D.A.M. Quick Champion 700

[mo65]

   I've been bitten by the Quick bug...just now discovering a reel I should have known more about. I've been watching these Quick baitcasters for a while now, and finally pounced on one. The first pic is the reel as received, not too bad, just a little dirty. Note the button that resembles a bait clicker, under the free spool button. It's actually a "lock" for the free spool, as the free spool button's positioning was famous for getting depressed in storage. The next two photos show how she cleaned up, very nice looking reel! The last shot shows how this reel had no "thumb rest" bar at the bottom rear. This conundrum, combined with the free spool debacle, is why this reel faded into the distance as the Garcia Ambassadeur became a household word. I'm not sure these problems are enough to make me snub the reel though...after a proper lube it feels smoother than any of my Ambassadeurs!

[Tiddlerbasher]

Sweet little reel Mo

[wfjord]

That's a very nice looking reel!  I may need to have one of those.

[mo65]

That's a very nice looking reel!  I may need to have one of those.

   Currently they rarely go over $30-40 unless NIB or unused. A great bargain for a quality reel.

[Gfish]

Didn't even know these type a Quicks existed. Questions: aprox. time of manufacture?; is that tail-plate cast control done by mag., cen., or friction?; probably got spool beraings insteada bushings, bearings anywhere else? Anti-reverse by dog only?
Wait I's assuming you've been inside it already. Disregard if you haven't. Love that DAM engineering, thanks much for sharing.
Gfish

[mo65]

Didn't even know these type a Quicks existed. Questions: aprox. time of manufacture?; is that tail-plate cast control done by mag., cen., or friction?; probably got spool beraings insteada bushings, bearings anywhere else? Anti-reverse by dog only?
Wait I's assuming you've been inside it already. Disregard if you haven't. Love that DAM engineering, thanks much for sharing.
Gfish

   Slow down Gfish...let me try to catch up and answer some of that...hee hee! OK, time of manufacture appears to be 1970s(bet Fred knows). The cast control on tail-plate is just a friction control, but there is a centrifugal set up just like an Ambassadeur on the handle side. It has spool bushings, but like the early Ambassadeurs, could be upgraded to ball bearings. To be honest, I've never saw bearings cast better than well polished bushings on this style reel, due to the levelwind assembly. Anti-reverse is a silent dog type. Everything inside looks just as familiar as the outside. If it weren't for that missing thumb bar you'd swear it was an Ambassadeur.

[wfjord]

It doesn't look seem like it would be that difficult to install a thumb bar onto that reel. Have you heard of anyone doing it?

I know what you mean about the bushings.  A couple my of old Bantam baitcasters with polished & lubed bushings can pretty much cast as well as four other old Bantams I have that have bearings.

[oc1]

It's interesting to know that is all the support you need for a frame.  A four-screw stand and one post, with a little help from a worm shield.  Once it is dialed in you should not really need a thumb rest.
-steve

[Gfish]

Thanks for the answers Mo. I prefer well made bushings to bearings 'cause a the maintenance/saltwater thing. Looks like you could take an old penn post from a fairly narrow reel and shave it down to make a thumb-rest. There'd just haveta be room on the frame above the spool. Works sofar for me on penn's that gotta inside-only ring. Just dida Long Beach---surprising how hard and fine that older bakelite is, kinda like drilling through super hard--hardwood 'er somethin. I don't get why the freespool button placement would be such a big deal, but it looks like they addressed it on your model.
Gfish

[mo65]

I don't get why the freespool button placement would be such a big deal.

   I think it would only be a problem for the ones who complained about it...the "bass-pros". They haul around the lake with the rod laying on the deck, and that top mounted button got depressed. An Ambassadeur's button is farther back...10 'oclock position instead of 11:30. I haven't even tried casting yet, but I'll admit that missing bar in the back feels kinda weird.

[foakes]

Thumbrest isn't really necessary on these -- most of the European anglers just rest their thumb on the sideplate -- then use their thumb for a casting brake as needed to avoid bird-nests.

Best,

Fred

[Bruce]

 That`s the way I learned to cast my Langley  plugcast  as a kid in the early fifties . Thumb it on the side of the spool .
Still have that little reel .
Bruce

[basto]

I had two 700b when I was a lot younger. They were quite cheap compared to an equivalent sized ABU, which they shared a lot of identical parts with.
The 600 is a very nice reel also, but I have never seen one in the "flesh"
Basto

[Alto Mare]

Mo, if you happen to have some pics of the inside of that reel, would you mind posting?
Nice little reel!

Sal

[Tightlines667]

It really does look like an ABU clone.  Cool reel.