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Dan Thomas
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2008
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A hole to pour money into.
Back in the mid 1960's and friend of mine and myself wanted to buy a 1956 C-172 when we lived in NW PA. Both of us had young families and just couldn't afford it. We gave up hopes. About 30 years later I was looking for a rebuild project and found a 1956 C-172 project in Tenn. The bare fuselage was in a chicken house and the engine and wings was in a wood work shop and everything else in boxes in the attic of the shop. No wiring, no paint no interior and no glass. Had to replace some wing skins and reskinned the stab.
Bought it and hauled it home and really started looking at the logs. Same airplane we wanted to buy 30 years before. The owner bought it after we looked at it.
Wife and my Daughter and I started rebuilding it on Sept 1. We worked 8 -10 hrs a day and 6 days a week on it. Daughter did a TOH on the engine and did most of the painting, and she runs the rivet gun and I the bucking bar. Wife kept us in parts before needed. We got a wide load permit and hauled it to the airport with just the wings off on Dec. 7th. I flew it about 5 years before selling.
Bought it and hauled it home and really started looking at the logs. Same airplane we wanted to buy 30 years before. The owner bought it after we looked at it.
Wife and my Daughter and I started rebuilding it on Sept 1. We worked 8 -10 hrs a day and 6 days a week on it. Daughter did a TOH on the engine and did most of the painting, and she runs the rivet gun and I the bucking bar. Wife kept us in parts before needed. We got a wide load permit and hauled it to the airport with just the wings off on Dec. 7th. I flew it about 5 years before selling.
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proppastie
Well-Known Member
there is a lot of parts for a salvage operation.....owner probably did not want to see it cut up so makes sense is why wants the new guy to fly it away with the hope it will not be cut up.
Core engines alone are worth the time spent not to mention the gear and other whole parts. Not as simple as it seems unless you have your own airport or place to put the parts.....rent is expensive. I have 1/2 C172 and wings in my back yard because my friend that does salvage needed to pull it off the airport because they wanted to charge him a tie down and he has no more room in his hanger......I am hoping he will eventually move it because it sure is ugly but I now get any part I need cheap or free.
He can easily get more money in it than its worth. Higher price airplane means the market is smaller and harder to sell. The reason I always stayed with Cessna and Piper singles.
A few months ago I turned down a 1959 Cessna 172 that had been dissembled and stored for about 25 years for $5K . Needed MOH of the engine, needed new prop, paint, interior, all glass, had all of the original instruments, no radios, original Goodyear brakes, all rusted control cable, rotten tires and tubes, etc, etc. Would have made a good parts airplane. I have enough C-172 parts that I would like to sell.
A few months ago I turned down a 1959 Cessna 172 that had been dissembled and stored for about 25 years for $5K . Needed MOH of the engine, needed new prop, paint, interior, all glass, had all of the original instruments, no radios, original Goodyear brakes, all rusted control cable, rotten tires and tubes, etc, etc. Would have made a good parts airplane. I have enough C-172 parts that I would like to sell.
TFF
Well-Known Member
I know of a couple of friends who gave away free flying airplanes.
The question is it really as free as YouTube says it is. There are plenty of creative accounting to claim free. Is this the guy who bought a half dozen planes in one deal? If it just requires starting like the title says, no biggie. Safe to fly is different than starting.
The question is it really as free as YouTube says it is. There are plenty of creative accounting to claim free. Is this the guy who bought a half dozen planes in one deal? If it just requires starting like the title says, no biggie. Safe to fly is different than starting.
Dan Thomas
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- Joined
- Sep 17, 2008
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- 7,090
Yup. Airplanes rot whether they're flown or not. I've worked enough on neglected airplanes to be wary of a "free" airplane like that.
The engines are likely badly corroded and their core value may be minimal. Worse if they've been ground run and not flown. Much worse. Props corroded by bird poop and possibly water seeping past ancient seals into the hub. Birds and mice take up residence in airplanes that never move and their waste is terribly corrosive. Instruments that don't move seize up. Radios will be obsolete and might not even work. The contacts in breakers, switches and contactors oxidize. The wind moves the control surfaces enough that their hinges wear. Bladder fuel tanks, if it has them, will be shot. That airplane is also pressurized and that system will need overhaul. Oxygen tanks long past test date limits. If there are no logbooks, oh boy......
One might buy a nice, airworthy 401 for less than it would cost to reclaim that one.
Gotta say, just looking at the the first few minutes of the video, where he says the engines are frozen and shows the interior... Even at "free," I suspect he's still paying too much.
Yeah, he can probably part this out and sell the remaining metal for scrap, but I hope he's not paying much to haul the stuff around.
Yeah, he can probably part this out and sell the remaining metal for scrap, but I hope he's not paying much to haul the stuff around.
I was given a free airplane project. Old friend in PA scratch, plans built Zenith 600 ( Before the 601). Had med problems and knew he would never fly it and called and told me that if I didn't come and haul it away in 2 weeks he was going to cut it up and scrap it. Needed the ailerons built and firewall forward.
I have it stored in my son's workshop.
I have it stored in my son's workshop.
Four-oh-fun. $200k, lmao.
TFF
Well-Known Member
I know I couldn’t afford to buy parts to make it safe. Would I take it if it was free? Sure. Without someone who would flip the bill it would be parted out. You could make a penny to pay for something good.
Back to running. Locked up engines can be unlocked. How much time can you devote? If YouTube views pay the bills, that’s easy; turn on the camera. If it’s like most of us, after the day job, you have to find time to not piss off everyone else in your life.
Back to running. Locked up engines can be unlocked. How much time can you devote? If YouTube views pay the bills, that’s easy; turn on the camera. If it’s like most of us, after the day job, you have to find time to not piss off everyone else in your life.
Almost like watching those stupid "reality T.V." house shows. He "forgets" so many things as he is trying to get it started (checking air filters, etc). Oh, and it won't start if the turbochargers won't turn? Really? Drama. At least he hasn't parachuted out of it. Dennis
I have no desire to make videos. If some how a restorable airplane ended up in my care, I would figure out away to make it fly again.
My mom taught me the difficult you do right away, the impossible just takes a little longer. After becoming a 3 time cancer survivor I can conquer the impossible.
My mom taught me the difficult you do right away, the impossible just takes a little longer. After becoming a 3 time cancer survivor I can conquer the impossible.
TFF
Well-Known Member
Remember the video is the revenue that pays the house note, not necessarily the actual item. Side use of the item of course is expected, but not guaranteed. A cheap twin to get the rating and dump it is probably more inline than making it nice.
pic1083
Member
Miracles are above my pay grade
poormansairforce
Well-Known Member
Not according to my boss!!!
Sometimes free is too much money.
Frozen turbos will not usually prevent starting, but they will severely restrict power once running and will coke in a hurry once running making for more difficulty than just freeing them now.
He does have something else wrong. With no impulse coupling sounds, he likely has a mag issue.
Like many, I doubt that airplane can be made airworthy for less than its market value.
Frozen turbos will not usually prevent starting, but they will severely restrict power once running and will coke in a hurry once running making for more difficulty than just freeing them now.
He does have something else wrong. With no impulse coupling sounds, he likely has a mag issue.
Like many, I doubt that airplane can be made airworthy for less than its market value.
His first "no mag noise", he was spinning the prop backwards. The impulse couplings ain't gonna snap that way. Then he spun it correctly. For me, and while not aircraft, I've brought a few things back from the dead. I would have started with pulling the top plugs, pour in a mixture of ATF and lacquer thinner (my favorite "free-up cocktail). Let it soak then try breaking it loose. After freeing, pull the bottom plugs to get the solution out, THEN I would have tried for compression check on each cylinder.
Years ago, a (then) local air museum received an R2600 that had been sitting since about the 4th day of creation. Some of the guys were trying to break it free with a bar through the loop on the end of the prop shaft. Ain't gonna happen. Fighting a seized engine AGAINST the gearbox. Dennis
Years ago, a (then) local air museum received an R2600 that had been sitting since about the 4th day of creation. Some of the guys were trying to break it free with a bar through the loop on the end of the prop shaft. Ain't gonna happen. Fighting a seized engine AGAINST the gearbox. Dennis
No impulse coupling(s). Shower of sparks.
Seeing how the guy is totally lost with starting the engine, no fuel boost pump, etc. he should have just sprayed some fuel in the intake.
Seeing how the guy is totally lost with starting the engine, no fuel boost pump, etc. he should have just sprayed some fuel in the intake.
