Howdy folks, I have a strange question, and I hope you'll have some constructive input. I have a 48 model Cessna 140, in fair to good condition. It has fabric wings and more panel than it needs. Engine has about 950hrs, c-90, and good logs/documentation. I also have an experimental 4 place, flying, and a sporty 2 place in the shop being built and close to finished. I really have no interest in the certified airplane ownership. I really can't afford the two experimentals(but I'm doing it anyway...), and with things sinking like they are economically, I'm wondering if I might be better off parting it out as opposed to selling it outright? It goes against the grain to part a perfectly good airplane, but I really don't want to deal with the maintenance and continued flying of a protracted sale. I also could drop a hanger rental if I parted it, which is not trivial. Any opinions?

KB

You should probably trade it for a 1969 Cessna 150

You might be able to get as much or more $ by parting it out, but it will take a long time to sell everything off -- ep compared to selling the airplane complete: all the money in one fell swoop. These days airplanes can take a long time to sell unless you've got it fire-sale priced.

Parts will definitely generate more dollars but not if the time frame of getting those dollars is important to your own economy. Can you store the unsold parts without taking up hangar space because the hangar still isn't empty with only the gear and the engine sold.
Throw an ad on Barnstormers and see if you can get close to what you want for the whole bird. You can always part it out if that doesn't work.
Besides if you ask too much, someone will think the economy has improved, it could snowball.

tejasflyer wrote:Howdy folks, I have a strange question, and I hope you'll have some constructive input. I have a 48 model Cessna 140, in fair to good condition. It has fabric wings and more panel than it needs. Engine has about 950hrs, c-90, and good logs/documentation. I also have an experimental 4 place, flying, and a sporty 2 place in the shop being built and close to finished. I really have no interest in the certified airplane ownership. I really can't afford the two experimentals(but I'm doing it anyway...), and with things sinking like they are economically, I'm wondering if I might be better off parting it out as opposed to selling it outright? It goes against the grain to part a perfectly good airplane, but I really don't want to deal with the maintenance and continued flying of a protracted sale. I also could drop a hanger rental if I parted it, which is not trivial. Any opinions?

KB

Give it to a starving student