at an auction.. for about $5 i bought a used rod and reel.. i can get photos later but im trying to seek more information about them.. i mainly bought it because it is an abu garcia reel which is what i prefer to fish with now (i use the ambassadeurs)..

 

anyway, the reel is a abu garcia ambassadeur 6600C.. it has a red spool release button and a sliding bait clicker on the left side.. has a sticker or something that says "high speed".. so i was wondering  how old this reel likely is, when it was made, how much it cost when it was made (would love to know how much that price is in todays value of the dollar).. and whether or not i should restore this reel, it could use new bearings, new grease, oil, and there are some scuff marks on the side plate.. ive considered smoothing it out and re-annodizing or electroplating

 

the rod it came with is a st croix brand, but the rod is something i havent used before.. its a baitcasting rod, however the reel seat is offset to bring the line guide of the reel more in line with the guide on the rod and the rod blank itself actually fits into a socket on the front of the reel seat and a collar threads down on top of it to lock it in place.. i actually like the reel seat, its interesting, though the overall length of the grip isnt very long and i prefer a longer two-handed grip.. why arent newer reel seats offset like this?.. i mean, id imagine the junction between the seat and rod would create a potential weak point that wouldnt be too unlikely to fail so i see the merits of modern reel seats

Baitcasting rods started out with straight handles then off set became the preferred style and now it's back to straight handles (which I prefer on rods over 6'). I have a 5 1/2' casting rod with offset handle which is a devishly accurate caster.

I have 6600c - good reel for shiner fishing, trolling, and I use it to throw swimbaits occasionally.

There entire websites dedicated to the old Ambassadeurs. One of them will tell you how to age the reel based on the numbers stamped on the foot.

so is the offset handle something worth keeping or are modern products better? the rod i use with the ambassadeur i purchased new is a 6'6 medium heavy with a straight handle

 

looking at the end of the rod that pops out.. i could easily get a new rod blank and build some custom rods to fit the seat