1974 CESSNA 172M

1974 Cessna 172

Specifications

Year

1974

Total time (TTAF)

13,163 hrs

Engine time (SMOH)

3,084 hrs

Engine

Lycoming O-320

How this stacks up

• Above market

  $19,500 (20%) above the family-wide median of 33 Cessna 172 listings

• Listed today

  Listed more recently than ~100% of the 33 comparable Cessna 172 listings still for sale

• Engine past TBO

  1,084 hrs beyond the 2,000-hr recommended TBO for the Lycoming O-320 — budget for an overhaul (~$18,000) or ask about its inspection status

• 4/5 key specs

  Most key specs are provided; verify any missing details with the seller

This summary draws on signals shown in detail below — price comps, listing age, maintenance and engine status, and key specs. Read each section for full context. Not an appraisal.

Engine Life

Based on 3,084 hrs since overhaul (SMOH) and the published 2,000 hr TBO for the Lycoming O-320.

Airframe time

Average over the aircraft's life — 13,163 hrs total time across ~52 years. A rule of thumb, not a guarantee.

High utilization

This airframe has averaged about 253 hrs/year over ~52 years — more than most personal aircraft. Regular flying keeps engines and systems healthy, but it also adds cumulative wear, so review the maintenance history, component overhauls, and how the total time compares with the type's typical service life.

Cost to own

Rule-of-thumb estimates — insurance ≈ 1% of price, hangar $7,500/yr, annual inspection $2,500/yr, fuel + oil at your selected hrs/yr. Engine reserve from the panel above is folded into the split. Your actual costs will vary.

At 100 hrs/yr, renting at $150/hr would be $9,090 cheaper annually — fly more to see ownership savings.

Buy-in is the asking price split evenly across partners — what you'd each pay to acquire the aircraft (the real figure is negotiated). Fixed costs (insurance, hangar, inspection, engine reserve) split equally by number of partners; fuel/oil is per-pilot since each partner flies their own hours.