Why not buy something like this, fly it like you stole it, and when it breaks down sell it for scrap?

http://www.controller.com/listingsdetai ... 323427.htm

Nose fuel tank is an interesting one. If you want to do some loooooong legs, that might do it. The pre '73 421's have a shorter fuselage (count the windows) so maybe not the biggest bang for the buck 421, particularly with the loss of the nose baggage.

But, that said ... I think there's a lot of value in the general concept. Find an air-plane ... that is air-worthy and fly it. Fly it with serviceable paint, panel and interior and plan to scrap when you're done. Might be easier to do with a $40K A55 than a $90K 421, but there's a lot of value to be had.

We were looking at one that was literally half that price.
Just putz around day vfr commuter...

But you know how things go, next thing you know its another money pit.

I know a couple Jet owners that buy an aircraft for cheap price under $500K, fly it until the engines are due overhaul than sale it to a salvage yard.

They say after the aircraft is parted out, they make enough profit to purchase another aircraft.

Is this the future of GA?

No, this is the future of the bolus of airplanes built in the heyday that no longer attract significant reinvestment. For a travelling airplane, you basically have to redo that paint/panel/interior/engines every decade (maybe 15 years). There's a generation of airplanes that, with a shrinking pilot population, have not found anyone to make that investment the last 15-25 years. It's a game of musical chairs and there are more planes than pilots. Give it 10 years and things will shake out. The nice planes wills stay nice, the other planes will re-enter the circle of life providing parts to keep the rest of the fleet aloft.

No, this is the future of the bolus of airplanes built in the heyday that no longer attract significant reinvestment. For a travelling airplane, you basically have to redo that paint/panel/interior/engines every decade (maybe 15 years). There's a generation of airplanes that, with a shrinking pilot population, have not found anyone to make that investment the last 15-25 years. It's a game of musical chairs and there are more planes than pilots. Give it 10 years and things will shake out. The nice planes wills stay nice, the other planes will re-enter the circle of life providing parts to keep the rest of the fleet aloft.

Do you really think CD Aviation is proud? really? Interior and paint are original. A tad worn I would bet.

You have to remember these are high performance, complex, pressurized twins with lots of systems - fuel, electrical, gear, pumps, pressurization, high powered geared engines, etc. - all more than 40 years old - and from the looks of it probably has too much deferred maintenance to make sense and could very well scare or kill you "when it breaks down".

From a financial aspect, to keep this beast in the air - safely - it will consume all of your disposable income, and then some. If you fly it like you stole it, your heart will be pounding every time you prepare for takeoff. I know of someone who did exactly this (bought an old C421 on eBay ), and after spending way more than the purchase price on basic airworthiness items, he decided to cut his losses and sell.

This is a non political comment --this thread makes me think of the impact that the cash for clunkers program has had on the supply side of "restorable" gas guzzling dinosaur cars. Maybe at some point in the future the economics of operating a gas guzzling older twin could change and there will be none around?

My thoughts precisely Alex. Cheap is attractive but not when cheap means strapping on a complex machine that could quickly kill you due to poor mx. I don't believe this is the way to go at all. Do it right or don't do it all. The piston twins are very attractive from a purchase cost standpoint but I believe you need to go in eyes wide open and make the necessary investment to fly something that you know is airworthy and well maintained. No free lunch.

Eh, there are ways to finesse such a deal. Yes the engines need to work. The boots and radar and autopilot don't. If you want a fully capable 421, there's no cheap plane. If you want a big, quiet comfy VFR cruiser, you have more options.

Alex is right on the majority I'd bet. A friend took in a 421 C that a client bought. Client liked beautiful paint and interior. When shop did annual the bird was not what was represented. Client spent as much on MX as he paid for bird and still all the airworthiness items weren't taken care of. Became a BIG mess. Law suits and all.

Buyer beware.

Paint, leather and carpet will hide a multitude of sins...

I've seen lots of estimates on Paint / Interior costs for A36's / Barons but haven't seen the same costs for C421. Assuming you had a pretty rough looking paint / interior to start with, what would a nice full interior (paneling, carpet, seat leather) and nice paint job cost for a 421?