A friend of mine has an opportunity to purchase a PA-28-180HP and has turned to me for advice. Not knowing what to watch out for on the Pipers, I will pass that question on to the BT brain trust. What should he focus on during the pre-buy process?

It is advisable and pretty easy to remove the fuel tanks and inspect the inside of the lower main spar cap for corrosion. Just a bunch of screws.

Bring an easy-out and new screws with you because you're likely to destroy most of them in that process for most pipers.

Or bring an El Brutus Johnson Bar

Is it for a flight school?

Otherwise lots more fun airplanes for the money

I mean piper wise a PA24, or a maule, Stinson, bellanca, lanceair, C170, AA5, RV, stearman, C195, etc

A fixed gear Hersey bar would be about my last choice for a personal plane, like buying a bicycle as an adult but keeping the training wheels on it

This is a specific airplane that is coming available due to a friend aging. It has a known history.

A PA28 is a breeze to Prebuy. Look for the the ADs, look for the SBs, scope the engine, sniff out corrosion and be done with it. The wing spar AD is really the kiss of death, so that AD should be addressed. Otherwise it’s about the simplest process the AP can do.

As of now a 180 Cherokee is not subject to the wing spar AD (181 or 180 Arrow is). You can look at the AD for the other Cherokees and check the log to see IF it was subject to the AD if the inspection would even be required based on factored hours.

If it’s had the additional inboard inspection plates put in the wings as per the service bulletin it makes checking for corrosion at the spar easier.

PA28s are pretty simple airplanes. O-360 is about as bullet proof as it gets and while certainly not fast a nice 180 can carry a pretty good load at usually right around 1k lbs useful.

The few expensive possibilities:

- did they convert the aluminum wiring to copper

- the horizontal stabilator (AD - odd position and labor intensive- not hard)

- borescope the engine - it is bullet proof, but can still provide peace of mind

- make sure the propeller is proper length and hasn’t been ground down too much. This is also an odd but reoccurring problem with older Sensinech Props.

- if it has Autopilot make sure it and everything else works

- hopefully it has articulating seats in front - makes a world of difference


All I can remember

Martin

This means they have a height adjustment, and for those of shorter stature it does make a significant difference. Some had only the left seat with height adjustment, some had both, and some had neither.

As to the wing spar AD, not being on the list doesn't exempt the plane in my book. The mounting method and structure, as far as I know, is the same for the straight wing Cherokees and the tapered wing versions. Is it a big risk? No. Is it catastrophic if it happens. Yes, you all die, no saving throw.

Check out the fwd & aft wing walk doublers for cracks, if there are multiple cracks 'holding hands' then the wing walk will feel soft and you can feel it by pressing down on the upper skin - usually the forward one goes first along the cabin door area. If it all feels good on top then visually inspect via the lower inspection panels - you'll need a long inspection mirror. Cracks start to appear around the radius of the indentations.

Good stuff guys. I have a little time in the Cherokee and would compare it to the Cessna 172 as a capable but simple airplane that is well known among mechanics and as supported as you can get both by manufacturer and salvage sources. It would be a good match for the pilot in question in both mission and experience level. The seller appears to have pampered the airplane, but some of the important details are still not known. We don’t know the engine time, nor the avionics.

O360 and O320 are great engines but theyre bulletproof IF theyre flown, irregular use or short flights can lead to lifter corrosion and worn cam lobes. The design puts the cam at the top of the case and prone to corrosion. When they wear the lifter will look like the tail side of a quarter and eat the lobes of the cam down, this will result in lower static RPMs and lower horsepower. An engine with low hours but high age overhaul is a prime candidate for this issue.

It's the perfect first airplane. Enough useful to carry people and bags and go places. Docile and easy to fly, very forgiving. Easy to fix and easy to own.

I owned one a long time. It's got a bit more oomph in terms of capacity and speed than a 172.

Mine was one of the faster ones, it reliably turned in book or slightly better numbers. It had some minor upgrades. I generally got about 120-125 kts true at 10.1 gph all the time.

It's been enough years that I don't remember all the points to check. But if it has been well cared for by knowledgeable mechanics and owner, it should be good to go.

Served me well for almost 20 years...