A lot of us put plenty of AMU's into our little aeroplanes, but I don't believe we ever expect to get most of it back.
I bought my Cessna 150 because I couldn't afford a Bonanza. Turns out, I could have bought that Bonanza. I've put a lot of money into my Cessna 150. Repairs, Replacements, Upgrades, but in the end, it's still a twenty-something $ Cessna 150.
"Just the restoration itself was well over $100,000."
A hundred grand??? Oh, sorry,
WELL OVER a hundred grand?????
Where the heck did s/he spend a hundred grand?
Ten for the motor, maybe twelve, ten for the paint, let's say two for the interior, that's $25,000, and you've got the big three covered. Where's the other 75+?