Valuing unfinished kits

[Greg79]

How does one fairly value an older unfinished kit? I searched here first and didn't come up with anything.

[rv9ralph]

I hate to give you a wobbly answer but... It is a matter of what you think it is worth.

With that said, you have to balance the market value of an unfinished kit, the current cost of a kit, quality of work completed and the completeness of the kit (all pieces and construction manual available), also, completeness of work logs and paperwork for transfer of ownership. Usually the work done by the current owner doesn't have much value.

When I sold my partially completed kit (RV9), I priced it for the value of the parts purchased and feel I ended up on top. I have had friends buy partially built kits, expecting a quick build, but they had to undo much of the work to bring it up to an acceptable level.

Ralph

[bbs428]

rv9Ralph is on point. It's all subjective.

My 2 cents worth -

It helps to have an experienced kitfox builder evaluate the kit. The folks at kitfox will be glad to fill in any missing parts. A few parts missing is normal. A lot missing could be costly.
More important is corrosion and workmanship.
If it's an older kit, how it was stored and how much rust has penetrated under the powdercoat needs to be carefully looked at. Any nicks, heavy scratches on the fuselage or wing spars could be costly to remedy. Superficial surface corrosion is nbd and can be treated easily.
I prefer a kit that is not that far along. I know my own work and skill set. But if the work follows the instructions and it looks good then it probably is good. I would still remove all primary flight controls, check for free movement, corrosion, regrease and reinstall with a note in the build manual of what work/repair was done.

As an example, my 1994 Series 4 kit with qb wings with 50% of the work done on the fuselage. No corrosion and nice workmanship. Some parts were missing. I sold it for 11k

My series 1998 series 5 was purchased as an uncompleted kit. 99% of the parts were there. The primary flight controls had been installed and the stabilizer was done. that's it. Nothing else had been touched.
The work that was done was shockingly bad. It was all removed and done over.
The bottom of the fuselage and other places was rusty in spots where the powdercoat had chipped off.
BUT... the qb wings were stored nicely on the wall and were untouched. Came with two new wing tanks and the newer aluminum header tank. Along with a Rotax 912ul with under 300 hrs, a new Warp drive ground adjustable prop with the metal leading edge and a wired steam gauge panel. Overall it was a solid kit with some nice extras. Paid 26k.

Sorry for the the wordy answer, lol.
Hope this helps you out. Good luck!!

[WWhunter]

Is an engine include? If so, what type/model? I would think any KF IV and up should be worth a minimum of $20K if it includes a Rotax 912, even an older 80 HP. Lots of parts that would be worth at least that much if one got discouraged and decides to part it out. Workmanship, as has been mentioned, is a top concern. Are you willing and able to redo shoddy workmanship, or feel it is good enough to stake your life on while flying? Kitfoxs are a hot commodity right now thanks to a certain internet sensation! This has brought the value up of many of these kits that have languished in peoples garages or sheds. If it is a decent deal, you might want to think fast because they don't seem to last long on the market lately. JM2C

[bbs428]

My examples were from a few years back before all this internet exposure. Market timing? Lol. 🤗

I just knew someone who knew someone who was ready to sell.

Kitfox is a great product so the high demand is not surprising.

[Greg79]

Really appreciate the replies and they have been helpful. Hoping to make the move and pick up a started kit soon.

[Hockeystud87]

One thing to also keep in mind is that currently there is a LONG wait time for planes. So if you have a kit that someone can buy today. There is some added value in that.

[Speedster 7]

Can someone tell me how much poly spray I’ll need to order for the recommended coverage of three x-coats on my S 7 Speedster. Thanks,