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Fixer-uppers are a money pit.

I'm going into this with two things in mind.

If the nose ski is reasonable, it's mine.

If the plane is nice, I could see paying an amount I could easily recover by parting it out. However if that really happens. The A&P and I will go through it more thoroughly and see if we have a keeper. Lots and lots of looking will happen on Saturday. We can't do much until then.

Auctions are funny things, If you expect to get something bought for a good price it never happens, if you are patient and bold enough to bid the right numbers and get lucky. Then it was a good day.

One advantage is it's reasonably close to home.

I don't know how true that statement about sitting idle is "the worse thing that can happen to an airplane."

I can think of a lot of ways to make it worse.

I bought a 75hp continental engine that had only 60 hours on it since being put on a plane in 1976. And in the last 10 years it had only 10 hours put on it. Yet it started immediately, and the compression was above 70/80 on all cylinders.

I'd like to be wrong, I'd like that very much. Just trying to keep things in perspective and have a healthy fear of what a new cam change could cost. My A&P called back and is rather excited about this. He had a similar deal fall into the lap of another customer of his. They looked it over well, did compressions, seemed great. It ran fine the first year, still runs fine 10 years latter.

I withdraw that statement. It came from seeing pictures of Lycoming cams that were very corroded.

Come on folks punch some buttons. Doesn't even cost anything to vote.

On this price poll, all I'm asking is if YOU were going to try to bid on a plane at an auction with this small bit of knowledge, what would YOU pay. I just want your prices to get a sense of what you think.

This method with enough participation can be a reasonably good way to arrive at a rough fair market price. I learned this system from an old realtor/auctioneer. He was great, and funny too. He'd gather us all around him and start with his auction chant to all of us realtors on a house showing. Who'll give me 125? Some hands would go up. Who'll give me 100? All the hands went up. Okay were between 100 and 125. Who'll give me 110?, 115? 120? We'd have a price figured out by knowledgeable people in three minutes. It was a fantastic system, and it was reliable because we all knew the local market.

Jim,

G'day,

Sounds interesting.....but I think the problem is, its very much an unknown, soooooo many variables that without actually seeing it in person, its just too difficult to come up with a logical answer for you....

...That said, things are very different down this way - so any price I could offer would not represent your situation, and in the current economy (world wide) its just too hard to call.

Not knowing anything about the airframe (and ignoring the engine for a minute) you still have what I hope is a valid STC for a 150 HP conversion. Other things like, LR Tanks? Avionics and such would give more basis for an opinion, but a Cam Change is not the end of the world.

I did it on my O-360 when we suspected it was an issue and due to the type of accessory drive on my model, we even changed that out. Let's say you have $4000 into a cam change and $5000 in other "stuff", you could still have a nice 150/150 for less than $30,000 which is not the end of the world.

Assuming 2000 hours on the airframe and on the engine, AOPA Vref values this plane at $8,791, mainly due to the run out engine. That is with no damage history, complete logs and all inspections complied with.

Given no logs and the current state, I'd say the value is $3-5,000. You might get a steal, but it is also possible that you have to just part it out and that the airframe and engine are corroded and of little value. I'd go in thinking the engine needs an overhaul. Great if it doesn't, but assume the worst.

I voted $3k-$5k because I think at that price you can't lose. Once you see it, it may actually be worth $5-$7, but I don't think I would risk more than that no matter what (at least at this stage).

It is possible that once you see it, it might become worth more, but at this point, you have to assume the engine is only worth it's core value, and everything else is parts. Plus, all the time you will spend dissembling the plane to sell the individual parts. In the end, you want to at least break even, but hopefully make a little money on it for your time.

I went 3k to 5k also, for the reasons stated above. The engine has been dormant... the instruments could have the rubber bladders dry rotted, no telling about the airframe. Still.... people do win the lottery!

Best of luck to ya, Mr. Curns, Sir! It would be super cool to see you come across a gold nugget!