Buying a Piper Cherokee

[GSXR600]

Hello guys,

Just need a little advice on this. I am a first time aircraft owner and looking for a nice and clean PA-160, this baby will be based in South Florida. I will probably need a good mechanic on my side that I can trust to buy the right aircraft. Any place you guys know that I could start? I don't want to spend more that 40k

thnx

 

[acpilot]

Tradeaplane and Barnstormers.

Don't let a high time engine scare you away. The next plane I buy will be close to or beyond engine TBO with the eventual OH factored into the price. Also make sure you have a supported WAAS gps in the panel for the upcoming adsb mandate.

If you're looking at Cherokee 160s take a look at the Grumman line as well. May be a bit pricey for your budget though. Maybe also consider an early V-tail Bonanza 35 - G35 on a $40k budget. Plan $20k/yr for care and feeding of the Bo though...maybe $12-$15k if you are heavily involved with the MX. A Cherokee should be considerably cheaper.

As far as the mechanic goes, it's a Cherokee. An A&P should not be hard to come by. Head down to the airport and ask owners who they recommend. I used a combination of mobile mechanic for light work and a "real" shop for engine/annuals and it worked out well. That also gave me two sets of eyes to check against the other's work.