• If You Are Having Trouble Logging In with Your Old Username and Password, Please use this Forgot Your Password link to get re-established.
  • Hey! Be sure to login or register!

Aircraft value.

Nark

Registered User
I have two airplanes. Just bought a Cessna 180, and am selling my Stinson 108-2. (First world problems, I know)

Question is: do I buy a GDL-82 and install it in the Stinson? Will it increase the hull value beyond $1,750?

All else being equal, is it worth the expenditure?
 
First, I love the old Stinson. Second, you are going to find the 180 is a really nice bird. And third, I have no idea what a GL-82 is, but it will not increase the value of your aircraft quite as much as a GL-82 is worth used.

If I were ever to get another Stinson, it would have to come with a Lycoming 0-360, constant speed prop, Clevelands, and no other mods other than a decent instrument panel. Even those are $30,000 airplanes.
 
I have a whole 1.7 TT in a 180. Quite a bit more in a 182. I look forward to getting the tires dirty in the new (to me) gal. (1953)

The GDL-82 is the ADS-b downstream add on to make it 2020 compliant. Garmin just released it and I can't see many used units popping up for quite sometime.

Which is is why I posted the question. If the new owner should want to make it compliant, hey it's already!

Hence "value" vs "price."
My opinion: pilots aren't fiscally smart. In that, they have no problem forking out $100K+ for an airframe, but then balk at nit-noid mx squawk costs. We're unique that way.
 
ADSB out is only required in a small part of the USA if you are flying VFR. If my home airport was not under a TSA I would not want it and it would detract from what I would be willing to pay.
 
1) You won't get your money back, but
2) The Stinson market, I suspect, is pretty small, so
3) Anything that sets your airplane apart might be the difference between selling in January and selling in July.
 
The amount of time on the engine and condition of the whole airplane would be more important to me if I were the buyer.
 
You’ll almost never recover the cost of new avionics in an old airframe. Also, you need to factor in the labor cost to install in your accounting, if you haven’t already.

MTV
 
Here’s our -2. When we get done it will be like new, plus float fittings and a 0 SMOH 165. Still won’t be worth more than $35,000 (optimistically) but they sure are a fun airplane.

612F20BF-2A9B-4835-9005-61579A654858.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 612F20BF-2A9B-4835-9005-61579A654858.jpg
    612F20BF-2A9B-4835-9005-61579A654858.jpg
    55.3 KB · Views: 167
Last edited:
My neighbor has had a few 108s over the years and they are an awesome airplane. But if your looking to buy the cheapest 4 place airplane in the world buy a Stinson. I have seen some that were totally restored from prop to rudder and not be able to get a starting bid at 25K.

Glenn
 
Last edited:
Yeah. I have owned a dash 2 and a dash 5 (dash 3 with the Franklin 180 and c/s), and flown the Gullwing. What marvelous airplanes - haul anything you can stick inside - but they are slow and burn lots of fuel. And expensive to rebuild.

Just like antique cars - tons cheaper to buy them already restored. Run-out Stinson - $20 grand. Pristine - $25 grand. Cost to restore - $60 grand.
 
It’s not always about the money, sometimes it’s just nice to rescue and revive a neat old airplane. This one came from an estate where the owner had owned it since the 50’s. It was in annual and I flew it for awhile before we took it apart. Paid $4,500 after another buyer offered $25,000 and then got some estimates to rebuild it..... he retreated pretty quick.....
 
Back
Top