I found a 68 J model N511GM on TAP and it as at KLVK just a few miles from me. The owner is doing the annual next week and I asked about a pre buy while the annual was going on. I welcome feedback on this approach, better to get different set of eyes for pre buy?
That would be prudent, if the owner/seller is game for it, and how motivated he is to sell.
You can save a lot of your pre-purchase inspection looking at an airframe already "opened up".
Keep in mind, that it is really a buyers market out there, meaning the planes are not moving, people want to unload planes they don't fly or can't afford to fly anymore, or in your case a plane that was owned exclusively for training and now they want to move on or up.
The picture of the plane looks average, it has been repainted at least once in it's life..
The engine times are just north of the 1/2 way towards the TBO side...AND, depending on the last o/h or type of cyls installed (meaning reworked, new, exchange, etc), around 1100-1200 hrs is when you would expect to see a cyl or two need attention- (just the cyls, usually, the bottom end will most likely go beyond TBO)
especially if the engine baffles were in sorry shape and there were cooling issues......
The avionics look "sparse", nothing spectacular there....well, nothing spectacular at all. What's with the thumb wheel XPDR?
Well, I haven't seen the plane, but IMHO the asking price leaves a LOT of negotiation room IN YOUR FAVOR.
(I think they are asking about $3K too much) Remember, there are many 150's for sale out there.
