Repaint

[jchronic]

Thanks for the input, Herb. The airplane is a working bird right now and for the next few years, but I also fly it for personal use occasionally and will likely keep it awhile for personal use after I quit the survey work. Considering that along with resale presentability, I don't want a Macco special, but it also doesn't have to be a pristine concours job.

For visibility purposes on the survey, right now I'm contemplating just plain white all over, with day-glo orange on the top wing fuel tank access panels; the airplane is military camoflage at present; a previous owner wanted a simulated O2.

The Sturgis shop is a good lead and not too far away although monitoring the progress would be a little difficult. I'll keep it in mind while I see if any recommendations come in for something out here in the east.

Thanks again-
Joe

[Gord Tessier]

I had a bad experience with the latter shop.

[travis]

We did it ourselves... With the stripping, sanding, painting, stainless hardware and a few replacement panels we came at about 13k! That was the lowest price I was quoted for a sand and spray in white with one stripe! It is a complete pain though. So many bits and pieces and nooks and crannies... It took us 18 months to get back in the air and we had several struggles with our mechanic and IA. But in the end it was worth it to get the look we wanted and know that the work was done well and the aircraft is sound.
_travis

[Guy Paris]

Hi Joe,

I have been to this shop in Oxford Maine. Have seen some of there work, real nice. I don't know if they are still painting. Guy

http://www.oxfordaviation.com/index.html

[jchronic]

Hello Guy -
Thanks for the tip; their name also came up from a couple of other contacts. So I actually got a quote from them last week - which sort of watered my eyes: $22+K. They're clearly a quality shop with a sterling reputation, but even with that, one of my neighbors had some issues with them over a job he had done there.

I'm still wrestling with the economics of the whole thing, not simply the out-of-pocket $$ but with the aspect of making that large an investment in something that clearly (to me) isn't going to gain - and most likely not even maintain - it's value going forward. The airplanes are not classics in the usual sense of the word (except maybe to us) and I see their resale value continuing to drop over time as they get harder (read 'more expensive') to keep in service....parts, the whole 100LL issue, etc.

Of course, there's the aesthetic (sp?)/pride-of-ownership aspect also. But mine is a working airplane and I have to weigh the overall economics of the repaint. Which also means I can't have the airplane down for 12-18 months while I struggle through a DIY job. Decisions, decisions.............

Joe

[Dale Campbell]

I had my 337H stripped and repainted at Smoke Town Airport in Pa. 10 years ago at a price of 12K. They did a beutiful job and it is 3 colors see my photo, and only took them 4 weeks to get my plane back. They did all the painting of O&N 210 aircraft conversions called the Eagle that were upgraded to Turbines. O & N in Northeastern Pa. now do there own painting. There is also a good paint shop at airport N79 in Northumberland, Pa. Stop in these shops if you are in Northeastern Pa. Good luck, Dale

[Guy Paris]

Hi Joe,

Just maybe that O2 paint scheme doesn't look that bad. In the interim, wing tips tail tips

and a few other places in day glo. Just some thoughts. I think the shop here in Nashua

would do that.

Guy....