Jason,

Obviously, the airplane is still not together, and the wheel pants are not installed.

Here are two pics of it in Del's hangar.

Jg

180’s look better without wheel pants anyway!

Murray

Count your blessings, JGG. My 180 went straight from Cessna in Wichita to the biggest Cessna dealer in Mexico. XB-ZAB was rode hard and put up wet for many years, serving the cattle, mining, and drug (yes, weed, when it was profitable) markets until I found it nearly 35 years ago. You can just imagine the sad condition it was in when I bought it. Broken and horribly welded exhaust manifolds made me fly with the windows open. I was so busy for the first year attending my day job and the ranches on the weekends, that I didn't have the luxury of an airspeed indicator. The mountain "airstrips" are really cowpaths, so the flying and landings were on the "A" game. One of the struts turned out to be from a Cessna 170 (!!!). The upholstery was surely concocted from the same tacky velour used for Elvis paintings found around the brothels in Juarez. Rigging was so bad that I needed a massage after flying. I finally got sick of the corruption and bureaucracy, brought the plane to its ancestral home, gave it a proper N number, and taught it to speak proper English and behave accordingly. Nonetheless, it still packs heat in a special secret compartment.
Through the years, I have slowly brought the airplane to a much better condition, and
eventually sent it to the magicians at Beegles Air Service, where, under the orchestration of Scott Mauch, it was made practically new. We now much enjoy it as the family pet, and it is, beyond any doubt, the keeper. I once quipped at a New Year's 180-185 bacchanal at Lajitas, Texas, that I was going to sell the plane in favor of a 185. My young bride refocused my fogged brain by stating that if the 180 went, she would go with it. One great friend and 180 driver came up and said he would take the airplane and the girl; then he would sell the plane back to me in a year at what he thought it was worth. (He has a label on his 180's windshield that says: "Flying a 180 is not a mater of life and death... It's more important than that").
So please, my good friend, do not become discouraged by these temporary discomforts in putting your airplane right. They will be surmounted, and I trust that you will enjoy your beautiful 180 for many years to come. Everytime you yell "Clear", you will have a sense of pride reserved for Skywagon folk, and it will have been well worth the effort.
Best regards,

Tom

Johnny,
If I may, because this is an excellent learning experience for all. Here are a few pictures of the newly installed autopilot wiring.
Because of access, I had to hold my phone at odd angles to get the pictures. No matter, you can see this is clearly a botched installation.
Johnny has been the most understanding and patient customer I've had, after I've had to let a customer know my findings after an inspection. I can't explain the relief I felt when Johnny said to me (paraphrasing) "This is not a problem. A problem is something I can't fix. We can fix this"..............and the we (Jg and me) went about correcting the problems. We are doing this together, and we must trust each other. We both have some liability in the corrective actions. This is just one of many, and I'm not a nit picker.

180’s look better without wheel pants anyway!

Murray

You and me both!

All kidding aside, nice to see someone like Del take pride in their workmanship.

Dave

I understand. I try to explain to my customers WHY you don't want me to perform an Annual Inspection. It is because I have had too many experiences where I have to make a call which results in customers thinking I'm being a hard azz. I am not.
In contrast to some/a respected ABS approved shop, I will not tag your 6 ply nose wheel tire because the TCDS mentions 4 ply (as a minimum). But when that same ABS approved mechanic moves a customer aircraft outside, without informing the aircraft owner, and a hail storm damages the aircraft........well, I get sideways and help the aircraft owner.

THIS is how the owner/maintainer relationship should work.

Also, I'm gonna point to this thread every time I'm lambasted about maintenance costs at a premier shop on the 421.

180’s look better without wheel pants anyway!

Murray

I think the guys who boast about their $1,200 “annuals” should be directed to this thread.

Sounds like your average 180. Dredged up from some gravel in Alaska, ground looped x10 and sold with a 'fresh annual'

Congratulations !

180 is really looking great. Keep going the light at the end of the tunnel is visible.

Sadly in situations like this it’s Del that has to search for ways to keep repair costs down to keep the owner happy. But on the flip side he’s got employees to pay, shop to maintain, Fed oversight with the repair station, manuals to subscribe too. etc.

The original shops and mechanics that did the bad work did not hesitate on the bill
The Avionics shop that ran the wires did not discount for shoddy work
The IA’s that missed the problems did not reimburse for inspections that obviously missed the point.


So people like Del keep going because they love to help people and put the airplanes right but the original offenders keep going too. There is no retraining or recourse to the original 3

The Del’s in this industry are far out numbered by the other 3...

Next squawk my IA finds I'm going to give him a high five and tell him "way to go man!"