Vintage Reel Restoration

[belairfishing]

Hey guys,

I have two old Garcia Mitchell reels that belonged to me and my brother when we were kids. He's 54 and I'll be 52 tomorrow, just to give you a sense of how old they are. I am not qualified to take a reel apart and be able to get it back together so it works. I would LOVE to have one or both of them cleaned up/restored and give them to him for his birthday in November. Does anyone here do that kind of work, or maybe point me in the right direction? I expect to pay, of course, but if I'm going to pay someone, it might as well be someone here, or some connection I make from here.

I'll try to post some pictures when I get home tonight.

Steve

[ronaultmtd]

You “young” kids crack me up! Give him the new Stradic “L”...he will be thrilled with the latest advances in reels...

[belairfishing]

Funny Ron...but it's more of a sentimental/nostalgic thing than it is giving him a working reel.

Trust me, he has plenty of current gear!

[mchottie]

John Veil or John Rentch mentioned someone near Pasadena MD, not sure if they still rebuild reels or not. I'm assuming its someone retired and/or this was their hobby. You could also call Tochterman's in Baltimore City, i'm sure they would know your exact reel, and could give you good advice.

[Mark]

Funny Ron...but it's more of a sentimental/nostalgic thing than it is giving him a working reel.

I understand completely. I still have my Garcia Mitchell 300 reel and Garcia fiberglass rod I purchased with my allowance when I was 12.

I think Michael's suggestion to call Tochterman's is a good one. I just heard a CCA MD podcast about that tackle shop and one of the topics mentioned was their ability to repair old reels.

[yakscientist]

A friend of mine has brought reels to Reel Perfection in Edgewood, and seemed to like them. I bring mine to a guy up in Hanover PA at B&B Lures, but that might be a bit of a haul for you.

[summersoff]

The old spinner Mitchell’s are pretty easy to work on, as long as you don’t break it down completely (there is a tricky pin or two). But honestly, if your just trying to pretty it up and spin good, a full breakdown is not needed. If it is one of the conventional Garcia’s, that’s another story. I have box of dissembled old conventional reels that I could never get back together. Unfortunately the cost to clean up an old Mitchell may surprise you, and might be well above what they are worth. It may be a better gift, and story if you could do it yourself. ( I’m sure there is a video or two out there, for there are a bunch of Mitchell-Heads out there)