"Mike Spera" wrote in message
m...


Probably because high time airframes offer an even better value in many
instances. Also there's lots of high time airframes out there which are
very well equipped because those who were in them spent a lot of time and
they could justify costly improvements.

Here's two aircraft simularly equipped:

This one is listed for $39K
http://www.aso.com/i.aso3/aircraft_v...raft_id=114817

This one is listed for $89K
http://www.aso.com/i.aso3/aircraft_v...raft_id=115832

Both aircraft are the same age, carry the same weight, and go the same
speed. One is $50K cheaper than the other. The 2nd one might be in a
little better shape cosmetically and perhaps even functionally, but not
$50K worth. If I were in the market for such a plane, I would be more
inclined to buy #1 and that's even knowing it almost certainly spent a
good part of it's life as a trainer (notice the wear on the rightside
yoke).

My observations:
The second airplane had VERY low hours (1060) AND a zero time engine
overhaul AND a prop overhaul AND a 496 in the panel AND new glass, mags,
brakes, oil/fuel lines, tires, tubes, bat, vac lines, harnesses, AND
overhauled primary instruments AND new carpets/glareshield AND repainted
plastics AND a fresh strip/paint job. We have no idea what the low buck,
high time bird has because the listing only shows the plane's generic
specs for that year. Usually a dead giveaway that the plane's actual
equipment list has some skeletons (run out engine, damage history,
"suspicious" logbooks, inop equipment, etc.). All the pics for the low
buck plane are taken just far enough away and in low light that it could
actually look like anything in real life (great to terrible). The pics on
the higher priced plane are in the full light of day and appear to show a
plane in top shape (well they BOTH had Cessna radios...).

If the low dollar bird is typical (for 11k hours) these two planes can
easily be $50k (or more) apart. Hard to say specifically without a better
listing for the high timer and a personal inspection.

You're assuming worst case scenario for the high time bird and best case
scenario for the low time bird. The high time bird is either in decent
shape, or it is highly overpriced because you can definitely buy a decent
172 of that vintage for $39K. As far as the low time bird goes, the
question that should be going through one's mind is why would someone sink
that kind of money in a nearly 30 year old aircraft just to sell it? My
guess is the plane probably sat in a field for years before someone started
to fix it up and they found some "skeletons" such as corrosion which was
going to cost significantly more to repair or one of a number of other
issues. There are "skeletons" that can be found in high time and low time
aircraft. Furthermore you certainly can't give full value to all the
improvements made to the low time bird because you will never be able to
recoup those investments (although the seller is certainly trying). The
bottom line is people put a premium on low time aircraft, and there's simply
not much reason for it. I'd rather have an aircraft that spent its life
flying than one that spent a good part of its life as a bird and wasp
refuge.