Sell 152 as is or with radios

J

Jack Presley

Filing Flight Plan
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Elvis
Great little 1978 152 with mid-time factory reman (1100/2000) 4200 TTAF...

But the Collins radios are both dead now. Nav went out a while back. Com just quit. Mode C transponder was working, and shows to be working.

Owner bought it to learn to fly in, and now is considering upgrading to a 172 or something larger. Is it worth spending the money on a used com/nav before selling it? Even used prices are nuts right now.
 
Depends how much the owner wants to get out of the plane. I’d guess there’s a premium above the cost of radios involved if the radios are functional.
 
What @Lachlan said. You'll lose quite a bit of money on the sale, but you'll lose way more installing boxes. Remember it's not just the price of the box, you'll spend that much if not more on the installation. Besides, with the way aircraft prices are right now you might not lose that much.
 
Get on eBay and buy a replacement. I’d not put anything new into it. It’s gonna need functional radios to sell
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
Get on eBay and buy a replacement. I’d not put anything new into it. It’s gonna need functional radios to sell
Click to expand...

Agree with this, should be able to swap out a replacement for a few hundred bucks, then at least it has something functional.
 
Thanks everyone. We looked previously on eBay for the Collins Nav and they were cheap. Maybe the Comm will be to.
 
Here’s a different opinion. If you sell the airplane with stuff working, even if it’s used that you buy and install, it will be more marketable to a wider audience, and hence easier to sell for a higher price. I’m thinking of the audience being a new or aspiring pilot looking for a 152, one who is going to be advised by someone to not buy someone else’s old POS and buy ready to fly instead.

Now, I wouldn’t go buying new radios, or pay to rewire/re-tray used radios, I’d try to see if I could buy a direct slide-in replacement, for cost reasons.

The one caveat to the above is that you’re likely to sell that 152 tomorrow for crazy prices in today’s market and may not need a huge market audience.
 
Isn't the O-235 a 2400 hour engine?

And I'm another vote for selling as is. No way you yet that money back. A 152 will get snapped up quickly
 
Got a similar situation with my Cherokee 180. Has a narco 810r and 810 for comms. And a nav121 and 122. No audio panel. My dad wants to go full glass in his pa32 and get rid of his dual kx-155's with glideslope and upgrade the audio panel. Was thinking of putting his stuff in mine then sell the 180 while the prices are up. But don't think the resale would make up the labor cost.
 
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I wouldn't put new radios in it. But how dead are they? No transmit, no receive, no lights? I'd spend a little bit of $ having someone take a look. If they're no lights, or no receive, it could just be an external connector. If they're no transmit, then I'd sell it that way.
 
I’d buy a used version of the same radios. Slide it in and you don’t have to worry about some guy complaining that this thing must be neglected and offering you half the value of the plane. How much can old Collins radios cost on eBay?
 
There’s no reason it has to be one or the other, really. Post it as-is at the price you want, while you look for a cheap radio. If you get offers immediately, great. If you don’t, then buy the replacement radio and re-list it.
 
Come up with two prices...

One for "as is."

The other for working nav/comm.
 
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