"Denny" wrote in message
oups.com...
Ahh yes, the first of the two happiest days of his life - the first is
the day he buys the plane - and the next one is the day he sells the
plane...

Scott, on the paint... Buy a slow speed paint buffer at the auto store
and use the Meguirs 1-2-3 system... A couple of Saturdays at the
airport, buffing, hangar flying, buffing, hangar flying, etc., will
tell you whether the paint can be saved or has to go, and you will get
to know your fellow airplane owners that way - and get to know your
airplane...

On the electronics, other than adding a GPS moving map strapped to the
yoke and an intercom box, fly the airplane AS IS for 6 months (to the
day, by the calendar) before putting any major money into the panel...

First, the yoke mounted GPS map will continue to be your back up no
matter what you put in the panel later.. I have a pair and so far
haven't found a reason to pull my KX-170 B out of the panel (actually I
slid in the TKM MX-170 and I'm quite happy)
Second, six months from now the burst of new ownership will be over and
you can clearly see how you have done with the limited panel and
exactly what you need to do... RIght now your thinking is formed by
what you have been flying at the FBO and the desire to spiff up your
plane...
The other thing to do is to add a vox intercom and a pair of noise
canceling headsets... Go to the Eastern Avionics web site and listen
the audio playbacks on the various intercom units... I know which one
I would pick...

On the after market engine and airframe mods... Wait - Wait - Wait...
These are lots of dollars for limited payback... First of all, A
Cherokee 140 is not the machine to tackle Cumulo Granitus with, and
10HP (if that) and some vortex generators are not going to make it a
mountain machine...... Fly North or South to the low passes for going
East until you have a few hundred hours in the plane before playing
test pilot...

Finally, put a quick hundred hours on the airplane to root out the
mechanical and electrical issues you don't see at this moment... Money
spent now on avgas will save you money down the road by proving or
disproving how sound this airplane is...

Cheers ... denny


Denny, Well said