1965 7ECA for sale, $30k

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aftCG

aftCG

Well-known member
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Apr 3, 2018
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526
Location
Tacoma, WA
It's time I sell my Citabria so I have hangar space to complete my experimental build. I will be advertising in the usual places but I'm starting here.
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I've posted many pictures and videos in this forum. You can look up the tail number (N602Z) on youtube and follow the adventure

Details:
1965 7ECA
S/N 290 which means 26 gallon fuel capacity, heel brakes and slider window on left side.
Wood spars continue to pass AD inspections
150hp Lycoming O-320-A2B (narrow deck)

Hours listed are approximate, and the plane is still being flown regularly (100 hours last year):
Aircraft TT 2502
Engine TT 1571
Engine SMOH 622
Prop TT 622

The aircraft had a prop strike around 2004 (622 hours ago). The crankshaft had an AD on it anyway so the engine was overhauled by Premier in Troutdale, OR
Skytech lightweight 122-NL starter
Slick mags 500hr AD completed during last annual (November 2020)
lightweight alternator
Remote oil filter
3 position Whelen strobes
LED landing light with flasher
"Tall panel" with G meter, tach, airspeed, T/B, altimeter, Dynon D3 EFIS, Dynon USB power outlet, VSI, Hobbs, oil pressure, digital oil pressure/temp, 4 channel CHT, 4 channel EGT, amps, volts and clock.
Val 2000 COM
PS Engineering intercom
Stratus ESGi transponder with ADS-B in and out
iFly 740b which displays the ADS-B "in" information
Hooker 5 point harnesses
Fixed (non-adjustable) seats
All landing gear hardware replaced/updated during my first annual, including tail wheel leaf springs
Scott 3200 tail wheel
Desser 8.50x6 tires
Tail wheel tire replaced during recent annual
Skylight

Last covered (from memory) 1987-88 with Stits, converted to spring type landing gear. Paint and covering won't win any awards but mechanics tell me it does not need fabric. I keep it in a hangar and it has not aged during my ownership. This plane is a super reliable flyer and is priced very fairly. I would take it anywhere (and I have), including long cross country flights. I will cheerfully deliver this plane anywhere in the continental US for gas and a ticket home.

Aircraft is located in Tacoma, WA
Price is $30k
 
Good luck with the sale! I hope you'll stick around and keep the Kitfox thread going and continue to chime in on our Citabria discussion.

IMHO, Citabria prices have been going up and $30k is way too low for a well maintained 150hp plane with a well-below-mid-time engine. I'd ask at least $45k.
 
I am out of date with pricing, but $30 K seems low. Where is that guy who was having a hard time finding a Citabria last week? He should have sent a deposit two days ago.
 
Bartman said:
Good luck with the sale! I hope you'll stick around and keep the Kitfox thread going and continue to chime in on our Citabria discussion.

IMHO, Citabria prices have been going up and $30k is way too low for a well maintained 150hp plane with a well-below-mid-time engine. I'd ask at least $45k.
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Oh I'll be around for a while.
Based on the responses so far (at least a dozen) I could probably have asked $35k. Had I asked $45k for it I could expect people to nitpick why I should accept less, and then negotiate. Me, I hate haggling more than I dislike tire kickers and pen pals. When I sell cars, motorcycles etc I price them fairly so any buyer standing in front of me with cash in hand will see it's a good deal. I can say that 100% of the time I sell something the first person buys it.

A couple of guys from Montana are driving this way right now and are serious buyers. After I talked to them I got a local guy who wanted to see it (two more since then that I haven't yet responded to). I told the local guy he could come see it but that I would give priority to the guys traveling, and he could have first refusal after that. He did show up with his wife. We talked about the details and then went for a short flight. It was 18G22 almost direct cross wind so that was fun. I flew from the back and did the takeoffs and landings and let him fly it the rest of the time. Two laps of that and didn't bend anything or soil the seat cushions so we quit while we were ahead.
Bartman said:
and it essentially is a 7GCAA even though it was a 7ECA at birth
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It is, and I made the mistake of identifying it as such to an airport neighbor who is an IA. He politely corrected me that "it is what the data plate says it is".
Bob Turner said:
See? These things are more bang for the buck than Mooneys. Somebody should jump on that one.
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I love Mooneys. I put them right up there with oxygen. I've found that the older C and E models aren't as fast as their reputation (as in, wouldn't exactly blow the doors off my old Cardinal RG). I think they're still a good buy in a cross country IFR capable traveler but I would need a 201/231 before I get out my checkbook. Once my Kitfox is complete and flying I may consider a well rigged 201 to complement the fleet.
 
201 is my favorite, but I remain partial to manual gear and flaps. Our B model was a pleasure - not very fast, and not very thirsty.
There was a wing change on some C models that slowed them down - but the E would do an honest 145 kts. The 201 I fly does 160 all day long on 10 gph at 7500'.
 
By the way, I would buy an airplane from you sight unseen. A lot of sellers would abuse those guys coming up in a pickup. I watched one guy get this "phone call" while negotiations were going on - I was just the ferry pilot, but if I had been the buyer, I would have left right then and there.
 
Bob Turner said:
201 is my favorite, but I remain partial to manual gear and flaps. Our B model was a pleasure - not very fast, and not very thirsty.
There was a wing change on some C models that slowed them down - but the E would do an honest 145 kts. The 201 I fly does 160 all day long on 10 gph at 7500'.
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Simple is good. I remember reading about the original wood wing M20A. It did 150mph and hauled 1000 lbs with 150hp. That's damn impressive.

Funny story. About five years ago I ferried my uncles BT-13 to Minnesota to have the wet wings resealed at the best place to take a Mooney - "Weep no More". It was about 1200 miles each way. My girlfriend, who could care less about riding in a plane, came along for the ferry flight back home.

We arrived at MSP and made our way to Flying Cloud, where we would be picked up the next morning and flown to Willmar, MN. At the appointed time we met at the nice FBO and boarded a Mooney Ovation. It was dark as we taxied out and the first light was just coming over the horizon as we lifted off. We never got more than 1000' AGL which is fine by me. The early light and superbly smooth air made it a surreal flight of about 70 miles.
We were walking to the big hangar to get the BT ready to go and I get elbowed by my girlfriend, who gestures back at the Ovation and says "can we get one of those?"

Then we climbed in a 76 year old, drafty, smoke belching radial powered plane and flew home.
 
aftCG said:
It is, and I made the mistake of identifying it as such to an airport neighbor who is an IA. He politely corrected me that "it is what the data plate says it is".
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Ja, well I figured it wouldn't hurt if someone said it out loud. Hope it all goes according to plan for you. I'm guessing it was basically sold when the first guy got off the phone with you. :)
 
Goodyear said:
That’s a bit of a drive from Montana. I bet they buy it.
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Aaaand, it's gone.
The guys from Montana came out this morning. Ceiling was crap. Winds were 17G25 but pretty much down the runway. I flew with one of the two partners and did four laps of the pattern. I did not have to save us at any point and he loved the plane.
Deal is done but they're stranded in town until the weather clears.
 
Congrats! Nice when they sell but it's gotta hurt a little, no? Tell me it doesn't hurt, my 7ECA will likely go when I need money for 8KCAB wings.
 
Bartman said:
Congrats! Nice when they sell but it's gotta hurt a little, no? Tell me it doesn't hurt, my 7ECA will likely go when I need money for 8KCAB wings.
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It definitely hurts. I didn't have a single negative experience owning/flying N602Z.
 
Bob Turner said:
201 is my favorite, but I remain partial to manual gear and flaps. Our B model was a pleasure - not very fast, and not very thirsty.
There was a wing change on some C models that slowed them down - but the E would do an honest 145 kts. The 201 I fly does 160 all day long on 10 gph at 7500'.
Click to expand...
So, funny story. When the weather didn't clear up I suggested that they leave the plane in my hangar and drive home, then come get it later. So they did.

They showed up today in a Mooney 231. We had talked about the 231 and I knew they were coming in one. Since I used to fly one I was eager to see another one up close. Only it wasn't another one.
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N1157K is the exact 231 I used to instruct in, and I put around 60 hours on it. Where pretty much every instructor gravitated towards getting checked out in the Cirrus SR20 and 22, I saw an opportunity to fly one of my favorite GA aircraft. I was stoked to be one of only two instructors that could be bothered with it, just me and the older dude.
The older dude was my favorite guy at that busy flight school. He is who checked out us new instructors. He checked me out in the Mooney and I also got my tail wheel endorsement from him in the school Citabria. He knew I loved to fly the Mooney and would defer students to me.

We did mountain flying in the Citabria and actual IFR in the 231. I remember a flight we made an out and back IFR flight of about 200 NM total, about half of which was actual IMC. We were northbound from Seattle in level cruise. Ahead of us was a huge bank of CB clouds. As we hurtled toward the giant wall of white and just moments from plowing right into it I said "I love this part". John calmly said "Me too". I said "My wife thinks I'm crazy". He said "Mine too" and poof, we got that thump from when you first enter the cloud. Good times.

I left that school to start my own thing (almost two decades ago now) and last I heard someone had bellied the plane in.

It looked great this afternoon. Small world, eh?

I flew with both of the new owners in the Citabria and know that they'll take good care of the plane.

Makes it seem like a small world.
 
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Check post 13. Good deals do not last - an aircraft priced like that remaining on the market for more than a week means something is seriously wrong with it.
 
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