Scored this 1600C IAR on FB Marketplace a couple of months back for a measly $100. The seller was in the middle of corn country Indiana and didn't want to ship. After 3 weeks of occasional pestering, she finally budged! I did throw a fair amount of fun parts at it.
Avail 1520R
Avail 2BB level wind
Avail line guide
Avail pinion BB
Avail 2BB cog wheel
Carbon drag
Avail 6.1:1 gears
Hedgehog Air bearings
Simon handle
I'll say, having grown up throwing Ambassadeurs, this thing is a gem. I'm running the centrifugal brake with one block installed and with zero spool tension, I'm throwing from 2g to 5g with very little thumb required. In this day of advanced mechanical brakes, I almost forgot about the effectiveness and simplicity of an old school centrifugal brake. The reel is a lot of fun to use and even though she's heavy, it has quickly become one of my favorites. Fun thing about htese 1600/2600C IAR reels, the brake plate is more like a Morrum and not your run of the mill 1500/2500C. It has a kick lever that turns over the spool instantly, instead of the old reels requiring 1/4 to 1 turn depending on which driveshaft is installed, it's right there. What a fantastic little Swedish meatball.
Bargain and a half right there. Turned out very nice...well done. They are a blast to fish and I couldn't agree more about that simple, effective brake system that provides effortless casts. My 2500 is easily top 3 in casting distance/effort exerted amongst pretty much all of my reels.
I'm loving that frame. I hope Avail makes them for the X600 models at some point. The 1600C IAR initially weighed about 9 oz, now with the lighter parts it shed about a half ounce. Surprisingly, it palms almost as nice as my Millionaires.
I'm loving that frame. I hope Avail makes them for the X600 models at some point. The 1600C IAR initially weighed about 9 oz, now with the lighter parts it shed about a half ounce. Surprisingly, it palms almost as nice as my Millionaires.
I wouldn't be surprised if they do. Slowly but surely...Avail keeps diving deeper into more classic repro parts.
Great pickup at the price you grabbed it at. Very jelly, lol.
Stupid good price! Well done!
"The things you own, end up owning you." -
Great pickup! These are my favorite size Abus. I've caught so many fish with my reels over the years.