Advice on possible C170B purchase

[FredMa]

Well, the owner did claim he hit a pool of water and flipped over.

[c170b53]

If anything its obvious to most the days of patching up several airplanes into one isn't as easy as it used to be.

[cherring]

Yes, I'm real, and I am looking for qualified advice, which you guys have been so kind to offer. I am in NC, and the plane is about 25 miles away. Don't know the owner, but have talked to him twice by phone; once to see if he was interested in selling, and again to get a price, which is $10K. Since the plane and owner are close by, I can look all I want without it costing me anything. I fully appreciate the advice to walk away; that's pretty much what I expected. May look at it a little more, since it's free to look, but I don't intend to spend any money on it unless I get a thumbs up from knowledgeable people. I can take some pics if you guys would be interested and willing to take a look.

No salt water. I wouldn't buy any plane that lived around salt water or air, even it it looked brand-new.

Cliff

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Cliff,

My first post probably came off a bit harsh. But to be honest I'd be doing EXACTLY what your doing. Looking long and hard at it from every angle. And I'd be asking the same questions you are. I would also be expecting the same answers your getting.

Pictures probably won't sway our analysis one way or another. I'm sure should you post some we'd be happy to comment.

In the end a plane that has just sat for 16 years, even if it were in a hanger, without the damage you know about is probably not a good deal at $10k. It is an unfortunitle reality I wish were different.

[cherring]

Not at all. Better to get good advice and be even more careful than to jump on a bad deal.

I took a few quick picturess a few days ago; not sure how to post them here.

Cliff

[GAHorn]

Cliff, that plane will take at LEAST $30K to get airworthy. Ten for airframe and twenty for engine
and misc......with YOU doing most of the airframe work.
Add the ten to buy it.....and then consider you can own an OSHKOSH WINNER for about the same
money.....and you should be able to figure this out.

[DaveF]

Cliff,

i apologize for the flippant tone of my answer. A project is a good thing -- to some extent we all have one -- but a project is paint, interior, engine, etc. What you described is a wreck rebuild, where the extent of damage can't be known without either a very experienced eye or extensive disassembly, and lots of money in any case. As others have said, there are lots of good 170s available at good prices. Have fun shopping and welcome to the 170 world.

Dave

[marathonrunner]

Now if you want to buy it and then part it out....naw that would be a losing deal too

[bagarre]

Now if you want to buy it and then part it out....naw that would be a losing deal too

How do the seat frames look?

It is sad to see these planes waste away but, they are just too expensive to restore.
It would be nice to dunk the plane in WD40 to at least slow down the decay (in case it's affordable someday).

...On Another Note
I wonder if you could claim 51% builder if you completely dissembled the thing and built it back up?
It would be in the Experimental category but, you could put the 'correct' motor and prop on it easier.

The Vans RV quick build kits do 75% of the riveting for you. How is that different from pulling wing and fuselage skins, replacing some ribs and stringers and buttoning it back up (along with ALL the other work involved)?

[cherring]

Yes, parting it out would be a losing proposition, especially for someone like me who has no experience in doing that. I have a couple of other experimental category "projects" I've been working on for too long... I enjoy it, but not having time and a good place to work on them means it's taking forever.

[cherring]

Thought I would give you guys the final outcome of this to let you know the result. Many thanks to c170.org member Keith from Raleigh, who came down to take a look at the plane. He pointed out quite a few features of the plane (it is actually a 170A instead of a B) and the main issues that made it not feasible to restore, namely the engine would need to be gone through, and the right wing could possibly have hidden damage from when it was flipped.

I just called the owner to tell him I was not interested in it. He is adament that the engine would not need any work, but I didn't see any point in arguing the issue. To each his own. The potential buyer is the one who needs to be careful.

Thanks again to all who responded with comments and advice. I'll continue to keep looking for a 170 that suits me.

Cliff

On a sad note, one of the few 170's near me went down today in Winterville, NC. The pilot and passenger are fine, but the plane is probably totaled. A friend of mine was at the fly-in where the accident occurred and said it appeared to stall while attempting to clear a tree line.

[russfarris]

Here's a link to some details. Russ Farris

http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=145766