Should I get an old 337?

[Roger]

I am not a proponent of buying an airplane that stretches your budget. When money gets in the way of necessary repairs and maintenance, you are playing with fire. This doesn't just go for Skymasters, it is for all aircraft.

If you buy a beat up Skymaster, your dollars will be going to not only maintenance and repairs, but also you indicate that you plan on various upgrades. Those items may eat you alive, and or cause thing to "not get done".

Better to know up front your deamons, then just keep findng them and putting them off. These are not cheap aircraft to keep in "prefect" order, and especially not cheap to get them there once they have fallen victim to disrepair.