What do I look for when buying used.

[DCASonex]

As another former Cheetah driver, was about to suggest that option. That glued together honeycomb fuselage makes for one strong bird. Only problem was with some wings de-laminating, and only on some, in a limited production time range. If it has survived this long, not likely to be any new problems. Loads of room in it, but also easy to overload. Have to keep eye on your total weight, especially if you get one like I had with the long range tanks (52 gallons total.)

David A Sonex TD, CAMit 3300

[helifrek]

Again, thank you all for the advice. I have looked into everyone suggestions and so far I keep going back to the Cherokee for a couple of reasons, there are a ton of used ones for sale with fairly low hours and plenty of time until TBO, there are also quite a few local Cherokees around here which means I would be able to get local advice and possibly some dual stick time (provided I don't buy one to learn in). I wouldn't plan on flying with passengers very often so the backseat legroom is not a concern.

A few other planes I have been looking at are a local 170A with a beautiful paint job and a great interior but..... on closer inspection it looks like it has been painted a couple of times and not striped in between. The rivets are buried under layers of paint, there are spots where the paint overrun and where paint chipped off and has gotten repainted. On the bottom of the wing joining the fuselage there are some missing hardware or cracked aluminum... it just doesn't look very well taken care of. Also it has over 6k hours and about 800 until TBO and the asking price is $36k which seems a little high when I compare it to a Cherokee. Plus I would have to get a tailwheel endorsement (or is it rating?).

Well guys, thanks for being an open ear! it really helps on my long slow journey!

[fastj22]

I would avoid the 170. Thats a plane for someone who just loves the model and not someone who wants a cheap commuter. I would love to find a 140 with a big engine, but my budget for such a toy isn't there. Also, insurance on a taildragger will be much much higher so go with a trike like the Cherokee. Or maybe a C172 or C175.

[helifrek]

Well, looks like I am pretty much set on some sort of Cherokee! There are quite a few local pilots with Cherokees which means there has to be some local mechanics that are also familiar with the airframe so I should have no problem getting some local advice and help when finally choosing my own aircraft.
I am switching to a new CFI also which will hopefully speed up getting my PPL. I have two flights scheduled with the new CFI already and he seems much more active than my current CFI which is always hard to reach and after 5 months we haven't gone on a single flight. we have only actually met twice and he wants to jump right into my cross country flight so I felt the need for a change.
Once I actually start with the new CFI I am going to see what he would think about training in a Cherokee. If he is good with that idea then I will move forward with buying a Cherokee.

I really appreciate the help guys, I would have never looked into a Cherokee if it wasn't for you guys. At first I was apprehensive due to the cost but after a lot of research it is actually a lot more affordable than I thought it would be to own a certified aircraft!

Thanks again,
Brandon

[vwglenn]

My ragwing 170 was a brilliant plane. My only gripes were the front seats were't comfortable and it burned a little more fuel than I wanted given it's speed. Seats are easily fixed by installing early 172 seats. A 170-B has the same wing as a 172 so it gains a little speed, slightly heavier, and the fowler flaps. Only reason to own a 170 over a 172 is the cool factor. You want to drive a 2005 Impala (172) or a 1965 Impala(170)?

Avoid the C-175 like the plague unless you like overhauling geared engines.

Cherokee 140s are cheap and sound like they'll fit your mission quite nicely.

[helifrek]

thanks for the information! found a facebook group for Cherokee owners, trying to find some local pilots that can give me a walk-around and let me jump in and see how it fits!