Cluttered panel

[C5Engineer 1170]

Came across this on a bird for sale on Barnstormers today. Hopefully it's no one on here. This panel immediatly caught my eye. Look how cluttered and poorly laid out it is. Check out that sweet tape deck and radio. How about the rats nest of wires hanging out from under the panel? I'm pretty anal about stuff like that and like everything very organized and neat....thoughts?

[Av8r3400 1178]

The wiring hanging down is more troublesome than the instrument arrangement, to me at least.  It would be a prime candidate for a re-wire. 

But, I'm more interested in a rough field plane than an amphibian... 

[dholly 718]

lol, looks like a work in progress. I've had some pretty sorry looking vehicles in my life too but they still got the job done. I would have to say from a builder's perspective, at least he's flying....

[akflyer 1427]

X2... at least it flys !  I am wondering why he has the throttle WFO...  not a good way to store it. 

I did alot of cleanup and work on the wiring on mine when I got it.  Replaced all the automotive wiring with AC wires etc... at the end of the day, the wiring is all correct, sized right etc, but could have been installed a little cleaner.  As much shit as he had put in the panel, it was a real nightmare to try and keep it all perfectly neat.  Mine will never win osh kosh, but she flys great and I am happy so what the hell, thats all that matters to me.

[84KF 4]

Two words......  Amateur-Built.

(As a professional A&P w/ I.A.)... am I being cocky here??  Yep.

Can you disagree with me?  Nope.

[akflyer 1427]

hell yeah I can dissagree... just won't do me any good

Friggin mechanics... just got done fixing some shit on a buddies plane that just came out of annual 3 days ago. 

[84KF 4]

"Friggin Alaskan mechanics"  Fixed! 

"hell yeah I can dissagree"   Leni, I would be disappointed in you if you did agree. 

I've seen many AB aircraft that make the pros drool....excellent work and tons of talent. But some just scare the crap out of ya.

I guess I'm just partial to the old-style "standard" panels...., Remember when you could switch from plane to plane and Primary instruments were most always  in the "T" format??

[akflyer 1427]

hey your giving away your age... you still remember steam gauges

When I redo my panel you can bet your ass that most of the clutter will be gone.  I just need primary instruments, in a standard pattern just like you said.  I hate having to look all over the pannel to find what should be right in front of you!  I is pretty apperant that the guy that did my panel was not thinking about ... well about any damn thing when he did it.  I have often wondered if he was good and stoned when he laid it out

[C5Engineer 1170]

I forgot to mention this was on a Kitfox IV that they were asking 30K for 

[Av8r3400 1178]

I still chuckle at the one on ebay (again) with starting bid of $15k, incomplete and no motor.  Why buy a partially complete kit for twice what it's worth, when...

There's a "not-too-bad-one" on barnstormers for $23k, with a 80hp 912, complete and flying.  (I've emailed the guy and have pictures of it, but I'm still 3-6 months ahead of buying, yet.)

[Bandit 286]

I'm not to far from that Kitfox.

Bandit

[Av8r3400 1178]

Do you know that plane/owner?  Thoughts?

[Bandit 286]

No I don't. I am about a 1.5 hrs. from him.