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OK, two !50's came up near my area. Not sure which is the better value:

1. 1967 15G, 2440TTAF, 700 SMOH in 1986, original paint in good condition as with interior, hoerner tips, 38 gallon tanks, NDH, NAV/COM with glidslope, xponder with encoder - asking $22,500.

2. 1977 150M, 2870 TTAF, New Overhaul with Millenium Cylinders and warranty, full IFR including Dual King KX-125, Northstar M1 Loran, Cessna xponder with encoder, NDH paint in great shape as in interior - asking $27,900 firm.

I like the long range tanks on 1., but it has a 20 year old overhaul. The other seems great, but it is far more expensive.

Any advice?

Steve

I'm not an owner yet and pretty much don't know diddly. So with that grain of salt fully ingested, as a fellow prospective buyer, I'd be wary of the '67.

It's only been flown an average of 3 hours a month for the past 20 years. My guess is that that's going to include long stretchs of just sitting there (maybe during the winter months, or perhaps for a stretch of a year or more). From what I've gathered, that's not so great for the engine, and you likely won't make it to TBO. Yeah, the LR tanks are nice, but the endurance with regular tanks is already approaching the endurance of many pilots in a 150 anyway.

When you figure the '77 not only is a decade newer (with all the refinements the model has had over that time tossed in), but it also has a brand-spankin' new overhaul, plus IFR and a solid paint/interior... well that's easily more than $5,400 in extra value.

Of course "good value" and "plane you can afford" are two different things. Heck, a brand-new Skyhawk for $100,000 would be a great value, but that doesn't mean I'm in any position to buy it.

- Jeff

Jeff makes a strong point. That $5400 extra (and assuming that the price is not-negotiable) is a bargain for a brand new motor (although you didn't mention what type of overhaul) and it appears more modern avionics. Only thing left to update is paint and maybe not even that.

Easily the second of the two would be my runaway choice. I don't know about Cont, but Lyc now recommends 2000 -OR-10 years on their TBO due to the problems encountered with internal corrosion due to long times of inactivity. I have bought two birds with low activity numbers, and both I treated as if I had to rebuild the engine. Both I have been very blessed as the engines seem to be doing great, but I consider that a bonus only. The older bird should probably only be in the $15K range with that long since major.

Sorry - it's past TBO. 1800 hours OR 12 YEARS according to SIL98-9A! Since it's long past 12 years, it's past TBO.
Ed

This one will be for sale shortly. It's in the photo section, searchable by year.....
Bengie

Photo Posted:2/8/2005
Year: 1974 Model: 150L Serial#: 15075134
284 of 931, 1974 150L's manufactured
17,133 of 21,404, 150's manufactured
Reg: N62CG Manufactured: 1973
Registration Last Modified: 5/20/2003
Registered to:
Simon Jay W
5713 Sherborne Dr
Columbus, GA 31909-4740
US

Additional Information / Owner's Comments Posted:2/8/2005
Based at Columbus, GA (CSG), 0-200 engine, all white Imron paint in 2000, new seats in 2000, all graphics and N-Numbers are premium vinyl lettering applied by Speedmaster Signs, Inc. (me). This way, anyone may remove them in the future and change the color and scheme. Better than a painted accent paint job which you cannot change, except by stripping. 4,876 hrs. TT, 1973 Model, belongs to Jay Simon. This aircraft will be for sale by summer 2005, with an asking price between $20,000.00 and $23,000.00.

Sorry, I couldn't make it attach the pic. You'll have to look at it in the photos section.
Bengie

Thanks for the info on N62CG, and I did look at it in the photo section. Unfortunately, it has close to 5000 hours on the airframe and it is too far away from where I live, so I don't think I would pursue it. The two airplanes I am considering have less than 3000 hours TTAF. And now, a 1975 150 has come up for sale in Canton, Ohio which has about 2000 hours TTAF and a new overhaul - pricy though at $29,500.

Thanks anyway.

Steve

5000 hours is not bad airframe time. It also means the aircraft has been flown regularlly. A consequence of low airframe time means the airplane has not flown as much. And, consequently, probably has not been looked after and maintained as well. Another consideration is where has the aircraft been based? I would much rather have a plane flown regularly out of, let's say, Arizona with a little more time on it. Than a low airframe time, possibly neglected, aircraft sitting on the coast of Florida corroding away. There are 150's out ther with better than 10,000 hours on the airframe with no problems what so ever. So, again, condition of the airframe is far more important than the total hours on it. And, a shiny brand new paint job can cover lots of problems.

I found the perfect airplane for you, low low TT and practically a new engine! I bet you cant find a thing wrong with this one!!!

http://www.aso.com/i.aso3/aircraft_...ruexxxxxsearchid=3976764xxxxxregionid=-1

You really need to see the logs to determine the kind of usage that an airplane has experienced. My recently purchased 150M, 1976, had 3850 hrs. fairly low for a 29 year old airplane, about 132 hrs. per year. However, it ran up 1850 hrs., almost half it's total time, in less than 4 yrs. as a trainer in NY. It got a re-man engine, and then about 900 hrs. later suffered a collapsed nose wheel. It then sat around in the back of some hanger for 2 yrs. getting it's tail wheel conversion, from 9/81 till 8/83, clearly a spare time project! For the next few years it logged about 75 hrs. per year. Then for about 10 years it logged about 10 hrs. per year; one year just 2 hrs.! Then it got into the hands of the guys I bought it from and logged over a hundred hours per year for about 4 years. So just averaging the time over the age of the airplane may be misleading, I think it's the recent activity, and of course the maintenance, that counts.

George