I picked up a really sad looking Mitchell 300 reel for $5 because of the Mitchell 3-0-0 print on the reel - a Pre-Garcia. I sorta knew what I was getting into. The handle knob was missing and I had some wooden knobs I made several years ago that look OK until I find a correct Mitchel knob.
Here are some pictures before, parts cleaned and after of the reel. I was amazed at the under-lying condition and think I have a nice reel to add to my Mitchell collection.
Great job!
Best, Fred
Wow that did cleaned up better than I though it would . Good Job
Very dirty, but underlying paint seemed pretty decent. See you found some parts that were needed; the wood handle almost looks like a real old 300 handle. Nice end result in any case.
Frank
Quote from: jtwill98 on February 22, 2024, 01:42:02 AMI picked up a really sad looking Mitchell 300 reel for $5 because of the Mitchell 3-0-0 print on the reel - a Pre-Garcia. I sorta knew what I was getting into. The handle knob was missing and I had some wooden knobs I made several years ago that look OK until I find a correct Mitchel knob.
Here are some pictures before, parts cleaned and after of the reel. I was amazed at the under-lying condition and think I have a nice reel to add to my Mitchell collection.
Cleaned up really well & turned out nice! Are you sure it's pre Garcia and wasn't made for the European market or maybe even came with the yellow or silver Garcia Products sticker?
Quote from: Midway Tommy on February 22, 2024, 07:10:32 AMCleaned up really well & turned out nice! Are you sure it's pre Garcia and wasn't made for the European market or maybe even came with the yellow or silver Garcia Products sticker?
I believe you are correct and I should have stated Pre-Inscribed or Pre-Engraved "Garcia Mitchel 300". After cleaning, I found the serial number 1387652 dating it around 1956. I believe, and you can confirm, the first Garcia stickers were added to the reels in 1954.
I was amazed when I started removing the dirt from the reel that the paint was well preserved underneath. No stickers were present. I was more amazed when I cleaned the gears and saw what appeared as new gears with no wear. Only 2 items showed wear, the oscillating slide and and guide rails.
Awesome restoration!
The kind that make you feel good.
It does make it feel good when you go into it thinking you're getting is a parts reel and it turns out to be nicer than some of the reels in your collection.
Luckily, I had parts for all the missing items (reel spool, bail line guide and wooden knob), which I threw on until I find a knob.