David Weber
I have evaluated my mission and have no need for anything other than a fixed gear 4 place; no more Bonanza searches. The A23 fits my mission just fine. I have 20K in cash that I could spend to fix up my A23, knowing that I would never get that money back. Who wants to help me decide on
how to spend that money?? Panel upgrades? Paint? Interior?? Engine overhaul (mine is 1000 SMOH).
Should I upgrade my A23 or sell for less than 24K and buy a Sundowner
or 200 HP musketeer?
Editor
1. I would not spend a dime on upgrades to an IO346-equipped Musketeer (A23, A23A). This is the airframe that you are least likely to see appreciate, and on which you are the least likely to recover any of your investment when you sell it. These facts are reflected in your difficulty in selling it. Anyone who buys it will be relatively uninformed about the Model 19/23s, and will probably be a former renter who is looking for a lowest-cost entry to personal aircraft ownership.
2. Find a buyer, sell your A23, combine your funds, and find the best-equipped, nicest C23 out there. You want to get one that already has everything you are looking for in your next airplane; avionics, autopilot, paint and interior, etc. You will be getting your upgrades for twenty-five to fifty cents on the dollar, buying them this way, and you’ll get a newer airframe and larger cabin with them. Maintenance costs will likely be lower with a later C23 than with your early A23, despite the nicer airplane with better equipment. Some examples: The C23 cabin is two inches wider than the pre-1971 models; many have a ground blower that blows air from overhead vents during taxi; most will have upgraded avionics, many with panel-mount GPS and autopilots; many will have the dual wing-mounted taxi lights; many will have seats with headrests, and factory shoulder belts with inertia reels.
3. The 200 HP A23-24 Super is a hidden jewel in the fixed-gear planes, especially if you can find one with the constant-speed prop and the aft child’s seat, plus more than one door. There are two down-sides to the Super, in addition to all their advantages. (A) They have a narrower cabin than the later C23. (B) They often are not nearly as well equipped as the later airframes, in terms of paint and interior, avionics, etc. Many owners just haven’t upgraded them, unlike the owners of other much more expensive 200 HP aircraft. If you are operating out of high density-altitude fields, or in mountainous areas, the A23-24 is for you. Ditto if you expect to need to fill four seats with big people, and fuel for a 4-hour flight.
4. Be very selective when choosing your next airframe, as it may well be your last airplane purchase (if you pick the right one). Get one that catches your eye, and then spend your TLC on it along with your money. That way you won’t get the “new car fever” after a couple of years. If you get the very best example you can find, of the airframe type that fits your primary mission profile, your comfort level, and your pocketbook, you’ll be happy with it, and proud of it, for a very long time. You will also be able to afford to keep it and use it. This is in contrast to buying a 50-year old Bonanza that fulfills an initial fantasy, and which then becomes the money pit that they are. And once you do have the airplane you’d like to live with long term, any future upgrades (such as IFR WAAS approach capability) are a much smaller issue, when it comes to recovering the investment. If you’ll be using that upgrade for the next five or ten years or more, you have amortized its cost through your usage. Even so, the chances are that, when the time does come to sell due to a lost Medical or something like that, it will help your plane bring top dollar, from someone doing exactly what you are considering right now.