"Yeah, I was wondering about corrosion.. The plane has been hangered for the past 8+ years in AR, but it has been flown sparingly this past year (~11hrs or so). Is a corrosion check part of a standard annual? If not, I was debating asking for a borescope inspection during pre-buy. Any advice would be appreciated.. Thanks in advance!"
I purchased 63U, a 1976 M model, about ten years ago. She had been tied down on the ramp and only flown 5 hours in the previous 5 years (one hour each year at annual). Fortunately, she did not have any corrosion. However, I did have to replace almost all the rubber on her; tires, fuel line, rubber tip on gascolator, etc. And a new battery. And I replaced the control cables (might want to check that all the pulleys actually turn) and re-rigged her.
And flushed out the fuel system. Fuel goes bad over time. Especially if the plane sits outside and rainwater seeps into the tanks. Check the gas cap gaskets, especially if you plan on tying her down outside.
The first annual was, shall we say, interesting. Not flying regularly is tough on a plane. A lot of little stuff, but nothing major.
But with all of that, 63U has been a great airplane! I have flown her about 700 hours and loved them all (except the spin training. I'm with Poobs. Me no like spins).
I am not a mechanic, but the 150 is a great airplane and most things can be fixed. But airframe corrosion is a tough problem to overcome.
PS: I borescope my cylinders every time I clean my spark plugs (about once a year). So far so good.
Best of luck on your search. Sounds like you are going about it in the right way.
