purchaseof a mooney m20e

[bill viera]

I am new to this web site and have been looking at the purchase of a 1964 mooney M20e with turbo normalizer 65,000. How is the cost for maintaining this aircraft ands what should I look at before to see that it is in ok shape. Also what is a turbo normalizer? And I have my commercial and instrument tickets will the insurance be astronomical? Any ideas will be helpful

Thanks
bill v

[flying4sum]

Hi I had a 65 m20c turbo normalized, turbo normalized just means there is a manual knob you turn to engage/dis-engage the turbo. Unlike a full time turbo, this manual (rayjay probably) turbo is only on when you need it. This is good and bad. Good because most of the time you don't really need it, so off it stays, extending your engine life. Bad if the previous owners/pilots left it on and over-boosted the engine...I think I really only ever used it a couple times when I had to fly up to 12000' to get over terrain, otherwise it was always off. If your on the east coast save your $$$ and just buy a normally aspirated version. You will be ahead in the long run. Unless you plan on flying in the 9000'+ area you will see little to no speed increase. Insurance probably 2500 per year...