Polishing can remedy some of the scratches, but there are minimum inner and outer pane thickness limits. Corrosion, metal fatigue and weakened cold-bond joints can be problems on certain models. The Bluebook indicates that avionics equipment retains about one-half of the new price after three years. After five years, avionics boxes return about 30 percent of their uninstalled value, according to the Bluebook. Redoing carpet and upholstery can cost at least as much.
New cabinetry can boost the interior refurbishment price by several times as much.
At that point, we sifted through all the individual aircraft files and compiled a Top 10 List of Most Likely Candidates. The best buys, as Eagle Aviation's O'Neal predicted, moved fast. Other buyers had locked up our first, second and third choices by the time we contacted the sellers' agents. Searching for the next best buy, though, proved to be an iterative process. Other aircraft became available that were equally attractive on paper and in pictures.