To Build or to Buy?

bsma · #1 08-30-2006, 12:07 AM

I am looking at the 6's or 7's with 180 and C/S IFR but together nicely so given that is it better to build or buy when it comes to cost. If you build how much $$$ can one expect to save or how much value will that plane have above the amount put into it. Also which is better and why the reg. kits or the quick build kits, of course the reg is about 8k less but other than that. Thanks for your input,
John Paul

Kyle Boatright · #2 08-30-2006, 04:57 AM

Is your goal to have a nice flying airplane, or is it to have a nice flying airplane that you built?

Personally, I enjoyed the building process, but I think I'd have enjoyed buzzing around at 200 mph on all of those weekends and evenings even better.

If you're looking at it with price in mind, you can probably buy a completed aircraft for within $10k of what it would cost to build an equivalent aircraft.

pierre smith · #3 08-30-2006, 05:22 AM

Mornin' guys,
Kyle is correct, J.P., but I know of quite a few RVs that were bought for what the parts cost and right now there is an RV on Barnstormers with a six cylinder IO-360 Continental for $45,000. and I was told that it'd go 200 MPH as well. You couldn't build the airplane for that but it appears to need major TLC.

How much greater value after it is built than parts cost? Whew......wide open question. I've seen some that I wouldn't buy FOR parts cost. If you're well-heeled financially and don't feel like taking all the time/effort/learning/creating shop space, etc, definitely buy. My buddy and I have two years of labor invested in our QB RV6A and I doubt if we could be paid $15,000 each (over and above parts costs) for our time spent, so labor can't really be factored.
Regards,

dav1111 · #4 08-30-2006, 05:56 AM

This prospective is from an IFR non-commercial non military 1500+ seven differnt airplane owner.

My six airplane was an RV-6A I purchased. I paid $42,00.00 for a fixed pitch 150hp RV-6A with a low time FAA repair shop rebuilt engine. I replaced the prop with a CS prop and a two axis autopilot and misc other upgrades for a total investment of about $52,000.00 and sold it three years later for $72,000.00 while building my seventh airplane (RV-10) which I am now flying.

The reason I bought an RV-6A was I did not want to wait the 2-3 years to build an RV (the four place RV-10's were not out at that time). My family harped at me for not having a four place airplane after I got the RV-6A so I bought a third interest in an C-182.

When the RV-10 came out I bought (second order placed at OSH-2003). I have really enjoyed the build of my RV-10 and have no regrets whatsoever.

If you ONLY need a two place airplane and don't want to wait on flying buy an RV-6, RV-7 or RV-8. The best buy for the money is probably going to be an RV-6 BUT before you buy get involved with a really active EAA chapter even if it is 50 miles away so you can learn a lot about an RV and find someone really good to help you inspect the RV you are going to buy.

There are lots of cases of people buying a really poorly built RV for way wto much money.

cytoxin · #5 08-30-2006, 06:09 AM

there are two types of people,builders and flyers i thought i was both. i am getting close now. however if i could have trusted others i would have just bought one. kyle is on the money here.

pierre smith · #6 08-30-2006, 06:46 AM

John Paul,
Check your PMs,

Dgamble · #7 08-30-2006, 07:08 AM

I bought. I figure building is sometime in my future when I'm looking for ways to fill my time. Too busy right now, so buying a 6, learning to fly a TD, and learning to maintain the plane seemed good stepping stones.

You'll likely find 7s to be more spendy in the used market than 6s. I'm sure there are pilot-apparent (as opposed to builder-apparent) differences between the 2, but I'm not sure they're apparent enough to justify the extra cost. Being homebuilts, it seems intuitive that there are many 6s that are better built than the newer 7s, so it's not necessarily a case of "newer is better," IMHO. I think the current market price on 6s is a little depressed, so I would think you could buy a flying 6 with a reasonably young engine for close to what it would cost to build a 7, if not less.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bsma

I am looking at the 6's or 7's with 180 and C/S IFR but together nicely so given that is it better to build or buy when it comes to cost. If you build how much $$$ can one expect to save or how much value will that plane have above the amount put into it. Also which is better and why the reg. kits or the quick build kits, of course the reg is about 8k less but other than that. Thanks for your input,
John Paul

briand · #8 08-30-2006, 09:46 AM

If yoy have the money just buy. Its a HUGE job to build and its something like 1 in 4 never get completed.

bsma · #9 08-30-2006, 12:59 PM

Lots to think about, I do have a large shop/Hanger attached to my house and my mornings free as to the time at 1500 hrs I am sure that I can come up with that time with in 3 years or less. To have something that I built, knowing it inside and out as well as being able to design the finishing features sounds cool. My dad and I are partners in a 1999 citabria gcbc he is 71 a 500 hr pilot with only time in this aircraft so he is not wanting to move to a different aircraft, so I will wait to sell my share until he is done flying. So I have a plane to fly and building would spred the cost out over a few years. Does anyone have an educated guess as to what the RV market will do in the next 5-10 years in reference to resale values. Thanks, JP

mandm1516 · #10 08-30-2006, 01:15 PM

JP,

Maybe consider a compromise between options. In the past couple of months there have been several (not a ton, but one every couple of weeks or so) partially completed kits selling for about the price of the parts. You'll get a better look at the workmanship over buying a flying one, the satisfaction of finishing the project up, but will probably save a lot of time in the process. When I'm ready to go, this will probably be the path I choose.
Mike