" magazine was a nice touch too lol.
The Six is such a great plane. Hit me up if you have any questions about the PA32 when the time comes!
 
Enjoyed the video and subscribed. Thanx!

fly to the scene of the incident, or be recovered at the scene of the tragedy
 
Nice but unless I missed it, it would seem that you only mentioned in the initial purchase price and left out the final cost. ;)
Of course. That is how one presents it to one's significant other.
 
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