Valuation of a PA-30

[Eric Kallio]

As I move closer to my time for purchasing a Twin Comanche I am having some questions about valuation. Essentially, what does adding C/R props to a PA-30 add to the value. Also, does anyone by chance have a value on the Lopresti mods out there. Several planes out there have some of these mods, but finding prices, to base value on, has been challenging at best.

Eric

[N3322G]

Eric,

I'm not sure the market is smart enough to place such granular value on these items. Relatively speaking engine condition, panel, paint and interior, AD compliance have much greater financial impact.

Lopresti website http://www.loprestiaviation.com/ used to have prices but not anymore. http://www.knots2u.net/performance-modifications-10/ has similar products and can get you at least in the pricing ball park - coupled with the install time at whatever shop rate you use will get you a starting point for what the staring cost was.

IMO the speed increase values are overstated. I know my Mom flight tested all the mods on our aircraft and only kept the ones that did increase speed as we were prepping for a world race at the time. Don't have her data for the flight tests. The rudder gap seal was the last one and it actually slowed our 39 down so it was removed. If it were not for the races, we'd have made different decisions.

My personal favorite has always been the WOW cowl as it dramatically improved engine cooling. The bottom panel also aids access to starter without removing the entire cowl. Really, really, really tight flexible baffles also have as much as a 50 degree cooling benefit but do take hours to install.

A good tailwind will trump any of the speed mods. Flying were the winds are best is free.

Being able to fly non-stop is also better than any speed mod so look for tip tanks as a performance mod.

As a happy 39 owner and having raced a 30, a 39 is a 'newer' Twin Co but when the years are pushing 40s and 50s, not sure a 5 or 10 year difference counts for much unless you want the later cabin configurations. The 39 does buy you the no critical engine benefit.

Hope this helps.

[Kristin Winter]

Eric,

I would echo what Pat said. The speed mods and C/R don't do anything to the value. The problem with determining value of these things is that they are so far down the list, everything else in two planes being compared would have to be identical, and they never are. I actually have a slight preference for the non-C/R, so people like me further mess up the calculations. Having had both, I didn't notice any performance differences and it is easier to have two engines turning the same direction for the sake of parts support.

Valuating Comanches is a challenge. The programs like Vref are useful only as a talking point. The problem with them is that there is not enough sales data on Comanches to start with, and they are often so highly modified that you are never comparing apples to apples. The further suffer from the problem that all the programs treat engine depreciation as linear over the life of the engine, and the market doesn't respond that way. The market looks more at low, mid, and high time, and doesn't distinguish much between 300 SMOH and 500 SMOH, even though the programs might have a $5,000 delta based just on that.

The only way I have done valuations for people is to look for several comparable aircraft over the last six months and then compare and contrast to come up with a price range.