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Primer Resale

kcpilot81

Member
Hopefully I can focus this issue and not create a lot of opinions about priming. I have read everyone's opinions on priming.. how to? whether to? what to?

I am just wondering if anyone who has decided not to prime (and by that I mean not priming the Alclad parts) has had any issues with selling their airplane. I know some people on the forum have indicated that would never buy an airplane that had not been primed (some saying that wouldn't buy something that had not been primed with epoxy primer) but for those who chose not to prime, or those who bought a plane that wasn't primed, any issue with selling the plane.

Thanks for all of you help as I continue to debate this issue for myself.
 
to prime or not to prime....

I tried the AFS water based on the tail section, then I went with the rattle can with the forward fuselage. By the time I got to the wings, I only primed those areas where metal meets other metal.

I suspect I will be long gone before corrosion ever kicks in.
 
build it the way you'd want it.

If you were buying one what would you want? I think there are a lot more people out there that would buy a non-primed aircraft than you might think. They might want to give you a little less $, but I doubt there wouldn't be buyers for a well built plane.
 
Hopefully I can focus this issue and not create a lot of opinions about priming. I have read everyone's opinions on priming.. how to? whether to? what to?

I am just wondering if anyone who has decided not to prime (and by that I mean not priming the Alclad parts) has had any issues with selling their airplane. I know some people on the forum have indicated that would never buy an airplane that had not been primed (some saying that wouldn't buy something that had not been primed with epoxy primer) but for those who chose not to prime, or those who bought a plane that wasn't primed, any issue with selling the plane.

Thanks for all of you help as I continue to debate this issue for myself.

My airplane is primed, but if I was looking to purchase an RV, the primer thing probably wouldn't enter into the discussion other than making sure the builder appropriately primed the non-alclad and steel parts.
 
If I was looking at purchasing someone else's aircraft, I would be a LOT more concerned with how well he (or she) built the aircraft itself - his (or her) level of workmanship and attention to detail, than I would be about whether or not it was primed.

Having said that, I am priming all the surfaces on mine - just because it's the way I personally think it should be done.
 
It depends on the Mission

I intend to fly around the Caribbean a lot in the future. Growing up there I know what salt air does. For this mission primer is critical. If I just was going to fly around Montana, not so critical. (Except the bits that Van's says are essential).

I have another pro-primer line of thinking that is less logical, but compelling to me:

My son in his eighties, flying the antique RV-6, proud, and grateful that the plane had been primed.


Hans
 
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If I was buying a plane (any plane), primer would carry a lot of weight with me. In fact, if I knew there was a choice between a plane that was primed vs. one that was not, the unprimed plane would drop from consideration.

For context, I have a 1947 all-metal Luscombe. Sure wish that the inside of the wings had been primed. Agree that that's an old plane; however the fleet that we're building now will be in service that many years into the future.

Mike
 
FWIW... I recently sold my 1960 C-172, and the inside of those wings (non-primed) looked clean as a whistle!

That being said, I am priming all my parts....just because of being on the East Coast!
 
My airplane lives in a very corrosive environment..

...with the agricultural chemicals and fertilizer/ammonia mixes. Every three years or so, I have a guy mist corrosion X in the wings and tail for $250 or so. The stuff wicks between the skin overlaps and it solves that issue. I just bought a non-primered -10 and I'm selling a non-primered -6A.

Regards,
 
Resale/Primer

Having witnessed the badly corroded interior of two C-152s wings that lived outside at a local flight school, I will use primer inside. Only problem is deciding which method to use.

It would mean a lot to me if the inside surfaces were primered if I was buying.
 
I did not prime because I plan on using Corrosion X. I personally don't like to prime perfectly good Alclad, but I can point out one thing I've discovered. It's awfully hard to look at rivets and bolts with my fiber optic scope when the Alclad reflects double images and glare.
John
 
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