Kitfox V valuation

[Gofish]

​Hello Everyone, New member here. I just started the enjoyable process of getting back into flying after a very long layoff. Sons are just completing college so it’s time. I’m finding it hard to value a Kitfox V I’m considering. It was a 1999 kit completed in 2006. It’s a trigear with 800 hrs on plane and what was a new IO-240 Continental. It has basic avionics with a good com and nav, panel mounted a Garmin GPS ect. I would call it a 8 as far as condition. It’s very nice. I know it’s very difficult to give an exact number but any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Happy New Year!

[Av8r3400]

What's the asking price? That is the real question.

If it's fair to you, buy it. If not someone else will. It's a seller's market now, they have little motivation to negotiate.

[Gofish]

What's the asking price? That is the real question.

If it's fair to you, buy it. If not someone else will. It's a seller's market now, they have little motivation to negotiate.

​The asking price is $40K. I think it may be fair but I’m find it hard to verify. That much money buys a lot of planes. I want a Kitfox but want to pay a fair price. Thanks.

[desertdave]

I don't think the price is out of line. If it is the blue Vixen on Barnstormer it looks like a nice plane for the price assuming it is constructed well and it is what you are looking for. Keep in mind it isn't like there are dozens of model 5,6 or 7s on the market. Somebody blinked when I was looking for my plane and I snapped it up. I know others who did the same.

[DesertFox4]

As Larry stated, it’s a sellers market. Good ones seldom last two days on the market now. You must do your homework prior to seeing an advertised Kitfox and going to “look it over”. While your researching what you’ve just looked at, someone with knowledge of the make and model and finances already lined up, may swoop in and lock it down if it is indeed a nicely built and finished aircraft.
Happens more than you think right now.
As described it sounds nice but of course we have almost nothing to judge it by.
Educated and prepared to purchase are the the best way to search in the current market and for the foreseeable future in my opinion. Very best of luck to you. They are incredibly fun to fly and economical to operate.

[airlina]

I can give you a baseline to work from because that is the vintage kitfox that I built and own. Mine is called the Outback , which is the cousin to the Vixen you are looking at. Mine is a Series 5 taildragger with the same IO-240 engine that I purchased in kit form in 1999 and completed in 2003 . Currently have over 900 hours on it and plan on keeping it until I tip over, great airplane. I spent approximately $60-$65000 in 1999 dollars to build it and over the years have thrown more money at it with upgrades (autopilot, engine monitor, ADSB etc). Having said that I would not sell it for $40000 - not enough. As the others have said previously the Kitfox brand is a hot product now and they go fast, however as with any aircraft purchase , due diligence is neccessary and i would definitely fly the airplane and do a good prebuy on it , especially the engine. The IO-240 is great engine , but you have to insure that this airplane flies regularly and no corrosion issues are present by conducting compression and boroscope checks. I would be more concerned if the airplane had 200 hours on it since 2006 rather than the 800 hours it has flown. Good luck Bruce N199CL

[Airfoil]

I saw that aircraft for sale and think it is a fantastic buy. If it was available before I bought my kit I would’ve snatched it up. I would have to convert it to a Taildragger and add an updated panel so that’s about 15 grand makes it closer to 60,000 which is still a fair deal. You can’t buy an airplane that does that in that good of shape for that kind of money.

[desertdave]

I would have to convert it to a Taildragger and add an updated panel so that’s about 15 grand makes it closer to 60,000 which is still a fair deal. You can’t buy an airplane that does that in that good of shape for that kind of money.

The 5 isn't an easy conversion from trike to taildragger or taildragger to trike like the 6 and 7 are.

[Airfoil]

The 5 isn't an easy conversion from trike to taildragger or taildragger to trike like the 6 and 7 are.
Right, that’s why I figured it be 10,000 for a panel and 5000 to convert it with a welding torch. It would probably be sold by now if it was a six or seven.