In article , "Mike Noel"
wrote:

I'm trying to decide what is a fair price for this aircraft. I looked at
the asking price of 74 Archers in Trade-a-Plane and saw prices ranging
from
the high 40's to the high 50's. I used the TAP estimator and came up
with
about 52K.

The TAP estimator always seems high to me. It would estimate
my 140 at about $55,000.


This plane is in good condition in and out, has older
avionics,
an autopilot, com/nav1is an old bendix unit that seems to barely work,
com/nav2 is a newer King unit that seems to work well, it has an ADF,
mode
C xponder, 4 place intercom, a King DME, EGT, g meter, and the rest of
the
stuff you would expect. It has marker beacons but they don't seem to
work.


sounds like the avionics are crap.



It has about 3100 hours TTAF and 1000 hrs since engine overhaul (service
limits).

service limit overhaul? blech.


The aircraft shows a bit of damage history a long time ago when it was
landed on the nose gear and some of the gear parts where replaced and a
motor mount piece straightened.

old damage history is not too much of an issue. However, I'd still
get my A&P to look it over real good.


Cylinder 1 has been oscillating in the
70
to 74 range ever since the overhaul. The other 3 Cylinders seem to run
around 76 to 78. Looks like a couple of reocurring AD's are coming due
soon, AD 96 12 07 (something about impulse couplings) and AD 98 02 08
(crankshaft corrosion check?).

It sure looks to me that AD 98-02-08 is overdue.



At 10,000 feet with I think only a little
wind the DME was indication about 118 knots flying towards the station
and
about 114 in the opposite direction.

sloooooow.


The owner had supposedly checked with a local salesman and was given the
impression it would sell for 70K.

if it had working avionics

if it had all ADs complied with

if the engine overhaul wasn't to service limits (cheap bugger).
What else did the owner cheap out on?


I think the salesman was perhaps a bit
misleading.

yep.


Does the
performance
sound reasonable for a 74 Archer?

no.

Would a stable but lower reading on
cylinder 1 normally be a warning flag?

not to me.

Does 52K sound like a reasonable price?

too high because I'm suspicious of all the stuff that barely works,
slow performance, service limit overhaul, lack of ad compliance.

make sure you get a GOOD prepurchase from an A&P you trust.

Good luck

--
Bob Noel