What is Your “Cadillac” Reel?

[ATA]

I have so many Antares Dc and Aldebarans but still no reel could get the place of my 15 Metanium DC. I ordered couple of new ones and I am hopping they took the place of their older brother  but for now Metanium DC 15 with after market wooden knobs is my best reel and I catch lots of great fish with it.

[J._Bricker]

For the longest time this was my Cadillac reel, now she’s parked in the garage but I’m thankful for the memories.

[islandbass]

@new2BC4bass: Don’t do this to me! Now I gotta look up that reel and my bait monkey was hibernating…until your post 😂😂😂.

 

I am really going to look it up, knowing the risk involved. 

[FrnkNsteen]

6 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

I think the OP's question is more about aspiration than possession.  It deserves better than pragmatic answers.  

 

 

See I took it differently.... I took it as what is our favorite confortable ride. Not necessarily the hottest, or sportiest, or most expensive,... But the one you slip into for a comfortable ride.

[DogBone_384]

On 3/2/2024 at 10:02 AM, A-Jay said:

I haven't really gone hog wild on any one super high priced reel.

Same here.  I've been lucky to find higher end reels on closeouts over the years.  I have two Cores that I don't use often and three Zillions.  My Cadillac would be my 1st generation 13 Fishing Concept E that I also found on clearance.  The E is sub 6 ounces, is S M O O T H as butter and casts a mile and just feels 'right' in my hands.

[new2BC4bass]

29 minutes ago, DogBone_384 said:

Same here.  I've been lucky to find higher end reels on closeouts over the years.

 

Ditto!  Not just the PXL Type R, but reels such as the Quantum PT Icon and Daiwa Procaster 100HN.  Love closeouts!!!!!

[bulldog1935]

1 hour ago, FrnkNsteen said:

See I took it differently.... I took it as what is our favorite confortable ride. Not necessarily the hottest, or sportiest, or most expensive,... But the one you slip into for a comfortable ride.

You could be right - maybe I've been reading google-translated Japanese for too long.  

 

[Mobasser]

My "Cadillac" reel is not fancy. It's my ABU 4600C.24 yrs old and just as smooth as when it was new.

[redmeansdistortion]

These were my Cadillac reels, then I bought them.  A few years of patience paid off big.  No way did I want to drop $500+ on either of these, as that is the going price lately.  Sometimes they creep up towards $1,000.  I suppose it depends on the day.  These are very desirable to both Abu collectors and fishermen.  They are far more smooth than their predecessors and were a step forward in the design, but that came to an abrupt end.  

 

 

The market for desirable Ambassadeur models fluctuates wildly.  The 1600C IAR (white knobs) I scored for a measly $150 on Facebook Marketplace.  The seller didn't want to ship out of fear it would go to the wrong address.  It took 3 weeks of light pestering to get her to budge.  I then sweetened the deal and offered her $50 more, and to me it came.  The other reel, a 2600C IAR, was a chance encounter on Yahoo Auctions in Japan, buy it now for $280 in an 8/10 condition.  Other listings were at least double that for reels in not as good of condition.  These are some of the best reels Abu ever made, and they were only made a few years.  The 1600C IAR was made in '98, '99, and '00 and the 2600C IAR in '99 and '00.  While they look similar to their pushbutton brothers the 1500C and 2500C, the internals are far different.  The brake plate is like that of the Morrum and shares almost nothing with its predecessors.  They also have a much stronger frame.  For those that don't know small Ambassadeurs, the 1500C and 2500C had notoriously weak frames.  If you're ever on the market for one, pay close attention to the spool and if there is any scoring.  This is indicative of a misaligned frame.

 

1500/2500C brake plate on top, 1600/2600C brake plate on the bottom.

 

 

These were to be the successor to the 1500/2500C, but Pure Fishing had different plans when they assumed complete control over Abu in 2000, outright crippling any further development out of Sweden.  We were thrown a couple of bones since, namely the 2600C Elite in 2008 and the Morrum ZX in 2012, but that's about it.  Outside of those, any Swedish made reels today are just color changes to the C3 and C4 platform without any further development.  To make matters worse, when Rubbermaid acquired Pure Fishing in 2017, they forced Abu to stop making parts for reels produced prior to 1997.  They also cancelled contracts with many small business partners who were authorized to make replacement OEM quality parts, effectively ending the Abu era.  They were on top for almost half of the 20th century, then pushed by the wayside at the turn of the millennium which paved the way for Daiwa and Shimano to come out on top.

[redmeansdistortion]

8 hours ago, J._Bricker said:

For the longest time this was my Cadillac reel, now she’s parked in the garage but I’m thankful for the memories.

Sweet reel and tons of potential.  The original Alphas platform saw production from '03 to '19 with many variations so it's quite possible to roll your own in much the same way as somebody would an Ambassadeur.  If that were my reel, it get a set of 31mm spool spacers made, throw in a '17 Alphas Air Stream Custom spool, star wheel and 80mm offset handle from a Millionaire CT SV, red line guide from a '16 Alphas Air, a drag clicker, and 7.2 gear set and worm gear from a '17 Alphas ASC.  You could even use a 28mm spool from a more contemporary Alphas Air TW, Gekkabijin, or Silver Creek Air TW Stream Custom with the use of 28mm spacers.  You'd just have to run the 7.2 gears and worm from a '19 Alphas CT SV.  That reel is a blank slate ready to be made just how you want it.

[new2BC4bass]

J._Bricker:  Years ago I found a RH in excellent condition at a good price.  That reel is why I learned to cast with my left hand.

 

redmeansdistortion:  Never seen an IAR.  Wouldn't mind having one.  I do have Morrum Mag SX and Black Max 1600C reels.

[Randy Price]

A 2500 Shimano Stella has always been on my wish list.  I have a two Metanium's and they're nice enough for me.  IMHO once you get past a certain price point for rods and reels the ROI gets so small I do not know if I could tell a difference at my age.  My hands aren't as sensitive as they used to be so I may not feel a difference between a $ 400.00 rod and a $ 1,000.00 rod.  I ran into this recently.  I had my Swarovski SLC 8x42 HD field glasses out and a friend had a less expensive pair of Vortex Razors and I couldn't with my almost 60 YO eyes tell a difference.  Now in fairness my Swaro's really shine in low light conditions and we didn't test them in that situation. 

[redmeansdistortion]

6 minutes ago, new2BC4bass said:

Never seen an IAR.  Wouldn't mind having one.  I do have Morrum Mag SX and Black Max 1600C reels.

Those not only have instant anti-reverse, but also a thumb bar clutch.  The clutch is so smooth and precise, the only reel I feel rivals it is the Calcutta Conquest.  Abu really hit a homerun before the plug was pulled.  The design of the clutch mechanism for this reel was created in the early 1990s, but wasn't awarded a patent until 1998 which ushered in the 1600C/2600C IAR and Morrum.  The Morrum used this same clutch or variation of it for its entire production run from '98 to '12.

[J._Bricker]

4 hours ago, redmeansdistortion said:

Sweet reel and tons of potential.  The original Alphas platform saw production from '03 to '19 with many variations so it's quite possible to roll your own in much the same way as somebody would an Ambassadeur.  If that were my reel, it get a set of 31mm spool spacers made, throw in a '17 Alphas Air Stream Custom spool, star wheel and 80mm offset handle from a Millionaire CT SV, red line guide from a '16 Alphas Air, a drag clicker, and 7.2 gear set and worm gear from a '17 Alphas ASC.  You could even use a 28mm spool from a more contemporary Alphas Air TW, Gekkabijin, or Silver Creek Air TW Stream Custom with the use of 28mm spacers.  You'd just have to run the 7.2 gears and worm from a '19 Alphas CT SV.  That reel is a blank slate ready to be made just how you want it.

@redmeansdistortion, those are definitely some grand plans. This Alphas was the first JDM reel I purchased way back in ‘05 and was paired with a GLX 842. Other than some pitting from salt water during the numerous droughts over the years out on the Delta I think it’s still in pristine condition.
 

Now, if I ever get ambitious in tricking it out I will be in contact to tap those mad scientist skills 👍.

[Bucks Bass and Bourbon]

On 3/4/2024 at 11:24 PM, bulldog1935 said:

I think the OP's question is more about aspiration than possession.  It deserves better than pragmatic answers.  

Something along the lines of function and form complimenting each other in a way that exceeds their sum.  

If you have something like that, or simply dream about it, it belongs here.  

Photos make it better for the rest of us.  

(my surf lure reel, built around a hens' teeth barstock frame)

 

 

*Sorry the blank quote guys. I started to post and my screen froze up. 
 

Anyway, thanks for all the input. Interesting responses. To the above, yes initially I’m was asking what’s the style and performance type reel you always kids wanted or would get. Not a Lamborghini or a Ferrari, not the responses were great and fun to see what you guys came up with.