Flyboylouis

On 12/11/2020 at 10:09 PM, ShawnM said:

The TruTrak avionics can be problematic. Check the logbooks for any service records. They were installed by the factory for a very limited time and are now 11 years old. I know of two other legacy owners (pre 2010) with TruTrak and they both have had issues with the units. As far as I know they are no longer serviceable and would need to be replaced with Dynon if/when they no longer work.

Hey Shawn,

I wanted to say thanks for your knowledge on the issues I was facing with the 2009 SC. I just closed the deal this morning and talking about the TruTrak issues provided ample ammo to negotiate another $13k off the asking price. I also had a Rotax mechanic spend 4 hours combing through everything and besides a little bit of rubber everything is mint!

Looking forward to clocking some serious hours in my new to me aircraft.

Merry Christmas!

- Louis

On 12/12/2020 at 2:15 PM, ShawnM said:

I personally would be curious as to why the prop was replaced, it was done a reason and I would want to know why. I'm sure there are some who might not care. Given there has been other damage to the plane as noted in the log entries I personally would want more info but that's just me.

As for the price, it's worth what someone is willing to pay for the plane.  I guess I shouldn't say if it's overpriced or not because my answer is only relevant to me. Would I pay $85K USD for this plane, no way. Main reason being the current NLG and the avionics and this is without knowing the full history. There is a current 2009 SportCruiser owner here in the US who just removed all his TruTrak avionics because they were failing (minor gremlins kept popping up) and he spent about $20k buying the latest Dynon Skyview (uninstalled). Add to that the cost of a new NLG, if it's needed, and you are talking an additional $25K on top of your purchase price. Will the Trutrak or NLG fail? I have no idea but for me the gamble is too large. 

It's really hit and miss when the legacy SportCruisers come up for sale. There have been some really great deals out there recently so if you can be patient you might find a better choice. I do know that importing a plane into Canada can take 2-4 weeks but have no idea of the fees involved. I know a guy who imported a helicopter into Canada from the US and it was a smooth transition. 

By no means am I trying to talk you out of buying this plane, if you love it and are comfortable knowing it's history and what expenses could be around the corner then please buy it. I just wanted to share my opinions about this particular plane, its asking price and what I've learned. I hope others will chime in and offer up some insight for you as well. 

Here's a topic on one e-bike in particular. The rear baggage area has a max load of 40 pounds or 18 kilograms. This small e-bike actually fits in the wing locker. 

 

Those definitely look like cool ebikes, a huge plus to be able to have 1 in each wing.

I’m still very interested in the plane, going to try to negotiate the price lower due to the concerns you have mentioned and the fact it’s been on the market for quite some time.

From local pilots I’ve spoken to, it costs about 7k to import from the US which isn’t too bad for the right deal!

Hopefully one way or another I can pull the trigger on my SC in the near future 

Thanks for the quick reply. The pricing of $85,000 is actually USD. Would that be considered overpriced? It's hard to know with so few available in this vintage.

Looking through the log books there does not appear to be any prop strikes and there have been rubber changes at 5 years intervals which is great.

I have a small retail business with 4 locations all approx 70 miles apart. I have specifically opened all locations near small airports. My master plan is to check in on my stores on nice flying days and have a small folding bike or E-bike fly with me. Do you think the SC will fit the mission well? Did i open 2 additional locations specifically to make purchasing a plane essential? The answer is yes lol

Update:

Sorry I’m new to this, on closer inspection of the log books it appears the work as been done. I would still love to hear any opinions on the purchase and any pitfalls I should look out for.

Thanks

Hello,

I’m new to the SC community and have really enjoyed reading through the posts to get some much needed insight. I’m looking at purchasing a 2009 SC. I have attached the link to the ad for anyone to view.

https://www.barnstormers.com/classified-1518860-2009-Sport-Cruiser.html

I have a few questions, It doesn’t appear to have had the nose gear replaced, how much of an undertaking is that in terms of time and $$. Secondly it only has 228 total hours. What are the main concerns that I should be looking at with an SC that has sat in a hanger most of its life.

This is the only SC in Canada so I don’t have a ton of options if I’m not importing. I’d love to make it work but have concerns.

Thanks in advance!

Louis