Need to sell my bird, '79 Archer II. What to expect?

david.h

david.h

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Dec 7, 2011
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Boerne, TX
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david.h
I have a '79 PA-28-181 that I need to sell. Owned it for 11 years, but I have known this plane for over 30 years. I just don't fly it enough and the boys are not really interested in learning to fly. I can not find the prop logbook for the last two years, otherwise it has full aircraft and engine logs. About 2400 TT and the engine was replaced with a 0 hour reman Lyc. about 1998 (records are of course in the books, just pulling rough numbers from memory. I did some of the work with torqueing and safety wire back then even). New engine has about 400 hours. Basic use, repainted in the mid 90's, hangared since my uncle's neighbor bought it in the mid 80's. I flew this plane since I was young with my uncle as the neighbor (airport community) didn't fly it much. We would go and use it often to keep it moving. When it came up for sale my dad and I bought it. I had my license and my dad got his in it. It is IFR but all steam gauge. It has a primitive GPS installed. Not ADSB yet. Don't need it here in BFE central Texas. Annual expired in March and with Covid I haven't been able to get it done, usually go up to my uncle's place and have his mechanic help us do the owner assist. It is a really nice plane with the usual little dings, but has really nice bones and powerplant.

Any thoughts what I might get for it? I haven't really looked around but figure about 40 AMU is appropriate. I'm just getting anxious about how to move forward letting it go, what would you do?
 
You should be able to get much more than $40k for it. Based off what you said, I’d guess in the neighborhood of $65k.

Get the annual done, and into flying condition and I’d bet your selling price will exceed your expectations in this market.
 
autopilot?

with no adsb, steam, missing logs, out of annual, I don't personally see 65 but wtf do I know.
 
The Archer with its 180 hp is a desirable model of the Cherokee in this market - nice balance between performance, useful load and economical operation (fuel costs + maintenance). The 181, with its semi-taper wing and longer stabilator, even more so.

If you are emotionally ready to sell it (are you?) then some of the things you should consider are:
  1. Complete a proper annual inspection;
  2. Fix anything material that comes up in the annual inspection so it is airworthy;
  3. Put some hours on it - 400 hours in 22 years is not a good selling feature and a couple of dozen recent hours may help;
  4. Clean it thoroughly inside and out, and polish/wax it - airplanes that show some pride of ownership sell faster than those that look like the owner has no time for them (note the danger here is that you make it look so good you decide you can't part with it :D );
  5. Get your paperwork/logs together and prepare a one-page specification sheet that describes the plane;
  6. Look at some broker listed comparisons of Archers of similar vintage and condition to get an idea of asking price;
  7. Take some good photographs, inside and outside shots of the plane and post it for sale
I'll bet it doesn't last long if it's got any ramp appeal at all.
 
I can attest to the fact that a 79 archer is a really nice plane , but I am slightly biased.... so there is that. If I were the buyer, 400 hrs in 22 years is a big concern for me. In fact when I was hunting for one to buy, I came across something exactly like this, 400 hrs in 20 years, basic steam gauges, no ADSB, had a VFR GPS (aera 760 I think), he wanted 70k in 2017. I passed.
 
I just sold an 81 Archer 4 months ago. I had a 1400 hour engine (but regularly used), dual G5s, GNC355, Adsb in and out, engine monitor, single axis AP, LED position/strobe lights, and LED landing light. I got $70k. Maybe I got hosed. But that's what I got.
 
I'm thinking low - mid 50s but I don't know how much the market has changed in the last 2 years. I'd say put an asking in the 60s maybe here and if you're not already on it find the PA28 group on facebook. Include many pictures including one of the panel and all the details. You'll probably get offers quicker than you'd expect.

Oh also forgot to mention, a 79 Archer II won't have a separate prop logbook. Something about Piper putting that stuff in either the airframe or engine books. Don't remember, point is it's not missing it doesn't exist.
 
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Any chance of a lease back? Pro’s and Con’s of course, but you keep the plane and it gets used. You can specify who can fly it to avoid pre-solo pilots.
 
Crashnburn said:
Any chance of a lease back? Pro’s and Con’s of course, but you keep the plane and it gets used. You can specify who can fly it to avoid pre-solo pilots.
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I think that he should sell it now. I anticipate gas prices to go up which will take the edge off of this heady market. While I fly fairly regularly, I have been considering selling. Grandpa always said "buy when people are selling and sell when people are buying."
 
RyanShort1 said:
I've flown this bird, right @david.h ? If so, it flew nice when I was flying it.
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"The wheel pants are still on" .... except right now they are not on. Sitting in the hangar so we can do annual. But I have restored them to fabulous condition ( I worked at a aerospace composites company for 6 years and 35+ years of RC aircraft building).
 
Well
Morgan3820 said:
I think that he should sell it now. I anticipate gas prices to go up which will take the edge off of this heady market. While I fly fairly regularly, I have been considering selling. Grandpa always said "buy when people are selling and sell when people are buying."
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, I anticipate gas prices going up but if he’s only selling it because it doesn’t fly often enough, then it will get flown if the rental is reasonable.

I keep buying energy stocks because they are tanking (pun intended). OTOH, I wouldn’t mind if they rallied, either. Any more commentary would get me the ban hammer.
 
david.h said:
"The wheel pants are still on" .... except right now they are not on. Sitting in the hangar so we can do annual. But I have restored them to fabulous condition ( I worked at a aerospace composites company for 6 years and 35+ years of RC aircraft building).
Click to expand...
Left you a DM...
 
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