What's a golf ball worth?

[Comatose]

Okay, its not realy a golf ball.

I'm looking at an F model that has shallow but pervasive hail damage on both alierons and the elevator, as well as a few smaller hail dents on the thicker skins elsewhere. Its not horrible, but its not something that could be fixed short of reskinning or replacing the control surfaces. On an otherwise fairly nice plane, how much does this sort of thing reduce the value?

Thanks!

John

 

[GeorgePerry]

25-50% based on the extent of the damage.  Hail and airplanes don't mix.  That's why I spend the $$ on a hanger.  It's cheap piece of mind

[skyking]

Lets put it this way, i have seen planes written off by the insurance company due to hail damage.

George is correct you could loose 50% or more.

[WardHolbrook]

Hail damage? Any seller worth his salt would tell you that those dimples are a speed mod... just like a golf ball, they'll make it fly faster, further, truer. [Wink]

Personally, I think it destroys the esthetics of an airplane but probably doesn't hurt the performance much if any. Unless the acquisition price is your big driver (pardon the golf pun), I'd walk away from this one, there are a lot of airplanes on the market and you can afford to be somewhat picky.

[KSMooniac]

It will hurt performance if the wings are dimpled....the rest, not so much.  There are too many on the market IMO to get one with hail damage.  Control surfaces could be reskinned or replaced without major expense, but if the wings and/or fuselage are hit then I wouldn't go near it.  If the damage is "repaired" via body filler + paint, then there is now extra parasitic weight that will eat into useful load too.

[laytonl]

In addition to an M20J, I also own a Piper Warrior that was damaged in a hail storm 20-years ago.  I repainted the airplane a few years ago and the we bondo'd the worst of the dimples (on the wing and fuse, not the control surfaces) but it is still very noticeable in the new paint shine.  Doesn't bother me a bit.  I wouldn't hesitate to purchase an aircraft with hail damage.  My insurance company de-valued the airplane about 15% because I didn't re-skin the control surfaces.  Lee