----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----
Darick, You bring up a good issue. It's 12 or 13 years since I compiled the Prepurchase Inspection article (which people can find on my website and on the EOC website). Not being a mechanic, I sent a starter list to three widely respected Coupe-specialist mechanics, compiled their responses, sent out the revisions and compiled their responses again. It came out pretty good. It's tempting for people to skim over that procedure in the expectation that things will be OK. Perhaps that's not such a good idea. I think Percy and Scott have made good points. I've seen many Coupers here in the middle states take their airworthy Coupes, some quite nice and well maintained, to John Wright, Sr., for their first annual inspection by him. My rough guess is that all of us have had some sticker shock at the cost of fixing all the neglected items that John finds. I knew what was coming before I took my plane to him the first time. I had nine years with a very reputable mechanic (who I still recommend). But it cost in the ballpark of $5,500 for John to fix everything that had been neglected and to add a couple of improvements. At every stage, John contacted me and showed me the parts and usually had serviceable used parts available. Just as general prudence, I gave due diligence to watching over John's judgments and choices, not that I had any suspicions but just because people SHOULD exercise due diligence when overseeing mechanic's work. I came away with my trust and respect for John enhanced. But it still cost me $5,500 for everything including some improvements. Then the next annual with John was about $300. The one after that was, I think, less than $400 or so. Every safety item was fully correct. The paint was still doggy and the upholstery was still old and the gyro instruments were still dysfunctional, but everything I could afford, the safety stuff, was done right. Seventeen years earlier, I had spent about $8,000 (1983 dollars) for a good overhaul and wing recovering. Old airplanes take periodic big maintenance besides the annual little stuff. It pays, when you're buying a plane, to know where you are in that cycle. If John Wright, Sr., did the current annual on the plane, I'd personally skip the pre-purchase inspection. (There are a few other great Coupe mechanics around the country but John is the only one I can attest to personally.) But, if the annuals were done by a non-Coupe-specialist, be prepared for a few things they missed that are Coupe-specific. See the pre-purchase inspection. http://edburkhead.com/Ercoupe/pre-purchase.html http://ercoupe.org/Prepurchase_inspection.html Ed Burkhead http://edburkhead.com ed -at- edburkhead???.com (change -at- to @ and remove "???") ============================================================================== To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers/
