YouTuber bought a 1947 Cessna for just $10k but when rebuilding it made a potentially massive mistake

This YouTuber bought a 1947 Cessna for just $10k, but made a potentially huge mistake during the rebuilding process.

The plane formed the basis of a project for YouTube channel Jimmy’s World.

Jimmy said he would throw ‘financial caution’ to the wind in a bid to get this classic plane flying again.

Here’s hoping he doesn’t have to eat those words.

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Getting this 1947 Cessna off the ground again

Jimmy headed down to Fort Lauderdale in Florida to start working on the 1947 plane.

To have gotten it for $10k was a steal – this guy ended up paying $27k for his Cessna.

The Cessna 120 was an economy version of the 140, so carried the same engine but didn’t have wing flaps.

If built with all factory options, it would have been virtually identical to the 140.

But the International Cessna 120/140 Association doesn’t believe any were built this way.

The 120 would eventually go into retirement upon the introduction of the 140A in 1949.

So this 120 is long overdue for a refresh – the magnetos alone had been in place since 1945.

For those not in the know about the plane’s components, a magneto is a device that provides the energy needed to ignite the fuel-air mixture int the plane’s internal combustion engine.

Jimmy branded the operation an ‘overhaul, back to zero time’.

The project required some components to be completely taken apart to see what sort of condition they were in.

The big mistake

Despite Jimmy’s best efforts, a mistake occurred when it came time to get the plane’s paint off.

He applied some paint remover but it appeared the plane’s coating was very stubborn.

“I should have covered the wings right there where the fuselage goes.

“I’m afraid I may have gotten some of the paint remover on some paint that I didn’t want to remove. That could be a big oops,” Jimmy said.

When it came time to get a closer look, however, it appeared they were fine.

The rest of the plane required a scraper to remove the paint, which was admittedly satisfying to do.

However, paint was easier to take off in some places than it was in others, and a second coat of remover was needed.

“This stuff is so much [more] work than I thought it’d be!

“There was something I read online about covering it in plastic and I think that might have been part of the issue,” he explained

“We put [the remover] on and it just evaporated or soaked in.

“Let’s cover it in plastic this time and see if it makes a difference,” he added.

Turns out, it made a huge difference.

The restoration seemed to be well on its way to success despite the bumps in the road.

And if the worst comes to worst, it can always be remade as a car.

To see the Cessna’s rebuilding in action, head over to the Jimmys World channel.

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