Well, look at it, it doesn't appear to be in bad condition. It may be one of those lost medical hangar queens. Hard to guess, but the pics don't scare me anyway. 180hp is a pretty high value add on. The radios are neutral if they both work. The likely deduct is the engine. Very high potential for needing a cam/overhaul in the near future, but at $18,000 if the airframe is clean and as represented, the price is ok.
Figure if you spend $12k doing an IRAN on the engine you're in a straight clean 180hp CS prop 172 for $30k. That ain't bad. Put another 15k in the panel and get a 750 now you have a /G IFR direct top end round gauge panel. Put another $18k and get a G-500 now you're in a top end new 180hp CS prop 172 equivalent in IFR capability, even upgrade from G-1000 SVT plus a greater useful load.
So for say $65k, you have a better more capable aircraft than a new SVT G-1000 172. What does a new G1000 172 cost? What does any G-1000 172 cost? Doesn't sound like the worst deal. People you gotta realize the value. Once you try the integrated glass especially with SVT, you can't argue against it. It is clear, for clearly communicating your situation to you, there is nothing else even close. When you're in the ugliest of ugly times, it will give you advantages that will far exceed those without.
To me I see the recent collapse of old aircraft prices to be 2 faceted. First of course was the economic collapse, that drove all prices down, but historically through economic swings, 172 and PA 28 base of the fleet aircraft values remained pretty steady around $40k through several economic cycles. The primary difference this time is that glass has been introduced. Good glass. The stuff we have been complaining about for a decade. A Decade ago, Green Mountain made the G-1000 prototype, even had a good autopilot. WAAAAA!!!!! we all cried. Well guess what, they gave it to me and hell yeah I'll take it. People think I'm nuts for putting that panel in my 310, but I had to. It's my duty in the good stewardship of GA to keep a prime copy of an aircraft up to modern system standards. It's part of what we pay forward into aviation. Even selling now if I take a bath, as long as I can suit the deal I need, I will have absolutely no regrets about putting that panel in, and I wouldn't hesitate to upgrade the next one as well but with the new 750.
Here's the thing though, if you think about it, it's a damned good value. If I wanted to buy similar new, I have to spend $1.2MM. The only thing available is the G-58 Baron. I don't need the extra seat, rarely have more than one or two. I can fully deice for a hell of a lot less. All in all, when you look at capability per $$$, upgrading avionics is a very affordable way to keep a fleet of 50 & 60 year old aircraft up to date. There will be more people who see the value of these upgrades and more solid old airframes will see upgrades in avionics. The thing is, there are some very good airframe deals out there like this one may be, that are priced low enough that if you do the upgrades, the price tag ends up around where they were before the modern generation of avionics came along. If people want to know what they can do to promote the future of aviation, buy these old girls and get them in service and up to modern standards. Invest some of your money to ensure that there will be a fleet left to buy from in 20 years. WE are the stewards of aviation. It's up to us where it goes.
The practice has been working pretty well on the B-52 fleet for a long time now.
There is nothing
