Do engine STCs help or hurt resale value?

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moparrob66

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Moparrob
I just took delivery of a 172B with a high time O-300. It seems fine for now, but I'm getting bids for overhauls and its all quite shocking. Ive had estimates as high as $44k and as low as $33k not including removal and installation. I think I could get a Franklin 220 swapped in for less than $36k with some sweat equity and sell the running O-300 and prop to offset that cost by maybe $10k?

The franklin has some drawbacks like parts availability and no tolerance for mogas, but the performance gains are significant if not monumental.

What is the consensus on resale value of an STC'd engine change vs. low time, stock engine?
 
crazy right? Powerplant pricing is the death knell of this recreational space. Kicked me right off airport property last year, no cap as my Gen Alpha kid likes to say...

good luck.
 
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I don’t know about 172s, but the higher HP replacements in the 182s are desirable. If anything I don’t think they hurt resale. Greater fuel burn might be a negative to some. If it’s a timed out STC, one can always go back to the factory offering, again not hurting resale.
 
I think a C172 with the Air Plains or Penn Yan O-360 conversion increases value. I'm not so sure about the Franklin conversion. It sounds great, but there aren't very many of them and as you mentioned parts look concerning. There's a C172B on TAP with a 400 SMOH O-300-D for $45K. I would be tempted to buy that and swap engines...
 
Most people are paying to replace their franklins with something else.
 
hindsight2020 said:
crazy right? Powerplant pricing is the death knell of this recreational space.
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Interesting point to consider.

Is the excessive pricing caused by lack of volume, or is it regulation?

A new 160 hp Rotax 916is engine is $50K. A new 180 hp Rotax-powered snowmobile is priced at about $16K (https://www.ecklundmotorsports.com/...psaw-1-25-Yellow-Ecklund-Motorsports-14850870).

Something about that comparison doesn't make a lot of sense. Why is the aviation engine 3x the price of the entire snowmobile - with the same engine manufacturer and roughly the same power output?
 
Maybe the manufacturers assume that pilots are all gazzilionaires? Most people I talk planes with are shocked that my 172 costs less than a new, base model pickup. I have ordinary income with ordinary obligations but I eschew car payments so I can afford...airplane payments.
 
moparrob66 said:
Most people I talk planes with are shocked that my 172 costs less than a new, base model pickup.
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A new 172 is a $600k plane.

Comparing a decades-old plane to a new truck is interesting, but not really instructive in terms of operating and maintenance costs. New vs. new is the proper benchmark.

That said, the price of 40-year old planes with engines at 1,500+ hours is the proper benchmark to show my wife.... ;)
 
Before Cessna started putting the 180 hp in there 172s the airplains mod always sold for a premium.
 
You can’t go wrong with the del air conversion, upgrade to the cs prop and you have a wonderful plane
 
The STC only helps if it's a well know, well trusted source. A Franklin is cheaper for a reason. I wouldn't buy a plane with one.

A 182 with a monster Continental? Hell yeah...
 
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