1986 SOCATA TB-21 Trinidad Listed for $199,950 with 2,385 Hours and Extensive Avionics Upgrades
Why It MattersWell-documented piston singles with modern avionics retrofits and full maintenance histories can command asking prices that reflect upgrade investment rather than airframe age alone.
What happened
A 1986 SOCATA TB-21 Trinidad is listed for sale at $199,950, based in Rocklin, California. The aircraft has 2,385 total hours on the airframe and no damage history.
The turbocharged Lycoming engine is at TBO but is reported to be running strongly, with clean oil analysis tracked over 15 years. The owner recently replaced cylinders one, two, three, five, and six with new Lycoming parts. The engine is paired with a three-blade Hartzell propeller representing a $10,000 investment, and the aircraft is equipped with TKS deice covering the wings, windshield, tail, and propeller.
The instrument panel is built around an Avidyne IFD550 GPS/nav fully coupled to an S-TEC 65 autopilot with altitude pre-select. The avionics suite also includes an Avidyne SkyTrax200 ADS-B receiver, an Avidyne AXP340 transponder, a Garmin GNC 255A nav/com, and a Shadin fuel flow monitor. The interior is rated 8/10 with air-memory-foam seats and matching upholstery, the exterior carries fresh firewall-forward paint on the cowlings and updated LED lighting, and the overall condition rating is 7/8. Useful load is 1,041 pounds. The aircraft has been maintained by a professional pilot-owner holding A&P/IA ratings, and complete maintenance records are available.
Industry impact & what to watch
Listings like this one show how the used piston-single market prices condition and documentation as much as airframe age. An engine at TBO would normally weigh on value, but tracked oil analysis, recent cylinder replacement, and A&P/IA ownership give a buyer a way to verify engine health independent of the hours themselves.
Avionics retrofits function the same way: an IFD550 coupled to an S-TEC 65 with altitude pre-select, plus ADS-B and a modern transponder, bring a 1986 airframe close to current operating capability without a new-aircraft price tag. Buyers in this segment weigh the cost of an approaching overhaul against the avionics and airframe condition already paid for.
What happens next in a sale like this typically turns on a pre-buy inspection confirming the reported cylinder work and oil analysis trend, and on how a buyer values a TBO-reached engine against the documented avionics and airframe investment already made.
