Yes. 100%.
We were delivered a Fish Tales wrapped in a dirty brown blanket accompanied by a paper envelope containing some keys, three balls and about three instructions. It got easier for the next two pins.
Short version:
- Legs should be wrapped up along with bolts. Unwrap legs.
- If you have a wooden or otherwise delicate floor, put something like a dog bed onto the floor to protect your floor. Shuffle the pin onto it. Shuffle the pin in close to desired position near a power socket, trying to keep the pin on the dog bed to avoid scratches to the floor.
- Attach front legs using bolts with the pin in a ‘tombstone’ position (i.e. backbox folded down and playfield vertical - they arrive/travel like that) - see Godzilla picture for details.
- Lift the back of the pinball machine to rest on a chair. I use a kitchen chair and a Pourty step-up stool for extra height (see Godzilla pics below). The front should be resting on the legs you’ve just attached.
- Attach back legs. Flip up back box and clip it on to secure it - there are various methods for bolting the backbox upright. With older machines, it’s just a flip-down clip thing on the back and is blatantly obvious.
- Open coin door with keys. Hopefully, your backbox keys should be hanging inside the coin door on a little hook. Alternatively, they’ll be on a keyring with the coin door keys.
- Find the lever inside the coin door that loosens the lockdown bar. Some new Sterns have clips instead of a lever, so mechanisms do vary, but you’ve got a Paragon, so it probably has a lever. If in doubt, message Brian to ask.
- Pull lever and lift off lockdown bar. Hold onto the glass when you do this so it doesn’t slide onto the floor.
- Move glass down slightly and gently drop balls onto playfield, allowing them to roll down into the trough. If you have multiball, you’ll need more than one ball. Sometimes it tells you on the pin how many balls it needs, but it doesn’t matter because the owner of the pin has usually given you the right number. You should also take this opportunity to check that nothing has come loose in transit.
- Check that the plumb bob is attached and swinging freely. The plumb bob is usually just inside the coin door on the left. If you keep getting tilt errors, you may need to adjust the plumb bob slightly.
- Holding onto glass, put lockdown bar back on and pull level to lock.
- Find the plug for your pinball machine. This may be with the keys/balls in a bag, or it may be retracted/stored inside the machine somewhere at the back like it’s a hoover.
- Plug your pinball machine in.
- Find the power switch. For older pins, this is normally underneath on the right-hand-side near the front. However, positions can vary.
- Switch on the power switch.
- Cross your fingers and wait for it to make disturbing clicking noises while it looks for pinballs and such-like.
- Press start and play your new game!
Everyone else: Have I missed anything? Got anything wrong?
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I am aware that if you connect something wrong or loose it can cause problems and bad damage.
PM me if you like, I used to own a paragon and have had loads of early Bally games
Take up his offer … provide lots of tea/beer/biscuits etc
beer lol