----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----
Well, all, I bought my little "Frolic", a 1946 415 D, (registered as a C) in August 2005 for $11,500. It was a "buy and fly." Had to fly her home from Colorado to Tennessee. What the annual inspection did not find, the-fly-to home (AKA "Shakedown cruise") did. I have...oh...I guess about 500 hours of experience, but all of it awhile back. In fact that 1300 mile flite was my first solo in 23 years. So, that cross-country was one concentrated skills review! But, I figure $11.5K for any plane that can immediately take me 1300 miles is a good deal. Wings will need recovered next year. Rear windows are cracked. She needs a band-aid here and there. I suppose she will easily cost me a few thousand, later, to get her more presentable. But, later, I may have a few thousand to spend on her. It would have been nice to have a $40K dollar plane, but I didn't HAVE $40K. I had $11.5K. Thus, there was not much of a decision to agonize over. It was the old, beat-up bird, or no bird at all. My guess is that many other guys are in the same boat. So, an old Coupe is a Godsend. And, where else can you get a real, store-bought, factory made, 2-seater, flying plane for that price? Dave Winters (Outlaw Squadron) 2797H -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 8:22 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Unworthy coupes ----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]---- Bob, I was up in Mexico, MO a couple weeks ago and flew and priced the 601 XL, Had the 100 HP engine , flew very well. Cruised about 135 MPH, was very comfortable. Very simular to the Coupe. Cost for the flyout completed aircraft out of GA (where they are building them is about 60-62K) I was looking at the kit, about 500-700 build time with the Rotax 912S about 45K. (All Metal) If I can't find a reasonable Coupe, then I am going to get me something new. Cost will only be a few dollars more. And for those talking about the special Coupe project, not much more time if any. Lee ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob Branch" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 6:35 AM Subject: Re: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Unworthy coupes > Lee > > As a mater of fact the Zenith 601XL is one of the planes I priced out in > detail. The mid 60's is what they were telling people at OSH in 2004. When > you price em out to lay your money down you are substantially low. > > bob > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 3:26 AM > Subject: Re: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Unworthy coupes > > > > ----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any > > advice in this forum.]---- > > > > > > Bob don't know where you are looking, and yes some are that high, which I > > agree is too much, but some are in the 50's and 60's. Rans S-6 and the > > S-7, > > Pulsar, and Zeneth are all selling new in the 60's, and for a year or two > > old comes down into the 40's. > > > > I have been looking and that is what I am finding > > Lee > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Bob Branch" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Monday, December 19, 2005 6:57 PM > > Subject: Re: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Unworthy coupes > > > > > >> I'll just point out that a new LSA is not in the realm of $60K for any of > >> them. All of them in the air are over $85K (except ultalights) and if you > >> price them carefully you will find they are really most in the $90K and > >> upwards range in the air. I priced out an Zenith 601HL kit and in the air > >> equipped like my coupe was $67K. That is a kit folks! And these numbers > > are > >> right now numbers, not delivered in 6 to 12 months as most of them are > >> because of the demand and rates of production. > >> > >> I agree an inspection is in order, as good as you can get. But I have > > bought > >> other aircraft and I can tell you even the best inspection is not an > > annual. > >> Its a look over. Demanding a new annual does not even get you cleared > > cause > >> your mechanic and theirs may have differences of opinions. There will be > >> work needed to be done for every new owner because no two people have the > >> same ideas of maintenance and what constitutes acceptable. A plane does > > not > >> have to be a ground up restoration to be in good shape. But ercoupes are > > in > >> fact simple airplanes. Yes it does cost money to bring one up into really > >> nice shape, but not so much that they will not return the value. I think > > the > >> major thing we want to know is who much are we getting ourselves into. > >> I'm > >> not sure anything less than an annual by your mechanic is going to give > > you > >> an accurate number of dollars on that. These are older aircraft. They can > > be > >> and have been flown for many hundreds of hours with less than stellar > >> maintenance. One owner may be happy to have his essman mags rebuilt at > > what > >> it costs while another will want new mags and harnesses. The plane would > > fly > >> with both. But its not as clear a mater of dollars as what any > >> prepurchase > >> inspection would indicate. > >> > >> just my 10cents and less than $100K worth. > >> > >> bob branch > >> 99891 > >> > >> > > > > ======================================================================== === = > > To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm > > Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers/ > > > > > > > ======================================================================== ===== To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers/ ============================================================================== To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers/
