Is this a good deal? C172D

C

CessnaN1315efw

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Jan 26, 2006
Messages
7
Location
Cherry Hill NJ
Display Name
Display name:
Anthony Saraceno
Ok guys, im looking for some insight and comments on this airplane. I think I'm going to be buying it soon. here are the details. The man who owns this has lost his medical and the mechanic said he is pretty sick right now. I think hes dieing because he's apparently to ill to handle the sale of his own aircraft. He told his mechanic to help him out cause this thing needs to go fast! hes paying insurance and a big hangar bill and apparently wants to get rid of it now!

1963 CESSNA 172, N2622U, 5047.2 TT, 618 SCMOH SCMOH, Solid 172D, Horton STOL kit/ bubble door windows Paint & Interior good, 4 Seats, For Sale - $25,000
Horton STOL kit/ bubble door windows P&I goodAdditional Equipment:
Wet vac. pump
Spin on oil filter
New mags
Hobbs meter
Bubble windows in both doors
New head liner

Interior:
Good
Exc interior trim
Blue interior, a good 7.

Exterior:
Good
Exterior about a 7

Avionics / Radios:
Terra Tri-Nav C
Terra TXN 920
KMA 20 Panel Manager
KT76 Transponderw/ Mode C
ADF
KX145 NAV/COM
vertical card compass
Inspection Status:
May Annual

I asked my former flight instructor and in his blue book with all the details i had said he estimated a value of 38000!!!! Is this a steal? I know its old but 25K? seemed to good to be true to me? am i wrong? thinking about going to see it and fly it this weekend. The paint is beautiful it looks brand new. the wings were so shiny it looked like the guy had just waxed it. It has been hangared the whole time. I'm unable to upload pics at the moment but I'll be able to later.
 
Get the airplane looked at by a trusted mechanic that knows what they are doing that has no business or personal relationship with the owner.
 
Does sound good enough to invest in a pre-buy (by a mechanic working for YOU), if this kind of airplane is what you're looking for. I'd focus on the engine and airframe, essentially give them a thorough annual inspection, and not worry too much about the radios, since you would probably want to upgrade the stack for serious IFR.
 
Thanks for the replies. yea ill get it inspected by one of our guys definitely. The radios dont really bother me much because ill be doing all VFR and I navigate mostly through a handheld GPS. I'm kinda new to the world of buying airplanes. About how much on average do you think a mechanic will want to inspect this thing throughly? and what kind of inspection is it that i would ask for to get a price? new airplane inspection? Im not that knowlegable of it.
 
Tell him you want an "Annual Inspection", and if the owner won't consent to one - run away from the airplane.

Your mech can give you a quote - tell him you are considering buying the airplane, and that you want the annual and a complete log review and a comprehsive squawk list, with estimates to repair any squawks found. Don't be surprised if the inspection quote is as much as $2000.00 - the money you spend here will be WELL worth it - if the airplane comes out clean you've got a fresh annual, and if the mechanic finds some thing(s) not right you can walk away or negotiate from a position of strength
 
well the last annual was in May and the owner only has been flying about 30 hours a year. I asked if I could bring the airplane up here and get it inspected before I buy it by my mechanic but he didnt want to do that which i wasnt really suprised by. Im from South Jersey and this is in North Carolina. I dont know what to do. The mechanic I talked to is the same guy that works on the airplane. would he really lie to me saying everything works fine, it passes all its checks and its a good solid airplane? Because if it has problems that wouldnt pass an inspection then he's putting his mechanic liscence up in the air just to help out some guy in the hangar next to him sell his airplane because hes dieing? I just dont know...
 
CessnaN1315efw said:
The mechanic I talked to is the same guy that works on the airplane. would he really lie to me saying everything works fine, it passes all its checks and its a good solid airplane? Because if it has problems that wouldnt pass an inspection then he's putting his mechanic liscence up in the air just to help out some guy in the hangar next to him sell his airplane because hes dieing?
Click to expand...
Yes, he would.
Don't worry about his A and P certificate, worry about your own cash.

There are no end to unscruplious mechanics out there. Don't believe anything you hear from the buyer's A & P. A plane which has been only flown 30 hours a year is bound to have all sorts of issues, you should check it out with your own party.

You are about to drop 25,000 dollars on something. If you need to, fly your own mech. down there.
If they guy won't agree to your doing an annual on the plane with your own mechanic, and agree to fix all airworthy items, don't walk RUN away from the deal. You'll get screwed.

Two stories:
1. A guy I knew bought a 172 for around 20,000, 1st annual=21,000 dollars.
2. Another guy I knew bought a Dakota for 75,000 ferried it to NJ plane looked beautiful, flew it until something broke, it ended up in the shop, where they found nearly 35,000 worth of repairs needed.

It's your investment, do what you want with your money, but too many people get screwed on the trade because they trust some mechanic they have never meet.

I cannot possibly be clear enough on the need to get a good prebuy (possibly an annual) done by your own A & P on an aircraft you are going to buy.
 
CessnaN1315efw said:
I asked if I could bring the airplane up here and get it inspected before I buy it by my mechanic but he didnt want to do that which i wasnt really suprised by.
Click to expand...
I can see a concern about an airplane being flown to an airport of some distance away to be ripped apart and inspected by some unknown mechanic. I'm sure some middle ground could be worked out with this guy. But it needs to be with a mechanic that you trust.

CessnaN1315efw said:
The mechanic I talked to is the same guy that works on the airplane. would he really lie to me saying everything works fine, it passes all its checks and its a good solid airplane?
Click to expand...
Would he lie? Maybe. Maybe not. Are you willing to put your money on the trust of someone you don't know? I sure the hell wouldn't.

CessnaN1315efw said:
Because if it has problems that wouldnt pass an inspection then he's putting his mechanic liscence up in the air just to help out some guy in the hangar next to him sell his airplane because hes dieing? I just dont know...
Click to expand...

I'm sure there are all kinds of problems that a mechanic might know about but may still be able to push it as being airworthy for now. But these problems might just come bite you in an expensive way later.
 
Buy the aircraft, at that price, it under valued and there is nothing you can't fix and stay under the true vaule for that model

the 63 172 is by the CESSNA test pilots statement in "Wings For The World" the best 172 they built.

Last year of the manual Flaps, first year of the rear window, slant tail, lower main gear version.

After that year they start to get heavier, until 1968 cessna went to the Lycoming 0-320-E2D.

The 0-300-D in the 63 was a very smooth running engine that will burn auto, at about 7.5 per hour, and show 115 MPH.

These earley 172s have a better useful load than the later ones due to a lighter empty weight.

an Average 7 ? should be worth at least 25k

GRAB IT. pay now, play later.
 
The annual means nothing. Never buy a plane without an annual inspection done by your mechanic. If the seller has a problem with that, move on. Annual inspections on my cherokee run $700. If thats too much to spend than your priorities are askew cuz in the long run it could save you 1000's upon 1000's. There are a couple ways to work it. You can just pay for the inspection and try to use the results to negotiate the price of repairs from the selling price. Or you can make an agreement upfront that you pay for the inspection and the seller pays for sqwaks. But seriously, if he's reluctant to allow YOUR mechanic to look at the plane just run away. He clearly has something to hide. A buddy bought a mooney a few years ago, no inspection, no nothing. First annual was over 25k. Leaky tanks, corrosion, a 3 page laundry list of things that should never have made it past that "fresh" annual the plane came with. All's fair in love and war and selling airplanes it seems. One other question. How long ago was that last overhaul? Theres more to it than engine time. 12yrs is lycomings recommendation. good luck! tc
 
last overhaul was in 91. mechanic says the owner has only been flying about 30 hours a year. Also its not a lycoming engine this one has the Continental O-300. He doesnt care about my mechanic looking at it, he just doesnt want one potential buyer to take it 500 miles away just so it can be inspected when he might not even be buying it! the thing is going for very low hes had 6 calls for the thing yesterday and 2 people are coming today to see it. He knows hes gonna sell it and thats probubly why he doesnt want this thing going anywhere unless my mechanic comes down there. Also how much would it cost to overhaul a COntinetal O-300 i imagine a lot but is there an average this will be my first airplane. And i dont know fi my mechanic is going to want to go all the way down there jsut to inspect and airplane wouldnt it take him a while? and its a 10 hour drive or 3 and half hour flight. This guy has had 2 people from alaska call and people form florida. sadly their all suffering from the same problem how do i get down there!? what to do.... but even if it has some sqwauks isnt 25K a steal for a 172!?
 
CessnaN1315efw said:
ill be doing all VFR and I navigate mostly through a handheld GPS.
Click to expand...

Sigh!

i would really recomend that if you flying mostly VFR you get good at looking out the window and navigate by pilotage instead.
 
CessnaN1315efw said:
but even if it has some sqwauks isnt 25K a steal for a 172!?
Click to expand...


Yes, I'll wager that the first guy to look at it that knows what they are looking at will buy it.
 
He CLAIMS that there are 6 people interested. Ya never know!!! It's a big ocean, plenty of fish out there. It's hard not to get the fever, but Cessna has put out a bazillion 172s. I'd wager there are more than a few bargains out there close to home. Patience is a virtue. If this one does indeed sell tomorrow to one of those other alleged interested parties, that's life. Keep looking. Don't get yourself into a bad situation through haste. The plane may indeed be cherry. Unless you have a mechanic you trust give it a full cavity search or as close to it as you can, you don't know what you're getting.

Someone who hasn't been flying much, and might not have much free cashflow, probably hasn't been putting much money into their aircraft. I know, I know, how complicated can it be to maintain a 172?! But, lots of things can go wrong even with simple aircraft. Just remember, it's your money until you spend it.
 
The 1963 is new compared to my 1957 Apache!:)

There is a lot of good advice here. If you are not going to spend the "stiff?" $2,000 for the extensive annual inspection, I think you need to re-evaluate your capacity to own the airplane in the first place.
Do not accept the seller's evaluation (or his mechanic). I think the price is low because it is a buyer's market.
Get your independent mechanic to look at it. $2,000 saved now will probably cost you $10,000+ later (and not that much later).
This aircraft may have engine problems from sitting too much.
It may have corrosion problems which will render it unairworthy at your next annual inspection.
It may pass the inspection and be a real steal.:fcross:
But spend the money for the annual from an independent mechanic...you'll thank me later.:blueplane:
ApacheBob
 
NC19143 said:
Yes, I'll wager that the first guy to look at it that knows what they are looking at will buy it.
Click to expand...
Damage history?

- Aunt Peggy
 
AuntPeggy said:
Damage history?

- Aunt Peggy
Click to expand...

There is a good probability, but who cares at that price? Does it fly OK?
 
NC19143 said:
Buy the aircraft, at that price, it under valued and there is nothing you can't fix and stay under the true vaule for that model

the 63 172 is by the CESSNA test pilots statement in "Wings For The World" the best 172 they built.

Last year of the manual Flaps, first year of the rear window, slant tail, lower main gear version.

After that year they start to get heavier, until 1968 cessna went to the Lycoming 0-320-E2D.

The 0-300-D in the 63 was a very smooth running engine that will burn auto, at about 7.5 per hour, and show 115 MPH.

These earley 172s have a better useful load than the later ones due to a lighter empty weight.

an Average 7 ? should be worth at least 25k

GRAB IT. pay now, play later.
Click to expand...

1964 was the last year for the manual flaps, I have one.
 
CessnaN1315efw said:
Ok guys, im looking for some insight and comments on this airplane. I think I'm going to be buying it soon. here are the details. The man who owns this has lost his medical and the mechanic said he is pretty sick right now. I think hes dieing because he's apparently to ill to handle the sale of his own aircraft. He told his mechanic to help him out cause this thing needs to go fast! hes paying insurance and a big hangar bill and apparently wants to get rid of it now!

1963 CESSNA 172, N2622U, 5047.2 TT, 618 SCMOH SCMOH, Solid 172D, Horton STOL kit/ bubble door windows Paint & Interior good, 4 Seats, For Sale - $25,000
Horton STOL kit/ bubble door windows P&I goodAdditional Equipment:
Wet vac. pump
Spin on oil filter
New mags
Hobbs meter
Bubble windows in both doors
New head liner

Interior:
Good
Exc interior trim
Blue interior, a good 7.

Exterior:
Good
Exterior about a 7

Avionics / Radios:
Terra Tri-Nav C
Terra TXN 920
KMA 20 Panel Manager
KT76 Transponderw/ Mode C
ADF
KX145 NAV/COM
vertical card compass
Inspection Status:
May Annual

I asked my former flight instructor and in his blue book with all the details i had said he estimated a value of 38000!!!! Is this a steal? I know its old but 25K? seemed to good to be true to me? am i wrong? thinking about going to see it and fly it this weekend. The paint is beautiful it looks brand new. the wings were so shiny it looked like the guy had just waxed it. It has been hangared the whole time. I'm unable to upload pics at the moment but I'll be able to later.
Click to expand...

Use mine as a comparison
1964 172E TTA&E 2290hrs, SMOH 0, Paint 7, Interior was junk. I had to replace carpet and rear panels, seats were OK. Narco Com120, Narco Nav 122 W/LOC/GS, Mx 300 NAV/COM, STEC 40 AP, Old Loran, Narco 141 ADF, and 4 place intercom. I bought it in Feb of this year and paid $30K. As far as the blue book values, can it, mine books for $49K and there is no way it would bring it. I would say 25K would be a good price, but be ready to spend 5K on it for unseen problems or updates you will want.
 
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