Greg,
The airplane can be very tight for someone who is 6-8. My 6-9 friend can’t fit in either seat, but he has long legs that won’t fit under the dash or around the controls. Also, the gear handle is very close to my right knee (I’m 6-0) and may be an issue if you have long legs. I’ve heard there are those who modified the seat rail mounts to gain a few inches of rearward travel which would help significantly for someone over 6-2, but make rear seat legroom non-existent. I’ve also heard some people may fly up to (the all but paper work approved) 3300# max gross weight limit increase AeroCommander didn’t finish due to production halt.
As far as what condition of aircraft to buy, that is purely personal preference. Before I was shown the light of the M200, I was shopping for Bonanzas and C-210s. I had the pleasure of being introduced to Capt Downey (a legend of the Meyers family being honored at this year’s fly-in) who highly encouraged me to look at an M200 he knew was for sale. What I didn’t realize at the time was that I was going to be interviewed by the owner before he would consider allowing me to fly his plane, let alone purchase it. Well, I guess I passed because I’ve had N2919T since summer of 2000. While the airplane was well cared for, its paint was thinning, the interior was original and wearing, and it was in need of some minor mechanical repairs, etc. I followed some sage advice to fly the plane, enjoy it, and improve it as time and funds allowed. In the past 19 years I’ve spent more in upgrades than the purchase price, and the value hasn’t increased significantly. It’s part of the pleasure of preserving a cherished aircraft for the next caretaker.
If you google N2919T you’ll see the before photos (teal and white) and the post paint/interior (white and blue) completed after 7 years and ~350 hours. Last year, it was time to bring the avionics up to the 2010s and ADSB compliance. There’s always one more thing on the wish list, and eventually, I’ll get to each item as time and budget allows.
I’m happy to provide an honest assessment of the M200 if you want to chat…
VR, Tom
757.870.2474