But it *is* possible to get production-style airplanes certified as
Experimental Amateur-Built. I mentioned a Cessna 150 owner on a
previous posting, and realized that there is a Stinson 108-3 in the
same situation at my home field.

The owners either pulled strings with friends at the FAA or performed
such a massive rebuild that the inspector probably agreed it met the
51% rule.

I had always heard that it couldn't be done. But a couple of guys I
know are rebuilding a Piper Malibu and have gotten the FSDO to agree to
their plans to certify it as Experimental - Amateur-built. They claim
that there are already three others so certified.

The trick (and I am quoting them) is that they have identified from the
Piper documents 51+% of the TASKS that must be done to build the
aircraft. And (given how bad this one was wrecked) it certainly
shouldn't be a problem to find 51%. Some of these items are in the
details, of course. For example, they will take a couple of places
where they need new skin and make it out of sheet aluminum, rather than
simply buy the parts from Piper. And they are going to make substantial
differences to the power plant and ancillary components.

As I understood it, the key is:
1) Make (rather than simply assemble out of replacement parts) as much
as possible.
2) Get the FSDO involved early, and get him/her to agree to the plan.