Hi All,

I am a proud first time owner of a 1963 Commanche 250. A couple of months ago I decided to take the plunge and redo my instrument panel. After some good planning and under the eye of my A&P I dove right in it. Months went by...after all the measuring (not nearly enough), cutting (way too much), and general work I was ready to put power back on my baby. Fingers crossed, I fired her up and refreshingly to my surprise, NO PROBLEMS! (electrially that is). The panel itself however was not how I envisioned, and my A&P (great guy, great mechanic) is getting a bit up in the years and not the best on the subject of new panels.

So.......the questions:

1. Where can I get a new panel redo by a professional shop in min time? I know Ron an johns is highly respected but maybe a bit to far right now.

2. What is a good price range to shoot for considering I have 95% of everything I want in the panel? Things I do need include a Clock, Fuel Gauge, and Flap indicator.

The interior is in need of TLC so I want new interior, Im thinking a leather look. I saw Dave Lessnick's Vegas viper video on commanche tube and I am completely jealous! That is a beautiful job.

3. Where is a good place to start with an interior job?

4. What is a good price range for interrior work?

Please don't get me wrong I enjoyed the work and the experience of learning some of the guts of the plane was great. I am just saying Ii am not a pro at this but i want a pro job. any kind words of advice would be much appreciated.

Kris

Congratulations!

Geographically were are you located?

Jim

Kris,
A couple of things. If you tell Ron and Johns what you have and give John the layout you want, he can cut and send to you the unfinished blanks and you can put it all together and have a professional look if you like the work. If you just want to get it done, there are lots of avionics shops that can do great things, its just a matter of finding someone geographically close to you and settling on a price. As for the interior, lots of ways to go there from the ultimate like in the Lessnik aircraft, to very servicable budjet redos. You can get a kit interior from Airtex and do it yourself, or you can take your panels and seats to a local auto upholstry shop and have it redone any way you wish. Under FAR part 43 you can do all non structural interior redos yourself and sign them off. Since your plane is not for hire, you don't even need burn certs for the interior fabrics because the certification status is CAR3, and no flamability test is defined in CAR 3, but if you want to send off some test strips, it usually is about 75$ per test. All automotive leathers, vinyls and leathers will pass as the NHTS rules are stricter in this regard than the FAA. If you go the automotive shop way, I think you should be able to do everything for 2K-3K, and then you get to do the removal and install work yourself. Most interiors at a shop run in the 8 to 15K range, depending on the complexity of what you want, and the materials.

As for the pictures of your panels, if you want the stahdard T, the ASi and the Altimeter need to be swapped.

-Zach

@ Jim
I am in Clovis, NM. Near Lubbock and/or Amarillo, TX.

@ Zach
Thanks for the info, I want to change panels and interior. The interior at a local auto shop may be the way to go, but the Inst panel I think I want to have done so all the wiring and everything can be done really neat and most of all correct. thoughts?

Kris

Kris,
I don't know that area very well, so can't give you a regional suggestion but someone from the area might chime in. If you go the auto shop route, I would get a carpet and headliner from airtex, and match the side panels handsets to the colors you get from airtex. These are the things authors do not do well as it is totally different than what they do for carpet and headliner on cars.
Zach

Kris,

Avionics and interior shops are co-located at my Houston airport (IWS), and they are my friends. I believe that they can do all the work you envision. The interior will be under $6K unless you want something exotic. No clue as to the avionic cutting and fitting expense, but they are qualified to do it.

Lubbock Aero is a good regional facility and there is an avionics shop there as well. We bought a Comanche 260B there a few years ago and have looked at several others based there. They are a good honest shop.

You could call me to discuss. Dave Pyle 713 464 6717

Well I finished my panel right before I deployed (military). So here it is. I only have a couple of issues to work out.

1. Low manifold pressure. I think the hose may be pinched or has a bend in it.
2. No fuel pressure readout but the guage does everything else just fine (Elec International)
3. No fuel level (I think the guage is busted, will probably go with a new one). Any suggestions? (I like digital)
4. Need new clock. (I think I will go with another super clock from Elec International.
5. Elec trim no longer works. (I think wiring.)
6. Flap Guage inop (I think the guage is busted, will probably go with a new one). Any suggestions?

Next is the interior! I think I will go with Aviations Creations.

Kris

Wow Kris, Looking Good.

Suggestions based on experience.

3. Check grounding - then look at maintenance manual on this subject then try try Air Parts of Lock Haven ... unless you just want to buy a new one. I'm very happy with Shadin's digiflo which is STC'd for Twins through Osborne.
4. I like the Davtron

6. Also suggest checking ground - this is 'exactly' like a fuel level tank float on a twin - don't know if it is the same in all Comanches. Air Parts of Lock Haven overhauled mine at last annual - works like a champ.

Hope these help.

Kris, it looks like a great airplane! Airtex is good from what I hear. I am not sure they are in your neck of the woods. Oxford Aviation (Lesnicks plane) does great work, but is expensive.

On another note, thanks for serving our country. Good luck on your deployment and stay safe.

Best regards,

Scott Ducey

Airtex is in PA and makes pre cut to fit interiors. It is for DIY installation. I've priced them vs my interior shop and apart from the labor cost there is little savings and limited choice in the finished product. My shop will do a complete cloth and vinyl interior for under $6K, and it is custom work in your airplane that will be finished in a week. In Houston where good (and cheap) happens.

If you use a local auto interior shop for the interior understand all material they use must be FAA fire tested and recorded to be legal.

"If you use a local auto interior shop for the interior understand all material they use must be FAA fire tested and recorded to be legal."

While you might want the certification anyway, I'm not sure it is required for our a/c given their date of certification, and further my understanding is that most auto material is fire tested per the nhsta.

Good luck, Don

CAR 3 (All Comanches were certified under CAR3) does not require burn certs on any interior material. However, if you do get the material used from any auto interior shop tested, it will exceed any FAR burn test criteria.
-Zach