You can get an overhaul on a “540” done in the US for about 30k $, but for Europe you have to add shipping and import VAT.
Beautiful aircraft!
Would love to have one some day…
Silvaire wrote:
Assuming no crankshaft or case weirdness, I could get the engines done for circa $20 K each, hands on, but both the logbook entries and the work involved might not appeal to prospective Aerostar buyers A
Yep, I’m sure there are means and ways to get this done cheaper, my figures come from real-life recent experience at a very good shop in SoCal.
172driver wrote:
if I had the budget, this is the airplane I’d buy. An IO-540 o/h runs around $40k or so plus de/re-install. Realistically you’re looking at around $ 100k for both once everything is taken care of.
Assuming no crankshaft or case weirdness, I could get the engines done for circa $20 K each, hands on, but both the logbook entries and the work involved might not appeal to prospective Aerostar buyers 
A friend is on his fourth or fifth angle valve IO-540 overhaul, part of buying, repairing and selling damaged aerobatic planes to make a buck. He’s all set up to do it now including knowing who can do the machine work competently and inexpensively. There’s a network of suppliers below the visible overhaul shops. His A&P business partner signs them off.
The appeal to me of the 600A fantasy is the simplicity of the engines and non-pressurized airframe. It’s a raw hot rod hiding in the form of a business plane. Awesome.
Silvaire wrote:
Continuing on the Aerostar theme
Both are 2000kg+… Enroute charges in Europe…
Silvaire wrote:
For a guy who could figure out how to source or overhaul a couple of non-turbo IO-540s inexpensively at some point in the foreseeable future
Agree – if I had the budget, this is the airplane I’d buy. An IO-540 o/h runs around $40k or so plus de/re-install. Realistically you’re looking at around $ 100k for both once everything is taken care of.
Continuing on the Aerostar theme, this caught my eye. For a guy who could figure out how to source or overhaul a couple of non-turbo angle valve IO-540s inexpensively at some point in the foreseeable future… What a cool hot rod, simple and fast.
In reference to the last 2015 posts above, if somebody in the area where this plane is located had bought a local rental house then, it could be sold today with appreciation enough to buy this Aerostar. Time flies.
JasonC wrote:
In the PA46 world prices are very tightly correlated with engine hours particularly when over 1000.
Isn’t that true for all used piston aircraft more than, say, 10 years old?
Silvaire – here in Hollywood where I’m looking it’s more than that. Should have bought when I moved over, now I’ll never afford one in this area.
AdamFrisch wrote:
It’s funny how the economy here in the US, and especially in California is “booming” again (I say that fully knowing the US is leveraged to the hilt and it won’t last, but for now at least). House prices have gone up about 100% from just 3 years ago.
It’s about 20-30% since 2012 depending on area and the style of house, bringing current sales prices approximately to where they were in 2007 in some areas.
The most obvious and common way for somebody to raise cash to buy a plane in the US is a fixed rate mortgage on something else like a house that already has substantial equity. That way interest on the plane loan becomes a direct income tax deduction. After tax cost of money might end up being 2 or 3% per year, i.e. very little. The real issue is the plane being a slightly depreciating high-ish value asset so in most cases you’d be building negative equity unless the depreciation is less than monthly payments on principal. If you’re old I guess that’s OK – never pay off the loan. I’m not that old and attempt to build equity with any money I might borrow.
