John - Perhaps yours is the best answer yet.
Thanks, Jerry -----Original Message----- From: John Craparo [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, July 18, 2008 12:20 PM To: Jerry Eichenberger Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: [ercoupe-tech] Why not more restored Coupes? Jerry, I agree, but up until a few years ago, our rudderless plains did not capture the imagination the way Cubs and others did. It was not until LSA began to catch on that the values of bad Ercoupes went from $10,000 to $20,000 or more. There is the occasional airplane on Tradeaplane or Barnstormers for $30,000 or more, but I think the general reputation of the Ercoupe as a fliver has been the problem. After an extensive restoration on my Ercoupe two years ago, I decided to rebuild my engine and replace most accessories from the firewall forward. We are testing this weekend... I think mine is now a $40K something Ercoupe and the insurance companies will still only underwrite a little more than half of that. Maybe another reason we are not seeing big investments in the Ercoupe. Best, John On 7/18/08, Jerry Eichenberger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: The discussion about LSA, and prices led me to think (it does happen once in a while) about why we don't see more really nicely restored Coupes on the market. It seems like you can find better than new restorations of Cubs, Champs, even T-crafts for sale almost every day. And, I really mean nice ones, in like new, or better than new condition, new engines, new interiors, new wing spars, new fabric, new glass - the whole works. I honestly don't see many ads, or hardly any actually, for Ercoupes similarly restored. Now, I'm not a mechanic, nor am I all that much even a handyman. I wouldn't undertake the restoration of anything myself - I just don't have the skill or patience. But, having said that, it seems to me that a Coupe would be a lesser job to fully restore than an all tube and fabric airplane. Any answers out there? Jerry E.
