We know that supercars can be expensive to upkeep, however the bill to repair this abandoned Falcon 20 jet grounded in Florida, US, took that figure skywards.
The aircraft had been listed on Facebook Marketplace for an unbelievable $15,000.
A car enthusiast content creator and four friends chipped in for what they believed to be a bargain investment.
That’s until they saw the restoration bill.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
The abandoned Falcon 20
Cleetus McFarland owns the world-famous Freedom Factory located in Bradenton, Florida.
While the car enthusiast was keen to prove the naysays wrong and get her airworthy again – he needed a quote ‘to get this bad girl airworthy again so we can know what we’re up against’.
While $15,000 is a tidy sum, he was wary of the costs of getting an airplane that hadn’t flown in 16 years off the ground.
Manufactured from 1965–1991, it was one of the first business jets developed by Dassault Aviation that more recently unveiled a luxurious $75 million private jet considered the ‘penthouse of the skies’
While we are used to seeing supercar maintenance that costs more than the average car – this restoration estimate will take your breath away.
The ‘unbelievable’ repair bill
When McFarland’s friend and automotive expert, Joe, was asked for his estimate and to ‘give us the bad stuff off the rip so we can focus on the good stuff’ – the news was brutal.
It will cost $2.5 million dollars plus to get it back into the air.
“I thought you were going to say $70,000,” exclaims a voice off camera.
Key issues include an expensive engine overhaul totalling $1 million, a hush kit that is going to set them back $100,000, and significant corrosion on the plane’s structure.
That’s not all.
The jet also needs new landing gear at $300,000, batteries, and inspection fees totaling $750,000, with additional costs for unanticipated damage.
Cleetus McFarland
“I wish I had better news,” he tells McFarland who thanks him for not sugarcoating the reality of it all.
Ultimately, the plane is not airworthy and will require deregistration if used for ground events at the Freedom Factory.
Cleetus plans to tow it there and sell the engines for $20,000 to offset repair costs.
The post Florida guys bought an abandoned Falcon 20 jet from Facebook Marketplace for $15k but then received the ‘unbelievable’ repair bill appeared first on Supercar Blondie.
