I took a trip back in time. Time before I knew anything about aviation anyway. I don't guess I'll ever see anything like this again.
A gentleman passed away recently that used to run a local aviation maintenance shop. His friend and my new friend, who worked with him, is taking care of some of his things for his wife. This might not be exact, but about how the story goes. Thirty years ago, the owner, for some reason, suddenly stopped the business, packed everything into a 40 ft trailer, and retired. The trailer was taken to their house on a local mountain, parked, and never opened again. So now they have taken chainsaws and cut the trees out from around it and brought the trailer down. This man was excellent at organizing, pickling, & taking care to preserve things. What would you expect to see?
We loaded a SUV with every original parts illustrated catalog there has ever been. 1949 170A catalog $4, 1956 170B catalog $6, and etc. etc. etc. Then we looked at a C145 engine, 0-300D engine, & a 470 engine. The 470 has every part brandnew, wrapped individually in newspaper, including mags etc.. He was restoring this engine when he stopped. My friend is going to search for the paper work on the other two engines. In the trailer is boxes and boxes of Cessna & other companies parts. All in their marked boxes. Brand new C145 pull handle starter. He hasn't even opened the boxes. Of course all the tools, compressors, are all there. He is gonna look for my door stop latches 0523004-5&6 (found that in the A book) I'm needing. Oh and then we looked a dozen Cushman restored motorcycles that my friend had in his back room. Anyway my friend says he'll just have to bring some 170 things to the Petit Jean Fly-in. This 56 orignal 170B Parts Catalog is worth more than $6 isn't it?
Has anyone put the Cont 470 conversion on? They'd already sold one engine thinking it would have some rust or something even though pickled. The new owner found it to be in excellent condition (75 compression all the way round).
Joe, he showed me a bunch of pictures of flying out of the Ark Tech Airport. He said he's flown so many 170 out of there. And he knows the tail numbers also. Be interesting to see who has the 170's that Tech taught with. I just can't wait to see what comes out of that trailer.
