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Purchasing a Kit with/without a Engine Core?

dmat

dmat

Well Known Member
Advertiser
Hi all,

I was looking at a kit today and I spoke with the seller about pricing of the kit. His doesn't have an engine core and he basically said a core is worthless.

From what I have seen, (please correct me if im wrong) when getting an engine overhaul, you need to provide a core as an exchange.

So in reality, you're sending in a ~$5k engine core for a rebate on an overhaul.

Am I correct or totally off base?

Thanks,
D
 
dmat said:
Hi all,

I was looking at a kit today and I spoke with the seller about pricing of the kit. His doesn't have an engine core and he basically said a core is worthless.

From what I have seen, (please correct me if im wrong) when getting an engine overhaul, you need to provide a core as an exchange.

So in reality, you're sending in a ~$5k engine core for a rebate on an overhaul.

Am I correct or totally off base?

Thanks,
D
Click to expand...

You are correct--a usable core does have value. However, I'll defer to others on the avg value of an I(O)-360 core.
 
Last edited:
And you are not necessarily correct regarding purchasing a new engine.

Some of the other shops don't want a core as they could get stuck with a junk engine. (Same as you.)

Many builders just but their engines outright from Lycoming, Van's, Continental (who now owns ECi), or any of the engine builders who can assemble a new engine from new parts they source from ECi, Superior, and/or Lycoming.

Many other builders buy a serviceable engine for their kits and install it. They fly until they need an overhaul and then overhaul their engine themselves or send it out to be overhauled.
 
dmat said:
Hi all,

I was looking at a kit today and I spoke with the seller about pricing of the kit. His doesn't have an engine core and he basically said a core is worthless.

From what I have seen, (please correct me if im wrong) when getting an engine overhaul, you need to provide a core as an exchange.

So in reality, you're sending in a ~$5k engine core for a rebate on an overhaul.

Am I correct or totally off base?

Thanks,
D
Click to expand...

An IO-360 core has value unless it is 100% junk.

Aren't you looking at the airframe kit without an engine? Unfortunately for the seller, the airframe kit is generally worth less than he has in it. The less complete, the less value it has relative to the price of new kits.

As a reference, I see RV empennage kits going for as little as 25-30% of what a new empennage kit costs. Finished wing kits often go for what a new wing kit might cost (unassembled), and fuse kits are similar. Diligent buyers get better deals, hurried sellers make worse deals, etc. There is a pretty wide spread.

Good luck and find an experienced RV guy to help you look at and evaluate the kit. Too many of us (me included) have missed one thing or another when purchasing a second hand kit.
 
Lycoming core

I talked to Lycoming the other day about an engine I was looking at. The tech said it was over 36 years old and would be worthless as a factory core. Of course there's value for field overhaul.
 
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