The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Hi Guys. Trying to gather some advise for the future of my 1956 170B Project. In a nut shell. It is a complete ever nut and bolt restoration. The logs were lost by the previous owner so I have decided the only way to bring the airplane back together is a nut a bolt restoration to ensure everything is correct. To be fair to the plane it was in very rough shape with some pretty bad corrosion issues when I got it.
It has the original 0-300 in it and it is getting overhauled. The prop is getting overhauled. All new control cables, 100%new wiring. Switching the fuses out for resettable circuit breakers. The tail section was removed disassembled, corroded parts replaced. structure treated, primed and reinstalled. The vertical and horizontal stabilizers elevators and rudder were disassembled. all parts blasted. Treated primed and reassembled with new skins. The airframe has just over 1700 hrs total time. (number arrived form tax records, and the tachometer reading and the old owners). The interior fabric was all trash. the instrument panel assembly was removed. All interior structure was treated and primed. Firewall insulation foam was installed. Ruder pedal assemble taken apart. New bushings bolts, hoses rebuilt masters. New glass all around... My dilemma is this. The plane is in bare aluminum. I'm sure a professional could polish it. Should I leave it in bare aluminum or paint it, Should I Paint the interior metal or leave it for the person that buys it. Should I do the interior fabric or leave it. The plane does not have any avionics. Should I install a basic set or let the buyer install exactly what they want... I am an AP/IA and have been using the plane as a training aid for my employees so labor is relatively inexpensive. But I don't want to waist money either. Please give me your thoughts.
Thanks
Ben

It’s my first impression that the AFTT estimation is unlikely to be accurate if the rudder pedals needed bushing... but in any case, the interior and paint should be completed if you want max selling price. If your labor is indeed cheap, then polishing it would make it very appealing to show, as the original Cessna paint jobs were almost always bare aluminum with accent stripes per the year model. These cosmetics are very subjective and will be in the “eye of the beholder” (potential buyer). Certainly a painted airplane will be simpler to maintain... BUT... a bare aluminum airplane (polished) will be very convincing to a buyer that you’re not hiding corrosion, hail damage, or other defects and actually DID replace all those surfaces. (I’m always very suspicious of freshly painted airplanes being offered immediately for sale.)

Basic avionics would be good, IMO. Something like a slim-line digital comm, an encoded txdr.... unless you’re willing to install a tailbeacon.... but nothing more, IMO.

PS: Painting it in the original paint scheme appropriate for the year-model, in RED will make it sell FASTER!

Here’s the ‘56 scheme: (But, personally, I would not want the top of my cowl painted white due to glare.):

Thank you GAhorn. I meant to say the ruder pedal block tube bushings. Those plastic ones that act like a clam shell. They are less than $10.00 ea and now was the time to put a new one in. We haven't actually seen much of any wear from use, just dirty, rusty, corroded or missing. I do like that original paint scheme.
Thank you for the imput.
Ben

Ben,

First off, thanks for taking on the task of preserving such an iconic and classic airplane. It sounds like you have put a lot of time and effort into the project. I would sell everything as-is. As someone who wants to undertake a restoration project someday, the though of finding a plane like yours would be a dream. Structurally sound, but room to add my own finishing touches. Another option would be to work with the buyer to bring the project to their desired state. I’m not sure how that would work financially. Good luck!

-Ryan

Thank you Ryan. That would be the best case to get it all done minus radios, paint and interior then build to suit. I hate doing work twice so I personally have a hard time assembling something that would then have to come apart again. I am seriously considering painting the interior and all interior metal trim including the inner door jams and such light gray that way it would match just about any interior and the new owners wouldn't have to worry about that. Its a constant internal battle of how far to go and doing it right the first time.....
It will definitely be structurally sound where we are all done. Especially since I am signing it off and will have my friends doing the initial flying it has to be safe and sound. My goal is for it to look like it rolled off the show room floor (minis radios, paint and interior)

Sure would be nice to get rid of that non opening co-pilot window. Maybe the new owner will have you do it for them.

bensmotorworks wrote:.... I am seriously considering painting the interior and all interior metal trim including the inner door jams and such light gray that way it would match just about any interior and the new owners wouldn't have to worry about that...interior)

The 1956 year model never had a gray interior. It was either Blue, Black, or White (Ivory/almond/parchement)

170C wrote:Sure would be nice to get rid of that non opening co-pilot window. Maybe the new owner will have you do it for them.

This one opens...
didn't realize that wasn't stock.

GAHorn wrote:

bensmotorworks wrote:.... I am seriously considering painting the interior and all interior metal trim including the inner door jams and such light gray that way it would match just about any interior and the new owners wouldn't have to worry about that...interior)

The 1956 year model never had a gray interior. It was either Blue, Black, or White (Ivory/almond/parchement)

5089E05B-93F7-4F67-833F-535630802FC0.png

Thank you for the info.
Maybe I can figure out what this one was originally

bensmotorworks wrote: ... I don't want to waist money either. Please give me your thoughts.
Thanks
Ben

Waist money -- now there's a double entendre I can relate to! It's money spent at the Cold Stone ice cream shop!

Check out this thread for further pictures of the '56 paint scheme. Also note that those same colors and scheme were shared by the 1956 C-172. I would not be surprised if interior fabrics were identical too. Unfortunately the additional paint code numbers listed in the 1956 Cessna 172 IPC -- CES-1054-XXX -- don't correspond to any modern paint codes that I can find.As far as maximizing your profit on this project, it probably depends on how much value you put on your time. I wouldn't spend any more than absolutely necessary on avionics. Ideally, as Ryan has suggested, you should find a buyer prior to finishing it and charge him/her your shop rate for completing the plane to his/her specs.

n2582d wrote:

bensmotorworks wrote: ... I don't want to waist money either. Please give me your thoughts.
Thanks
Ben

Waist money -- now there's a double entendre I can relate to! It's money spent at the Cold Stone ice cream shop!

Check out this thread for further pictures of the '56 paint scheme. Also note that those same colors and scheme were shared by the 1956 C-172. I would not be surprised if interior fabrics were identical too. Unfortunately the additional paint code numbers listed in the 1956 Cessna 172 IPC -- CES-1054-XXX -- don't correspond to any modern paint codes that I can find.

Screen Shot 2020-10-12 at 1.07.11 PM.png

Screen Shot 2020-10-12 at 1.08.22 PM.png

Screen Shot 2020-10-12 at 2.03.39 PM.png

As far as maximizing your profit on this project, it probably depends on how much value you put on your time. I wouldn't spend any more than absolutely necessary on avionics. Ideally, as Ryan has suggested, you should find a buyer prior to finishing it and charge him/her your shop rate for completing the plane to his/her specs.

Thanks you.... I love Cold stone. Best happiness in ice cream money can buy around here. (They don't have any Culvers Custard around here so I settle for cold stone.

bensmotorworks wrote: Thank you for the info.
Maybe I can figure out what this one was originally

The code is on the door sill tag in later serial number 170Bs.

The code on my door sill is 5-G-3-CE so its a 1955 the SN of the airframe is 26977. Thank you again
Ben

bensmotorworks wrote:The code on my door sill is 5-G-3-CE so its a 1955 the SN of the airframe is 26977. Thank you again
Ben

So your 55 was G or Turquoise, and the upholstery scheme was 3 or Blue & Gray and the interior trim colors CE where Trooper Tan and Yosemite Blue.

Bruce Fenstermacher wrote:

bensmotorworks wrote:The code on my door sill is 5-G-3-CE so its a 1955 the SN of the airframe is 26977. Thank you again
Ben

So your 55 was G or Turquoise, and the upholstery scheme was 3 or Blue & Gray and the interior trim colors CE where Trooper Tan and Yosemite Blue.

Thank you.