I know my following response is tired; I know Cirrus and SETPs have sucked up the upscale market; and the market overall has spoken.

But I load my 1969 B55 Baron with a family of 4 plus lots of carry-on stuff and never have my Foreflight weight and balance screen turn red.

We climb well over 1000 ft per min.

We cruise along at 180 kts on 23 gph.

And for me it is just plane fun to move around a panel full of levers.

Thank you.

And that my friends says it all.

I have about 100 hours in serial #2 of the 310's. Can't price the smiles per mile in that thing. Its in a partnership and no one flies it. I'm thinking about buying in. I will see no measurable return on the money. But, i'm sure it will improve my quality of life.

If you can all do your own work, then it's a different story. There's a very interesting 310Q at T31 in North Dallas, it belongs to an A&P/Avionics guy and has a great panel and good engines. But he wants too much (because of the panel).

I have a BE-55 that meets your description to a T with the exception of terrible avionics, it has decent avionics. I love the plane for my mission and when it needs new engines I will buy mid-time engines and live with the cost or I'll top the ones I have and fly them "as is" since they run so well. If you'd feel better in a light twin, find one good for your mission and fly it. I can fix a lot of things on my old Baron for the cost of a new high performance single and I ABSOLUTLY love the way it fly's, especially at night, in the weather, over terrain:).
I own my plane for the mission it performs and the fact that I like flying a twin. It will never make sense to own a complex airplane as an appreciating asset, then again, same with a boat:).

You'd be willing to pay a lot more when your single is backfiring and popping when you are on top and the ceiling is 300ft.

I have a 1972 Baron 58 which I love and fly regularly. It looks like new (keep it hangared) look what it has 530/430 Stec 55x auto-pilot, radar altimeter, Aspen
new ADS-B in and out, back up mid-continent horizon, two transponders, late
imron paint & interior, new 520 engines eight years ago, stormscope, active
traffic. This 44 year old bird has taken us to Alaska, Newfoundland, Tortolla
and everywhere in between. Old birds (and pilots) who are taken care of give
great service!

I'm guessing that in today's market, most of the nicer later model twins are depreciating about 10k/yr.
So, a throwaway airplane bought for 30k, run for 2 years and parted out for 10k,would leave you in the same place. Except for the cost of money, of course.

I hope my next airplane is an old piston twin. (Travel Air). I think they have great value. Many who make the comparison between older twins and say a Cirrus for chute vs twin in the safety category are missing the big key, load carrying capability. Personally I think the 50-70s light twin is the most undervalued class in aviation. You should see what these 55 Baron drivers are stuffing in these things. Any non G5 cirrus is not a four place airplane with full fuel. I fly an 06 G2 and its full fuel payload is right at 500lbs. I know some Barons, C/D/E55s with full fuel payloads nearing 1000lbs.

Dont part your old twins out!! There are young guys who would love to make memories with their families in a good airplane!!!

Shawn,

I TOTALLY agree, there's a ton of value in an old Baron. The biggest issue is getting one that is "reasonably" maintained.
But if you compare the costs to a Cirrus, even a used one, the cost is significantly cheaper in the Baron unless you're flying several hundred hours a year... and you have Beechcraft quality.

I ran those numbers years ago. Say you spend 100k on a nice Baron and 300k on a nice Cirrus. The avionics will be nicer in the Cirrus no doubt, but 200k nicer? Doubt it. For all the wiz-bang gizmos, a 530w, Aspen, and a good autopilot will get you anywhere you need to go, anything past that are just luxuries. Then you add in the parachute repack, we just did them at work, 17k a pop. If you fly 100 hours a year, a fresh engine should get you about 20 years, thats two parachute repacks, 34k. That essentially covers the second engine overhaul. It will take forever to burn 200k in the difference in fuel burn.

P.s. I don't mind turning a wrench on an airplane. Half the reason I have an airplane is to have something to tinker on.

If you can all do your own work, then it's a different story. There's a very interesting 310Q at T31 in North Dallas, it belongs to an A&P/Avionics guy and has a great panel and good engines. But he wants too much (because of the panel).

John, I have the same vintage 310 and have 1000 hrs on both engines and been flown about 60 hrs a year. I had terrible avionics also and spent 25000 to get it to the 90's and paid 30000 four years ago. I'd like to think its worth 40k.
Also, make sure the wing spar ad is checked every year.

Solid airplane Jack.
But only 2 BT posts in 3 years? Need to start upping your production!

If I could find a B55 with boots and radar, but otherwise equipped the same way as my TN-V35B (including AC) and maintained the same way, I would be very, very tempted to do that deal.

Very tempted.

Problem is, very few Barons like that that are priced within reason. The top shelf examples are $$$. Plus very few B55s have AC, and it's a no-go item for us.

Best,
Rich