When I started getting into conventional reels I always said I'd never buy a newell because of the sometimes silly prices and unavailability of parts....yet now I have several. Here's a no-letter 344-5 I picked up earlier this year in stock form. Good condition inside and out with only the usual preventative treatment and fine tuning we do here to get it in shape for fishing. After becoming a part of this little community of reel heads I can't leave any stock reel alone. So here's the list of upgrades so far....ball bearing power knob, aluminum arm, Bryans 5+1 and Delrin washers u.g./on top the stack, SS bearing cup and jack knob. Also made a deal with a friend to trade a G-series graphite spool w/ metal ratchet gear. It then needed a metal clicker kit to replace the plastic part which isn't easy to find for reasonable $ so I've temporarily fitted one of Tom's Cortez clicker kits with great results. Will eventually get a black Tiburon frame but for now she fishes/casts great!
Aloha,
Kyle
Before
(http://i.imgur.com/XpY7LJWl.jpg)
After
(http://i.imgur.com/TDVILTNl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/yo1hRIMl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/iROr1Mzl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/8DieSjyl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/k5ezTg0l.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/zPdfEd4l.jpg)
That reel will last you a lifetime. Nice job. When fishing around Kahala I am using a P 344-5 with silver Tib.