danielhv
Well Known Member
I think I've accepted that a -14 is not going to work for us. Just too dang expensive. So now I'm considering two options...
1) -7A that is past QB stage except 1 wing. Panel is complete, finish kit is there, CS prop is there still in box, comes with a "fresh" O360-A1A. I say "fresh" because there is a caveat. The guy that rebuilt it was a long time Tennant on the field. Biggest hangar out there. He did the rebuild on it, I went and picked it up as the owner was out of town, and put it in his hangar for him. The mechanic passed away, and the logbook for that engine went with him. Engine has been sitting for 8 years or so
Workmanship is just Ok. Not terrible, but I'm betting every hole wasn't deburred and some ribs probably weren't fluted. He wants $55k for all of it. Obvious concern here is build quality. You can't see it all up on visual inspection. You'd never know if the holes were deburred etc. This kit is local to me. He built a -6A with a builder assist company. No build log. Obviously a smoking deal money wise. He just wants his money back out of it, and he's going off what he paid 10 years ago.
2) Buy a -7A kit that started as a QB, finish kit included, on the gear, repeat builder, no build log, couple of states away, wants $49k. Same as above, can only go off what can be seen. LOOKS to be housed better than the option above if that matters.
I guess my questions are:
A) how do you get comfortable with not knowing someone's build practices?
B) is no build log a deal breaker?
C) is no engine log a deal breaker?
1) -7A that is past QB stage except 1 wing. Panel is complete, finish kit is there, CS prop is there still in box, comes with a "fresh" O360-A1A. I say "fresh" because there is a caveat. The guy that rebuilt it was a long time Tennant on the field. Biggest hangar out there. He did the rebuild on it, I went and picked it up as the owner was out of town, and put it in his hangar for him. The mechanic passed away, and the logbook for that engine went with him. Engine has been sitting for 8 years or so
Workmanship is just Ok. Not terrible, but I'm betting every hole wasn't deburred and some ribs probably weren't fluted. He wants $55k for all of it. Obvious concern here is build quality. You can't see it all up on visual inspection. You'd never know if the holes were deburred etc. This kit is local to me. He built a -6A with a builder assist company. No build log. Obviously a smoking deal money wise. He just wants his money back out of it, and he's going off what he paid 10 years ago.
2) Buy a -7A kit that started as a QB, finish kit included, on the gear, repeat builder, no build log, couple of states away, wants $49k. Same as above, can only go off what can be seen. LOOKS to be housed better than the option above if that matters.
I guess my questions are:
A) how do you get comfortable with not knowing someone's build practices?
B) is no build log a deal breaker?
C) is no engine log a deal breaker?
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