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Damage history value

reduction from market price

  • $0

    Votes: 16 42.1%
  • $1000

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • $3000

    Votes: 1 2.6%
  • $6000

    Votes: 1 2.6%
  • $9000

    Votes: 2 5.3%
  • $15000

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • $25000

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • %5

    Votes: 8 21.1%
  • %15

    Votes: 5 13.2%
  • %30

    Votes: 5 13.2%

  • Total voters
    38

burgundyja

Well Known Member
What do you think the reduction in value is for a rv with damage history? Lets say a ground loop with prop strike and full rebuild of engine and prop by shops. All other damage properly repaired. Thanks
 
I would guess it would depend on the extent of damage, how it was repaired, and how long it's been since it occurred, to some degree. My old Piper Warrior had an accident in 1983 that resulted in replacement of the outboard several feet of the left wing, and that didn't appear to have any effect on the price when I bought it or sold it.

My current Mooney 201 had what appears to have been a gear-up landing around 20 years ago that also had no apparent effect on its value compared to other 201s of the same vintage and equipment.
 
For me personally I don't care about damage as long as it was repaired properly. But, I know it matters to others so I should take that into consideration when I might want to sell. A recent appraisal on an $90k aircraft with wing skin puncture and repair four years ago due to a failed rib near the landing gear ($20k repair) showed a deduction of $2k for damage, FWIW.
 
Properly repaired with new parts and noted in the logs should be the same as new. Especially if it is a prop strike and engine rebuild since the prop is usually replaced with new and the engine typically goes back to the factory or a reputable shop for tear down and rebuild.
You would probably be surprised at all of the damage that gets repaired and not logged.
There are many unscrupulous sellers out there who do not disclose sketchy repairs to unwary buyers.
I once inspected a plane that had an owner repaired spar that was covered up with a new skin and not disclosed!
 
What does a bank say? Some banks will not loan on an airplane with damage history, so that should be a huge factor- if you have the cash to own something outright, great- good for you, that's not relevant, but the ability to finance something affects its value, as does the ability to insure something

Assigning a number to that is trivial, but I would say at least 20%
 
Damage History

Like so many other things it depends on all of the things previously mentioned. I?ve never heard of lending institutions not willing to finance, maybe someone in that world can comment. 5-10% total value reduction is probably a good starting point for a buyer or seller. The damage history planes I?ve been involved with have more or less cost 10% less to buy and at sale time if years later 3-5% less than no damage history. I spent years in aircraft structural repair field and have zero issues with properly repaired and well documented damage repair.

Don Broussard A&P, IA, ATP
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
 
salvage title dings

I guarantee you that if you buy/sell a salvage title car it effects the value so it goes that a salvage airplane will take a hit also.
If I'm looking to buy a $20.000.00 Nissan 370Z for a street hot rod the value is gonna take a $3-5,000.00 hair cut being a salvage title. Ya even if it was only a back bumper and deck damage. Insurance companies will total a car easily now a days and it effects value.
The mentality is "it's BAD". Crazy as it is. I cut my finger so I have a damage title. Ha Ha.
My 40 year old son won't even look at something if it was damaged in the past. Goes the same for pilots.
Now it's good to get a low cost vehicle (car, plane, boat etc) for less. But your "probably" going to get less when you sell it.
I have two of those Salvage title vehicles in my garages and they run just fine, But, I'm not selling them till they are all used up.
Your luck may be different. Art
 
Salvage title is a whole lot different than damage history. repaired hangar rash could count as damage history, just like repairing a door ding on a car. That wouldn't change the value. Recovering a plane written off by the insurance repairing it to flight status, yes that would certainly have a significant impact. So, it just depends...

I guarantee you that if you buy/sell a salvage title car it effects the value so it goes that a salvage airplane will take a hit also.
If I'm looking to buy a $20.000.00 Nissan 370Z for a street hot rod the value is gonna take a $3-5,000.00 hair cut being a salvage title. Ya even if it was only a back bumper and deck damage. Insurance companies will total a car easily now a days and it effects value.
The mentality is "it's BAD". Crazy as it is. I cut my finger so I have a damage title. Ha Ha.
My 40 year old son won't even look at something if it was damaged in the past. Goes the same for pilots.
Now it's good to get a low cost vehicle (car, plane, boat etc) for less. But your "probably" going to get less when you sell it.
I have two of those Salvage title vehicles in my garages and they run just fine, But, I'm not selling them till they are all used up.
Your luck may be different. Art
 
I don't believe its possible to answer this question with anything other than "it depends"

In a hangar that had 3 feet of flood water in it? Wouldn't buy it for more than the cost of scrap aluminum because theres a good chance that it's going to have long term corrosion problems no matter how well it polished up.

Upper wing skins r&r due to hail damage? Thats another number.

Wing tip replaced due to hitting a hangar door? Not going to worry too much about it.

The example you give with a ground loop & prop strike would depend on if there were structural repairs or just wheel pants and a wingtip or whatever, but it wouldn't be nothing. Look at it this way; If you had two identical airplanes sitting in front of you but one had damage history, which one would you want to buy? Now how much cheaper would the other one need to be for that feeling to go away?
 
If you're the one thinking of making an offer, then offer what it's worth to you. If the deal happens, it happens, if not, move on. If I'm selling this plane, it's either airworthy with all damage, visible or not, fixed or I'll price it at a fair price given its condition. Again, the deal happens or it doesn't. There's no fixed way to account for damage history
 
as long as the average joe shy's away from damage history, there will be a strong incentive for sellers to hide and lie about previous damage. I personally would rather be informed and balance the risk according to the repair quality.

IMO, those only looking for perfect airplanes are at the greatest risk of being "taken." Best to be realistic to the fact that things happen and judge based upon the quality as it stands the day you intend to purchase it.

I would love to buy a prop strike plane, assuming had an o/h by a reputable shop. You get a lower time engine at a discount.

I suspect that in the amateur built market, many repairs are likely to be better than the original build, given that the insurance company typically pays for professional work.

Larry
 
Some years ago I had a friend that searched the country for a Mooney 201 that had no damage history.. He searched and waited and finally found one, paid a high price. On the fight home (Midwest to Cal) he landed gear up from being distracted over nothing. He had the plane fixed and sold it.
I wouldn't concern myself about damage history as much as what type of damage and how it was repaired. As others have stated, you could get a better plane after the repairs.
 
The way I see it..

Doesn't answer your poll question, and I don't think you can make it an easily calculated formula, but I have looked at, and done pre-buys on several damage history aircraft, certified and experimental. I usually throw all that in a mental block and evaluate the aircraft as it has been restored or repaired. I just helped a friend get into a very nice RV-4 that had more new parts than original parts from an event I wouldn't have wanted to be in. What my friend ended up with is a really nice -4 at a reasonable price that others likely walked away from when they read the history. The "repaired", as in spliced, patched, or straightened airframes are the ones likely to take the biggest hit, and could have underlying issues if not repaired correctly. I have done inspections on 2 different flood damage re-builds, one a float plane that sank, and the other a river flood.Fresh water dries away no different than one sitting in the rain or high humidity regions, as long as the interior and components are removed and obvious cleaning and restoration is done..both these aircraft have and will lead a long corrosion free life.
 
The poll can not really be answered accurately, but damage history most definitely affects sale price. I have bought, sold, and taken on trade many airplanes, and damage history is always a factor in the transaction. The longer it has been since the damage event, the less of a factor it is on the sale price.
 
This is a subject that strikes a chord with me because I own an RV that has damage history. I am happy to see that a lot of people have the attitude of it largely depends on what the damage was and how it was repaired.

Using my airplane as an example.... every single thing that had any damage was replaced and made like new. There was no straightening of parts, filling dents with Bondo, etc.

The interesting fact is that during the rebuild there was construction errors and workmanship issues that were discovered that no one purchasing the airplane would have ever known about, if it was not for the extensive rebuild of the airplane. Some of these things were serious but hidden.

Point being, that just because an RV has no damage history, doesn’t automatically mean it’s better than one that does.
 
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I purchased an 8 that had a midair, hard landing, and prop strike. Owner said show me which wing was repaired, I couldn't. The owner (builder) was an outstanding craftsman; I'd buy his repaired airplane over most all other airplanes out there. It depends, as always and I know it might affect my ability to sale; but I wasn't worried about resale more my own safety and quality of an airframe
 
This is a subject that strikes a chord with me because I own an RV that has damage history. I am happy to see that a lot of people have the attitude of it largely depends on what the damage was and how it was repaired.

Using my airplane as an example.... every single thing that had any damage was replaced and made like new. There was no straightening of parts, filling dents with Bondo, etc.

The interesting fact is that during the rebuild there was construction errors and workmanship issues that were discovered that no one purchasing the airplane would have ever known about, if it was not for the extensive rebuild of the airplane. Some of these things were serious but hidden.

Point being, that just because an RV has no damage history, doesn?t automatically mean it?s better than one that does.

This is pretty much my planes story as well. All damaged parts replaced with new. Found and corrected several build quality issues, 1 example-horizontal stabilizer mounting holes mis-drilled too close the edge of longerons. No corners cut anywhere and when done it will be as structurally sound as any other. After I fly it for years I fully expect it to sell for a bit less than a ?no damage history? comparable machine. That?s ok with me and part of the plan, my total airframe investment is under $15K.

Don Broussard A&P/IA/ATP
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
 
Impossible question with no answer..... Depends on accident and more over the quality of repair and in general the quality of the aircraft.
 
I've owned 4x A/C, all had previous damage. I went back thru these A/C's history thoroughly. All I believe I got for a cheaper sale price due the damage history of said A/C. There is a high chance that A/C of some years have a damage history, you have two choices, you either accept it or move on from a potential sale.
 
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