Older Abu Garcia Info Needed

Started by Rivverrat, September 18, 2017, 12:07:56 AM

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Rivverrat

Any info on this reel would have appreciated. It's my dad's he doesn't remember much about it.

Though I remember some nice channel cats caught with it using very thin line....Jeff

foakes

#1
This is a fairly rare reel --

Only made for 3 or 4 years --

Sweden.

Cooperative effort between Charles Garcia and ABU.

Mid 50's.

Tommy will know more than I about these.

Best,

Fred
The Official, Un-Authorized Service and Restoration Center for quality vintage spinning reels.

D-A-M Quick, Penn, Mitchell, and ABU/Zebco Cardinals

--------

The first rule of fishing is to fish where the fish are. The second rule of fishing is to never forget the first rule.

"Enjoy the little things in Life — For someday, you may look back — and realize that they were the big things"
                                                     Fred O.

Rivverrat

Fred, thanks for your reply.
I was thinking there might not be many around. I remember looking into a few years back & the reel hand that looked at didn't say much but was interested in buying it. The outside of the reel was in much better shape at the time. My Grandpa had 2 of them....Jeff

Tightlines667

#3
Jeff,

Take a look around this site...

http://www.reelstown.com/abu.htm

If you haven't already done so.

From what I can clean, yours is one of the later versions of the model444 made only for the US market ca. 1964.  It has the hammered black paint finish which was considered the most durable.  There was only 1 later version (1968) of the 444 made for the US market (plastisiced finish, cream rotor w/non cone rolle guide).  It's limited production run, should make it valuable to collectors, espe islly tbose interested in early US release Abu spinners.

John

Hope springs eternal
for the consumate fishermen.

Midway Tommy

The ABU Garcia is the same exact reel as the ABU 444 and was manufactured exclusively for the US market and sold through the Garcia Corp. The ABU 444 was sold in Europe and elsewhere. The ABU Garcia was introduced in about 1955/6 and was sold, in various color configurations, through the mid 1960s. The reel pictured above appears to be the pearl blue color and one of the earlier ones sold. A later pearl blue would have a black spool with Sweden on the back. The first release was gray and later ones, toward the end, had black bodies with cream rotors. Some of the cream rotors are gloss and some are a matte, almost flocked, type finish.

They are collectible but not high dollar unless they are in mint or new condition with the box. The reel pictured would probably go for somewhere between $40 & $70 on eBay, depending on the day and how many are interested.

I'm holding my ultra rare black & cream ABU Garcia tournament reel with two tiered tournament spool from 1964, one of only two ABU Garcia "tournaments" known in existence, in my avatar.     
Love those open face spinning reels! (Especially ABU & ABU/Zebco Cardinals)

Tommy D (ORCA), NE



Favorite Activity? ............... In our boat fishing
RELAXING w/ MY BEST FRIEND (My wife Bonnie)

Rivverrat

Tommy & John, Thanks. 

As a kid, a child actually, I ran around with nothing but spinners. Around 10-12 years of age I began a life long search for a better stronger reel. Since that time I've pretty much kicked spinning reels to the curb. However through you all, along with Fred I've got a renewed interest in spinning reels.

Tommy, is there any way to adjust the bail lay ? The line roller & bail lays tilted forward & down just a bit.

             
I am surprised at the amount of drag this reel puts out withsuch a small drag stack. Doing so so without stressing or loading the gears. 
For a light weight spinner I like this more compact design vs the newer skirted spools with wide rotor assembly. Even with its associated issues.

If any one knows of a parts reel please let me know. Reel is just fine now but I plan on using it...Jeff
                             
                                                                                                           

Midway Tommy

#6
Jeff,

The only adjustment to bail lay on those reels is to bend the bail attachment tab on the bail plate forward or back and/or adjusting the angle/bend in the bail after the taper. It's a little difficult to tell from the pics but it looks like your bail plate may already be at a slight angle. Be very careful if you adjust that tab. It appears your bail is bent somewhat down so there's room for adjustment after the taper/solder area. Stabilize that joint area when you bend the bail.

The larger spool diameter helps reduce line twist and when you actually compare the overall outside rotor diameters of skirted and non-skirted reels of similar size categories there's really not that much difference. It just appears, at first glance, that the skirted is smaller because the spool diameter is smaller.  

Those fulcrum brake designs are possibly one of, if not, the most efficient spinning reel drag systems ever manufactured. It is so much more efficient to regulate drag pressure on the main shaft than through pressure inside and on a spool, and the fulcrum aspect just adds one more benefit to that type adjustment.

Parts are difficult to find for those reels, but there really isn't much that goes wrong with them. Yours has the metal oscillation block. The later versions have a nylon block. About the only other item that gets much wear, unless something gets broken, is the drag washer. Watch eBay for a parts reel, but they still bring around $30 +. That handle configuration is impossible to find a replacement for.      
Love those open face spinning reels! (Especially ABU & ABU/Zebco Cardinals)

Tommy D (ORCA), NE



Favorite Activity? ............... In our boat fishing
RELAXING w/ MY BEST FRIEND (My wife Bonnie)

Tightlines667

In some ways that drag mechanism appears to be a better overall design then the later Cardinal versions.  It is simpler, and acts directly in line with the spool shaft, which is supported adjacent to the stack.  I wonder why they changed it?
Hope springs eternal
for the consumate fishermen.

Midway Tommy

Quote from: Tightlines666 on September 18, 2017, 04:59:24 PM
In some ways that drag mechanism appears to be a better overall design then the later Cardinal versions.  It is simpler, and acts directly in line with the spool shaft, which is supported adjacent to the stack.  I wonder why they changed it?

It isn't better. It was the forerunner. They greatly improved the overall quality of the reel in the cardinal line by removing the oscillation block and adding the oscillation arm, adding the worm gear pinion and also moving the anti-reverse from the main gear to the linear teeth on the pinion worm gear. These older models' drags work against the block at the rear of the body. The stack is, the block, a rectangular micarta washer, SS click gear, rectangular micarta washer, drag arm. The drag on these reels was a great improvement over the front drag designs but relocating it toward the center of the body because of the oscillation change allowed a much more efficient overall configuration, including the ultimate function of the worm gear drive-train.

On a different note, here's what the reel looks like in cleaned parts ready for reassembly:

     
Love those open face spinning reels! (Especially ABU & ABU/Zebco Cardinals)

Tommy D (ORCA), NE



Favorite Activity? ............... In our boat fishing
RELAXING w/ MY BEST FRIEND (My wife Bonnie)

Tightlines667

Tommy,

Thanks for the explanation! 

I had to go back and reread Alan Hawk's review of the Cardinal to remind me why the design is so great.

http://www.alanhawk.com/reviews/suv4.html


Jeff,
I apologize for any confusion regarding your real's version/.ca. production dates.  Your reel was, as Alan stated mid 1950s, not 1960s.  For some reason, I was thinking the pearl blue was black.

John
Hope springs eternal
for the consumate fishermen.

Rivverrat


happyhooker

Aw, come on Tommy, you can't tease us about the black & cream Abu tournament without posting a pic!  Or, am I off on what an "avatar" is?

Rivverrat

Ya I'm wanting to see a better detailed pic myself...Jeff

Midway Tommy

#13
OK! OK!  :)

Here are three photos at different angles. They also include an extra two tiered spool. The spools are magnesium and near impossible to find. I was very fortunate to end up with two. The reel has a two pickup tree. The line pickup/roller guide positions are adjustable. The bail plate & tree can be cocked back out of the way just like a standard bail model.

 



Here are a couple of photos of the inner workings of the tournament reel next to a standard bail type model. They were taken before the reels were cleaned and serviced. I think they both still had the original factory grease. The tournament reel is on the right. There are a couple of major differences inside on these two reels, but notice the oscillation block on these reels has been changed to nylon rather than the early version metal blocks. Also, you can see in the third photo that the main shaft of the tournament reel is longer to accommodate the two tiered spool. The main gears are also different and I'll show and explain the differences in the next set of photos.  





This photo shows a comparison of the main parts and their major differences. At the bottom you can see the difference in the length of the main shafts. A very interesting attribute of the tournament reel is that it does not have a standard anti-reverse. The main gear on the right has teeth that are square on one side and slope on the back side so that when the anti-reverse is engaged the dog slides over the teeth. That's what gives the clicking sound when engaged, and when you try to reel backwards the dog wedges against the square side of the tooth. Notice that the gear on the left has teeth that are square on both sides. Also, close inspection of the two anti-reverse dogs shows that the dog on the left has a block added to the side on the end. In tournament casting the slightest movement of the rotor while casting can make a huge difference in accuracy. The anti-reverse on an ABU tournament reel, when engaged, wedges the dog between the teeth on the main gear and locks the rotor so that it can not be turned forward or backward. The rotor stays completely stationary as the line peels off the spool. Disengage the anti-reverse lever and the handle can be turned in either direction.



The two tiered magnesium spool is two piece and has an extension added to the release button. It is held together on the back side by four screws.



ABU never made their tournament reels available to the public. The ABU 444 and ABU Garcia are the exact same reel, save for the side plate/name. ABU produced 20-30 ABU 444 tournament reels for their European team casters. As of today there are only two known ABU Garcia tournament reels in existence. Fittingly, both are in the USA.                  



Love those open face spinning reels! (Especially ABU & ABU/Zebco Cardinals)

Tommy D (ORCA), NE



Favorite Activity? ............... In our boat fishing
RELAXING w/ MY BEST FRIEND (My wife Bonnie)

FatTuna

That first reel is crazy. I've never seen anything like it. How does it work?