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Engine and avionics from my Tri-Pacer

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davidschmaus

I'm New Here
First time post. I own a 57 Tri-Pacer with a 500 SMOH 0320, Stratus ADSB, Dual G5's, Garmin GNC 355 and Aerospace Logic Fuel and Voltmeter. It's a 125MPH Plane at 9gph

I am totally enjoying it now but my wife and I really like to travel and that is its primary use. Will want something faster.

I had a thought of building a 9A over the next 2 years while we continue to enjoy the Tri-Pacer and then use the 0320 and avionics for the Vans.

Is this possible/practical?

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Using the engine and avionics will work fine. The prop will probably not be practical because of the speed range of the RV.
 
That’s such a beautiful Tri-Pacer that I would hate to see you strip it down. Why don’t you sell it and use the proceeds to fund a new engine and avionics? You can finance the build and then reduce the borrowing once you’ve sold your older plane.

And frankly I would build the RV14A (Quick build). It’s roomier and I suspect a little faster. It’s also a faster and easier build from what I hear.
 
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Tankerpilot75 said:
That?s such a beautiful Tri-Pacer that I would hate to see you strip it down. Why don?t you sell it and use the proceeds to fund a new engine and avionics? You can finance the build and then reduce the borrowing once you?ve sold your older plane.

And frankly I would build the RV14A (Quick build). It?s roomier and I suspect a little faster. It?s also a faster and easier build from what I hear.
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I agree, sell the PA22 and put the money towards your -9A.

While the 14A is quicker to build and roomier, it may not be any faster. What it is, is a LOT more expensive to build! Figure close to $150K for the 14A where as the -9A will cost right around $100K, less if you can find some good deals on the engine, instruments, etc.
 
N941WR said:
I agree, sell the PA22 and put the money towards your -9A.

While the 14A is quicker to build and roomier, it may not be any faster. What it is, is a LOT more expensive to build! Figure close to $150K for the 14A where as the -9A will cost right around $100K, less if you can find some good deals on the engine, instruments, etc.
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The 14 is really nice but that is exactly my thought. I was thinking more like 170K for a IFR 14A.

I have a free engine and avionics already. ;)
 
That is an awesome looking Tripacer. It seems like it would be worth more as is than the value of it?s avionics (much lower in a couple years when you have finished your new RV7 and want new modern stuff), and the airframe stripped of its non-standard panel. Somebody buying that stripped tripacer would have to find some now outdated avionics to replace the (now outdated) avionics that you removed. If you decide to build a plane, don?t buy any avionics until it?s almost ready to fly. Something better/cheaper will come along before you are ready to fly your new kit plane. If you can afford to do this, then more power to you, but from an out of pocket cost point of view, it?s pretty hard to beat that upgraded Tripacer you have. Do the math on the time difference on your typical trip and then consider the value of the time spent enroute.
I know the RV is a wonderful airplane, but measure the time value of the extra $70K+ you will have to spend. I don?t count the 1500-2000 hours of labor you will have to provide because it is an enjoyable learning experience for most of us. After owning the RV7 for a few years, you can still probably sell it for the cost of the parts you paid to build it. Labor will have to be its own reward.
Good luck with your choice. The Tripacer is a milk stool, but yours might be the nicest milk stool I have ever seen.
 
I suspect that when you get closer to needing to install avionics, that you'd then prefer to get the new stuff.

While the engine might be fine for an RV, the baffles, air box, exhaust, etc., might not be. Worth checking out as they all add up.

Sure, the performance and ease of building a -14a is better than a -9a, but the cost is way, way higher. I'd rather have the -9a as being a more straightforward thing to get at this stage. Also considerably more efficient.

What would you do with the stripped Tri Pacer? You've got a nice one. Why not keep it and you'd have something to fly while you're building, then sell it and buy an engine and avionics. The cost might not differ by much and a good Tri Pacer will still be around.

Dave
 
I?ve seen your Tripacer before. Don?t know if it was at Lee Bottom or Morraine - second pic? But it?s a nice one.
 
Welcome to VAF

davidschmaus said:
First time post.
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David, welcome aboard the good ship VAF:D


davidschmaus said:
I had a thought of building a 9A over the next 2 years while we continue to enjoy the Tri-Pacer and then use the 0320 and avionics for the Vans.

Is this possible/practical?
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Possible, sure. Practical-----that is the real question. Practical is pretty much a subjective thing for each person.

How about building the 9a over the next couple years, then sell the milk stool and use the proceeds toward the engine and panel?? Methinks a flying plane will be worth more that the value of a used engine and avionics for the RV plus the $$ you can get for a hulk that has been picked over.

Just my $0.02

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Do it David!

davidschmaus said:
First time post. I own a 57 Tri-Pacer with a 500 SMOH 0320, Stratus ADSB, Dual G5's, Garmin GNC 355 and Aerospace Logic Fuel and Voltmeter. It's a 125MPH Plane at 9gph

I am totally enjoying it now but my wife and I really like to travel and that is its primary use. Will want something faster.

I had a thought of building a 9A over the next 2 years while we continue to enjoy the Tri-Pacer and then use the 0320 and avionics for the Vans.

Is this possible/practical?

94653225_3322681221093555_8023098406140379136_o.jpg


IMG_2389.JPG
Click to expand...


I would do it in a heartbeat. You won?t regret your decision. You will be pleasantly surprised that 9A could do nearly everything the Pacer does plus more :)

 
I was 17 yrs and a newly minted pilot in a small town in Kansas. my buy-and-sell uncle bought a 1951 tri-pacer unseen from a farmer in Northern Kansas. my job was to fly it half way to Houston and he would meet me and fly it the remainder. I was the test pilot. the farmer and I pulled the plane out of the barn and brushed the hay from it. I think he gave me a ride since I hadn't flown a tri-pacer before and off I went. I got into some snow and plugged the pitot and air venturi mounted on the side and lost gyro and airspeed. I had a blast. the tri-pacer is one of my fond memories. as for my uncle, he lives North of Houston, is in his 80's now and recently purchased a Canadian experimental and graded a pvt field on his farm, HOGG.

For my Texas friends, my great great Uncle Eliel Melton was quartermaster at the Alamo and died there.

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The O-320 engine that I put in my RV-6 came out of a TriPacer. It was a conical mount and Van's Aircraft at the time had that available as an option for the engine mount. I think only the dynafocal type II engine mount has been discontinued by Van's Aircraft.
 
RV6_flyer said:
The O-320 engine that I put in my RV-6 came out of a TriPacer. It was a conical mount and Van's Aircraft at the time had that available as an option for the engine mount. I think only the dynafocal type II engine mount has been discontinued by Van's Aircraft.
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You can order any mount you want, you just have to sign a release because they don't want to get stuck with an oddball mount. There are lots of conical mount engines out there.

However, if you have to overhaul an engine with conical mounts, you can have it converted to a dynafocal mount for a couple of hundred bucks.
 
Parts Plane

Great thought on the engine mount. Just because a option is available today doesn’t mean it will be in the future. Divco converted my Dyna II crankcase to Dyna I because Van’s didn’t sell a Dyna II mount for a RV9. Engine was apart so no big deal then and relatively inexpensive at $250. Looks like a nice Tri Pacer, my vote is keep it intact and in great condition and decide later when the new build is ready for engine and instruments. The market then will dictate the best path. My gut feeling is selling the flying Tri Pacer and using the funds is the better way.

Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
 
My $0.02...when the time comes I would use the avionics out of the Tri-Pacer as its not likely that someone would pay a premium on that airplane where you could recoup at least some of that investment. Swap some good used avionics back in it and sell it whole. If it were a Bonanza or Comanche or Mooney or 172 would be a different story because there are buyers looking for those airplanes with upgrades already in place and are willing to pay a premium for it. Probably not true for a Tri-Pacer.
 
Steve Melton said:
I was 17 yrs and a newly minted pilot in a small town in Kansas. my buy-and-sell uncle bought a 1951 tri-pacer unseen from a farmer in Northern Kansas. my job was to fly it half way to Houston and he would meet me and fly it the remainder. I was the test pilot. the farmer and I pulled the plane out of the barn and brushed the hay from it. I think he gave me a ride since I hadn't flown a tri-pacer before and off I went. I got into some snow and plugged the pitot and air venturi mounted on the side and lost gyro and airspeed. I had a blast. the tri-pacer is one of my fond memories. as for my uncle, he lives North of Houston, is in his 80's now and recently purchased a Canadian experimental and graded a pvt field on his farm, HOGG.

For my Texas friends, my great great Uncle Eliel Melton was quartermaster at the Alamo and died there.

ci_zpselhtyttp.jpg
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Great story!! Would love yo checkout your 9a sometime! Which airport are you at?
 
rocketbob said:
My $0.02...when the time comes I would use the avionics out of the Tri-Pacer as its not likely that someone would pay a premium on that airplane where you could recoup at least some of that investment. Swap some good used avionics back in it and sell it whole. If it were a Bonanza or Comanche or Mooney or 172 would be a different story because there are buyers looking for those airplanes with upgrades already in place and are willing to pay a premium for it. Probably not true for a Tri-Pacer.
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Yep, that sounds like a good plan!
 
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