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Hi everyone, just
wanted to share something with all of you so that you may help someone else who
may ask you about investing in a Coupe. Ed stressed the importance of getting a
good pre buy inspection by someone familiar with Coupes. I had my Coupe annualed
before buying it, it was annualed by the person who had done the maintenance on
it for a number of years. Finding " someone who knows about Coupes " is pretty
darn tough unless you can take the Coupe somewhere which entails a flight and
the seller is normally reluctant to allow an extended stay. We all know who is
good on Coupes now because we all own one, it is not like this for someone who
does not have the benefit of the Wrights and Coupetech with the many great
mechanics we have on the site. I paid $15,000 for a Coupe which loooked to be in
really good shape and had a pre buy inspection by the A&P. I did not fly
down myself and check it out because of the expense +- $1500. I spent the first
year flying and getting familiar with the plane, however I did the 2002 annual
myself and found things I wish I hadn't. The rib that Hartmut replaced was
rotten on mine also and within 1/8 of an inch of the spar. The maintenance had
been done, but not as it should have been done. The owner thought his plane was
in great condition, and he had paid for it to be, but it was not, and not
through any fault of his own. I just added up what I put into the Coupe last
year in parts and shipping $14,155.38. Some upgrading was done, but for the most
part it should have been done years ago. This figure does not include getting
the plane up here or the thousands in electronics which I spent the previous
year, roughly $3,000. All the work was done by myself so labor has not been
factored into this cost, but so far I have close to $33,000 in this plane,
mainly because of prior issues which were not addressed including AD's not done.
Most of the labor was done during a six week period form 6 am to 6 pm 7 days a
week, in a T hangar loaned to me for no fee. Two other weeks were out on the
ramp with a generator, same hours. This is all time I had reserved for flying
with only two weeks for the annual and some upgrading. The reason I am sending
this is so that when someone is thinking of getting a pre buy and they talk to
you, tell them to send the plane to the Wrights, the new owner will be money
ahead. Many owners are not A&P's and they pay top dollar for good work, the
problem is they don't always get the good work. Pete
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Have a great
day!!!
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