[oldschoolbasser]

Hey every body,I'm the new guy here,and I just want to say hello.Since this is the custom rod & reel forum I'd like to talk about tricking out reels.I currently have 40 Ambasadeurs and most of them have been customized to one extent or another.Most of my reels have been upgraded with ceramic bearings,& Lews BB1N power handles.I also like the older heavy chrome frames and have changed out the aluminum ones.I also have changed the colors of my side plates.My 1500 & 2500c's have also colored side plates.So far I have a Red,Blue,and Burgundy 1500C's and a Red,Blue,Burgundy,and Gold 2500C's.I have Red,Black,and Silver 4500C's,all old style reels.I'm in the process of up-dating my newer style Ambassadeurs.I want to anodize the side plates,but haven't found anybody to do them yet. When it comes to my reels I just can't leave well enough alone! I guess I like to be different.I'll update you guys later when I finish some new reels.

[LooksLikeSinbad]

Welcome to TU! I would love to see some photos of your reels. As far as anodizing this company does it but their website is down right now. Hopefully they are not out of business. I just found the number on google: 888-REELCOLORS

Also, there is a company that specializes in auto painting that does reels too. You can track them down through searching the tackletour message board.

As far as upgrades, I recently installed a bearing-supported idler gear. I'm not sure if it makes a big difference or not.

Have you ever upgraded the wormshaft? This one has 2 bearings but I am not sure if the price is worth it or not. I have seen a cheaper one with 1 bearing too.

[pete s.]

old school. how did the ceramic bearings work out? i want to add them to my 4600cb light casts. where to buy? the ceramic bearings on ebay from china any good? ....................thanks pete

[smirkplug]

I usually leave the guts of a reel alone, but if i could find some gears to make them faster i would be all over them. A long time ago, 10 years+ a guy came in the tackle shop with some extra large extension handles that fit my Abu-Garcias and other bass reels. They only cost $5.00 wholesale and i wish now i could find 50 more of these. If anyone has any ideas about these please P.M. me.

[oldschoolbasser]

Originally Posted by pete s.

old school. how did the ceramic bearings work out? i want to add them to my 4600cb light casts. where to buy? the ceramic bearings on ebay from china any good? ....................thanks pete

I got mine from 3 different places,and the ones from mikes reel repair seem to work the best.I tried the new sic bearings from zpi japan and for the price,i don't think they're worth it.the only problem you might encounter is the older bearings in your reel are self centering (rounded outer casing) ant the newer ones aren't.You might have to grind a little off the outer casing to make then slide in easier.If you have access to a buffing wheel,polish the ends of the spool lightly,that will also help.I have a cb also and new bearings do make a difference.if you'd like to see some pics of my reels email me at jchinsr@gmail.com and i'll send them to you

[oldschoolbasser]

Originally Posted by smirkplug

I usually leave the guts of a reel alone, but if i could find some gears to make them faster i would be all over them. A long time ago, 10 years+ a guy came in the tackle shop with some extra large extension handles that fit my Abu-Garcias and other bass reels. They only cost $5.00 wholesale and i wish now i could find 50 more of these. If anyone has any ideas about these please P.M. me.

Lews handles are pretty big and I have about 12 of them on my reels.the bb1n handles are hard to find,but the new bb1's are the same size and should work.If you want abu handles,go to abugarcia.com and look at the schematics of the reel you want the handle from,then call purefishing and you can order straight from them. phone them @ 712-336-1520.they have about every part for Ambassadeur reels in stock except some of the older '70's' models

[thedude]

i spray painted one of my boat-rash ridden XPS extreme baitcasters with candy green pearl automotive finish to match some rods i did up (in the same green).... does that count?

green is the color of money btw.. these are my "money sticks" for tournies

[oldschoolbasser]

how'd they come out? and how did you spray them.i was thinking of using model spray paint on an older set of plates,but haven't tried it yet.

[thedude]

not bad. i used some paint i found in walmart clearance aisle.. not sure what its for. It was called "house of kolors" and appeared to be some sort of auto-detailing paint. They had all kinds of pearlescents and color-flip shades and it was 3$ a can. Dries pretty fast, lays down smooth and pretty sharp looking too... beats the boat rash look anyway.

[LooksLikeSinbad]

Originally Posted by thedude

not bad. i used some paint i found in walmart clearance aisle.. not sure what its for. It was called "house of kolors" and appeared to be some sort of auto-detailing paint. They had all kinds of pearlescents and color-flip shades and it was 3$ a can. Dries pretty fast, lays down smooth and pretty sharp looking too... beats the boat rash look anyway.

Sounds like a good solution. Did you apply a clearcoat or anything to protect it? Does it chip easily?