My first Shakespeare! A Sea Wonder 2080 EJ

Started by FlipFlopRepairShoppe, April 01, 2019, 11:41:28 PM

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Rivverrat

Just dont stare or fondle them while driving... Jeff

festus


FlipFlopRepairShoppe

Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of wise men. Instead, seek what they sought. -Matsuo Basho

FlipFlopRepairShoppe

The 2080 and the Ocean City 320 came in today.  The size and mass difference between the two was surprising.  The Sea Wonder feels like she weighs twice as much as the Ocean City.  The Ocean City is going to be restored and handled with kid gloves.  I opened the case up and sure enough, the housing where one of the bolts that holds the back part of the casing on is broken.  It's the second and third picture, below.

The seller offered the reel as parts or repair, so I guess I just lost out on this one.  If anyone has any ideas of how to restore her back to functionality, I'm all ears.  I've already gently put her back together with all the broken pieces in place.
Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of wise men. Instead, seek what they sought. -Matsuo Basho

FlipFlopRepairShoppe

I posted that last part prematurely, about putting her back together.  She fought me tooth and nail, so instead of forcing anything, she now lives disassembled inside an old large coffee can.  At least until I can get her restored.
Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of wise men. Instead, seek what they sought. -Matsuo Basho

Rivverrat

#20
I dont know the full history behind the 320. A lot of people like them because of their unique
shape / style.

I had one a long time ago that I fished & promptly blew up by asking way to much from it.

 Hard to tell by the pics but the gears look pretty worn. These reels are not of the best quality.

But hey I fish a few oldies that are far from best. What matters is what you think about it.

You will eventually come across a vintage reel that will be the dogs dangles. That well fits  your use.
When you do you'll buy another & another. Unless of course you like variety

I really enjoy having a matching arsenal of good vintage reels all set out in front of me spiked
in the sand... Jeff

Midway Tommy

QuoteI dont know the full history behind the 320. A lot of people like them because of their unique
shape / style.

Ocean City purchased the Montague Company in the mid '30s. They changed the name to The Montague-Ocean City Rod & Reel Company in '55. They came out with their spinning reel line at about that same time. The 320 was their largest reel and came in black. True Temper purchased Ocean City in '57/'58 & kept the OC name and advertised as Ocean City, True Temper, Montague products of American Tackle Co. At that point the 320 came in a couple of different colors, blue, turquoise green, copper/bronze, yellow & maybe some others. Those usually had a chrome rotor cup. I have seen the 320 with the Montague name, Ocean City name and True Temper Deluxe name. I've never seen one with the Montgomery Ward Sport King name, though.   
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)

FlipFlopRepairShoppe

#22
I'll try to take better pictures of the gear today.  To be completely fair to the seller, they offered a full refund including return shipping, but I could tell that they were dealing in good faith so I opted to keep and repair her. 

So what should happen next?  I found a New Old Stock housing on the big auction site!!!  That was nothing short of awesome, because I hadn't seen any other reels for sale so I figured parts would be ridiculously impossible to find.

As far as blowing her up, now that I see how fragile she is, she's going to be light duty only 10 lb test max with light drag setting.  I might chase some speckled trout but won't ask her to do more than that.  I do like to collect the unique ones, but I bet you're right Jeff, that I'll wind up finding one that just does it for me.  Then I'll have a brace of them.

That Sea Wonder, on the other hand.......feels like a truck winch.  I bet I could yank a grouper out of a hole with this thing.

Oh, and thank you for sharing that history, Tommy!  You guys are a wealth of information on here.
Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of wise men. Instead, seek what they sought. -Matsuo Basho

FlipFlopRepairShoppe

I think that the old grease was making the gear look far more worn that it actually is.  I wiped it off as best I could and the edges are nice and sharp.  What looks like a nick in one of the gear teeth is just some old crud.  The internals look pretty fresh, to be honest, but that's just my inexperienced opinion.
Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of wise men. Instead, seek what they sought. -Matsuo Basho

Rivverrat

Quote from: FlipFlopRepairShoppe on April 05, 2019, 03:26:07 PM
  To be completely fair to the seller, they offered a full refund including return shipping, but I could tell that they were dealing in good faith so I opted to keep and repair her. 



   Doesnt this just change things a lot of times, when the seller desires to make things right ?

   Nothing has to be over built or the best of it's class to receive the kick in the pants feel some of us get fishing a piece of history that still works. Please post pics when you get this one complete... Jeff

festus

Quote from: FlipFlopRepairShoppe on April 05, 2019, 03:26:07 PM
That Sea Wonder, on the other hand.......feels like a truck winch.  I bet I could yank a grouper out of a hole with this thing.
You're probably right, Flip Flop, here's a pic of a 247 lb marlin caught on a Sea Wonder during the 1960s.

FlipFlopRepairShoppe

You're absolutely right, Jeff. 

And that's an awesome picture.  I have no doubt this reel could take on anything I throw at her.  She feels sleek and solid, like a Sherman tank.  I love the way the reel foot is designed.  I've never seen another reel that has a bolt on reel foot.

My new DAM Super got here today, and she's half again as heavy as the Sea Wonder.  The Ocean Star is still the biggest of the lot.  And the first vintage reel model I ever bought.  That old coffee grinder is what got me hooked.
Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of wise men. Instead, seek what they sought. -Matsuo Basho

FlipFlopRepairShoppe

Snapped a quick picture to show the size difference between the DAM Super 270 and the Sea Wonder 2080.  I always thought these DAM reels were small freshwater reels, because of the picture of the fish on the side.  Don't ask me why that made me think that, but it did, lol.  No, these reels are big and solid.  That Shakespeare is going to be my ace in the hole for jetty fishing, but that Super is going to spend alot of time hunting the sandbars, something tells me. 

When I sit down and look at these reels that are all made in different countries, I see that each one of them brings a subtle difference in approach to the same task.  I find it kind of enlightening, in a way.  Sorry to be philosophical.
Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of wise men. Instead, seek what they sought. -Matsuo Basho

festus

Quote from: FlipFlopRepairShoppe on April 05, 2019, 10:59:09 PM
No, these reels are big and solid.  That Shakespeare is going to be my ace in the hole for jetty fishing, but that Super is going to spend alot of time hunting the sandbars, something tells me. 

When I sit down and look at these reels that are all made in different countries, I see that each one of them brings a subtle difference in approach to the same task.  I find it kind of enlightening, in a way.  Sorry to be philosophical.
I like big spinning reels too.  Doesn't matter if they're made in France, USA, Japan, Germany, or wherever if they're solid.  I very seldom fish saltwater, but in the tailraces of dams here on the Tennessee and Cumberland River systems often when chunking live or cut bait it takes 4 oz or more of lead.  Too rocky to use braid so at least 17 lb mono is the minimum and at times up to 30-40 lb.

FlipFlopRepairShoppe

That is a far cry from the freshwater fishing we have down here in my part of Florida.  It's all ponds and streams, and some small rivers.  We probably have some big catfish, but I don't know of anyone who goes chasing them.  The Gulf is so close and tempting that everyone I know just goes and hassles the fish offshore or in the surf or Bay.  I use 10lb test for the redfish in the bay, 4lb test on my little South bend 720 for speckled trout, and 20lb Ande for anything in the Gulf. 

I caught my first sailfish on a Shimano baitrunner using 20lb Ande, and have been a firm believer of it ever since.  That was running about 4 miles outside of Jupiter Inlet down near West Palm.  I was 11 years old and was on a family friend's 25 foot Contender.  Hell of a center console, and a hell of a reel.
Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of wise men. Instead, seek what they sought. -Matsuo Basho