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Thread: Should I buy this Colt?

  1. #1

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    Default Should I buy this Colt?

    Yeah yeah, loaded question I know. I am concerned about the cracking paint. I haven’t seen the whole plane but he said the fabric is in overall great shape and this is the worse of the paint job. Is this a concern? Can I fly it like this or must it be repaired. Should I steer clear of this plane?
    other facts:
    1300hrs SMOH but 200hrs since “complete tear down and repair” (prop strike?)
    Ceconite 101 in 1998
    Price is less than $20k

    Thoughts?

  2. #2
    RRHall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Should I buy this Colt?

    I think your bigger problem is it seems to be upside down. How would you get into it?

    The paint and interior should not make it unairworthy, just my opinion, and the cracks in the paint may be fairly easily repaired. Do you know what covering system it has on it? Polyfiber, Randolphs, Stewarts?
    Make sure you have a pre-buy inspection done by a mechanic knowledgeable about the colt and pipers. It doesn't look bad to me based on the pictures but there are a thousand and one things you can't see which could be reasons for walking away. Depending on the system and type of paint those cracks could be easily repaired by someone who knows what they are doing just make sure the reason for the cracks is not that there is a tear or some other problem with the fabric. Check the logbooks and see when last recovering was done and have someone closely inspect the fabric to see if it is deteriorating. Where is it located? Big difference between fabric in the desert and Washington state or an airframe in Florida VS Colorado.

  3. #3
    Administrator Steve Pierce's Avatar
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    Default Re: Should I buy this Colt?

    Have you read this post and can you answer the question asked in it?
    https://www.shortwingpipers.org/foru...ase-Inspection

  4. #4
    Gilbert Pierce's Avatar
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    Default Re: Should I buy this Colt?

    I’ve been maintaining a Champ for 20 years that the customer bought with the paint cracked and falling off. The wings had to have new spars so they got new fabric and paint. The fuselage is a PITA.

    The paint flakes off or cracks appear exposing raw fabric. That has to be fixed so I swab it with Polybrush and Poly Spray and the squirt some paint over it. Then the tapes come loose and I have deal with that. I would not buy the Colt. It will turn into a nightmare. It looks you know what and every year it gets worse. I gave trying to make it look decent. I would fix it nicely and the paint next to the repair would come off the next year.
    Last month when the Champ owner called about his annual I gave him the names of three A&P-IA’s he should call.

    Wait an buy an airplane with decent fabric.

    According to the FAA this airplane was registered to a Delaware corporation on 11-14-2020. Is owned by a dealer?

  5. #5

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    Default Re: Should I buy this Colt?

    To me, it would be a flying basket case. Figure maybe fly for a couple years before a complete recover. Engine is mid time, but how many years? When buying, always fall back to the Lycoming 12 years between overhaul and price accordingly. Given the fabric issues, I don’t think I’d go over 10k, maybe even less., and that’s figuring that you are willing and able to do the fabric work yourself. If you would need to hire out the work, you will end up with a $30k airplane that you have over $50k invested in.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  6. #6

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    Default Re: Should I buy this Colt?

    I would go see this guy with 10 grand in your hand and fly away in a Clipper that is much more plane https://www.barnstormers.com/listing...php?id=1618975

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Should I buy this Colt?

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Pierce View Post
    Have you read this post and can you answer the question asked in it?
    https://www.shortwingpipers.org/foru...ase-Inspection
    This helped alot, thank you, didnt see it before.

  8. #8

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    Default Re: Should I buy this Colt?

    Quote Originally Posted by PA-16 View Post
    I would go see this guy with 10 grand in your hand and fly away in a Clipper that is much more plane https://www.barnstormers.com/listing...php?id=1618975
    The Clipper is a better plane? Havent even looked at these, maybe I am missing something.

  9. #9

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    Default Re: Should I buy this Colt?

    Quote Originally Posted by dgapilot View Post
    To me, it would be a flying basket case. Figure maybe fly for a couple years before a complete recover. Engine is mid time, but how many years? When buying, always fall back to the Lycoming 12 years between overhaul and price accordingly. Given the fabric issues, I don’t think I’d go over 10k, maybe even less., and that’s figuring that you are willing and able to do the fabric work yourself. If you would need to hire out the work, you will end up with a $30k airplane that you have over $50k invested in.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    It was 2013 when the engine was overahauled "complete teardown and rebuild but didnt rehack the major overhaul time. I have never seen a logbook entry like this one. Ill find it and post it.

  10. #10

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    Default Re: Should I buy this Colt?

    Quote Originally Posted by Gilbert Pierce View Post
    I’ve been maintaining a Champ for 20 years that the customer bought with the paint cracked and falling off. The wings had to have new spars so they got new fabric and paint. The fuselage is a PITA.

    The paint flakes off or cracks appear exposing raw fabric. That has to be fixed so I swab it with Polybrush and Poly Spray and the squirt some paint over it. Then the tapes come loose and I have deal with that. I would not buy the Colt. It will turn into a nightmare. It looks you know what and every year it gets worse. I gave trying to make it look decent. I would fix it nicely and the paint next to the repair would come off the next year.
    Last month when the Champ owner called about his annual I gave him the names of three A&P-IA’s he should call.

    Wait an buy an airplane with decent fabric.

    According to the FAA this airplane was registered to a Delaware corporation on 11-14-2020. Is owned by a dealer?
    I would have to get a "shortwinged expert" to look at this plane, not sure if there are any in South Carolina where this plane is currently. I called the field where it is located and the mechanic said he can do a prebuy for $1K, but he doesnt know fabric planes very well. ugh
    The owner had a mechanic "buddy" of his come over and look at the fabric cause he was not comfortable signing off the annual on a fabric plane as he doesnt know them very well. The owner is an IA but aquired the plane via a divorce sell?

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