Abu Cardinal 66 fettled.

[Nobby]

http://www.thepathbythewater.net/bb_tpb ... f=4&t=1397

[BeechmereLake]

Good interesting read Nobby which leads me to asking you a question through the PM.

[Dave Burr]

Fettled Cardinal!

I always thought they were pretty good before the likes of Nobby got hold of them, I'd love to feel how this one runs, it must be a gem.

[Nobby]

It's lovely and smooth and very quiet. The line lay is a bit old fashioned / ball of string looking and the clutch, which I'd heard could be a bit snatchy, seems really good for just being assembled clean and dry.

If nothing else the images are useful if you need to replace a bit or have a go yourself. I'd put them up there with the DAM Finessa reels pretty much, indeed .... bar the clutch being inside the reel, not the spool, they are very similar indeed both in design and build quality.

They seem to cost a lot more than the DAM reels to buy though....the price of popularity, I suppose?

[Tinca Tinca]

Fine job you did.Question:How do you clean the "brakedisks" and with what do you relube them?

I cleaned few ABUs with petroleum or washfuel but the disks were like glued after a short time again.
I usualy use sewingmashine oil for oiling.Can you tell me a name of the 3 in 1 oils so often talked about?


Thanks and Merry Christmas

[Tinca Tinca]

You are right ,Sir.
The ABU Cardinal 66 was a DAM twice.In Germany 1968 a Cardinal cost 128 DM and the DAM Finessa 59 DM.

I fish both since a few years and the Cardinal is MUCH better in quality than the DAM.The Drag of the ABU is
much better than the DAM,the gear ratio is much higher than the DAM(1:3,3 DAM,1:4,..ABU) and the ABU runs
smoother.In fact ABU had a few series of the Cardinal since the 40ies,DAM had one including the Finessa(Firstrun in the late 50 ies and early 60 ies)so I think the ABU was more improved than the DAM because the first ABU reels were engineered by Thommen Switzerland in the late 40 ies

(ABU 600, Record 444)

the differences are like dark night and bright day we say in Germany

Greetings

[Greentura]

maybe if that had been done with my 77 i would have kept it, my 44x however could not be bettered save perhaps having more of it's original paint left

[Marc]

I've just bought a 66 on the bay. This thread will prove interesting when it arrives. I think it will be my new carp reel, that I'll use my new Carp rod. I've always wanted one and this one seems a good start. I'd like a brown and cream 44 at some point.

[BeechmereLake]

I have taken to these reels in a fairly big way and after spending years using ABU 55's I now feel I missed out on a great reel in the 66, I have 4 at the moment and wouldn't hesitate to use one for Carp, Barbel or Chub fishing, would even use the for Pike fishing IF I was ever inclined to do it.
Of the 4 reels I have the 66X is my favorite

[Marc]

I don't know much about them. This one has the cardinal 66 on the right side at the bottom of the reel. Says it's been loved and cared for, hence the grease, and in very good condition. I feel a bit of a deserter from my beloved Mitchell's, I'm nothing if not fickle, but I think they're a must for a vintage reel collector.

Beautiful reel Beechmere.