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Maintaining an 80s game - game specific plastics

DRD

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Oct 26, 2014
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First post on the forum. So hello!

I have an addams family and am looking for another couple of games. I know from experience that home use does not tend to break it, and over the years I have easily found everything I needed to buy.

When I look into spares there is much greater availability for the likes of medieval madness, twilight zone, sttng than for the slightly earlier games like bride of pinbot, whirlwind, earthshaker etc

If you own something like a pinbot, whirlwind, bad cats etc what do you do when game specific parts like plastics or ramps break, if Cliffy's does not offer a sołution ? I recently looked at a hurricane and walked away as it had numerous cracked plastics, corners missing from ramps etc. setting aside the expense, I could not find the huge ramps for sale on the internet. are there chaps out there who can neatly repair damaged ramps ? Of can they be custom made ? Or do you basically make your own Cliify's type solution ?

I would like to buy a good example of something pre dot-matrix like a BoP, Earthshaker, Bad Cats, Whirlwind or perhaps be really brave and buy a Medusa; but currently would feel safer going for a slightly newer game like a TZ but at triple the price it's a tough call. Any advice or guidance would be much appreciated

Thanks
 
Hi DRD
Welcome aboard.
I can tell from your post that your machines have to be in good shape cosmetically. ie, no broken ramps or plastics. I get that!

All of my machines bar 1 are pre dmd. All of them have their imperfections, be it a cracked plastic or ramp or pf wear. It's pretty much inevitable on an 80's game.

The more popular system 11 titles do have Repro ramps and plastics available. Some suppliers will sell individual plastics, others will only sell you the whole set.

More often than not, you're gonna be shopping abroad to get these and have the added shipping costs and taxes to consider.

You can also make your own if it bothers you that much. I'm sure most machines will be owned by folk on here who would scan you an image from their plastic.

You'll also be surprised how many people have plastics squirrelled away for a rainy day that may be willing to sell them.

The important thing to remember when buying an older game, is that you're buying into the difficulties of sourcing parts. It's taken me a couple of years to source certain parts for my taxi restoration. That's just the way it is over here.

Don't be put off by that. By ignoring a pre DMD game "just in case" that part breaks and you won't find another, you're turning your back on the finest games pinball has to offer.

Just get one, enjoy it. And if it bothers you so much that you can't replace the broken bit, sell it.

Good luck with the hunt.

Gaz
 
Yup! Depends on your skills with tools and electrics, etc., but I easily spend more time tinkering than playing and equally enjoy doing both (I've got 3 pins from '79, '82 and '83, two of which are projects so I guess until they're fixed it's inevitable I'll spend more time fixing that playing). It'll depend which games/manufacturers you want to get into as to how hard the parts are to source. If you go for a popular retro title from Bally, say Centaur or Space Invaders, you'll have no problems finding either good NOS parts or reproductions. For example, my PARAGON and VECTOR are no problem to find parts for, but GOLD BALL had a much smaller production run plus a unique boardset, so harder to get game-specific parts for, e.g., plastics. But the patina of age and wear is half the appeal and as @Gaz Shiells said these are some of the best pins ever made.
 
Buy a pin to PLAY and enjoy....they are not museum pieces, don't get too hung up on cosmetic condition or even worse ....future condition !?! ;) They are designed to have a steel ball slam around them, stuff doesn't actually break that often tbh. So get a pin and start playing ! Life is too short.
Wise words Ive, these machines were made to be played and more than anything else ENJOYED.
So do just that.
 
welcome aboard DRD (what does that stand for?) and no doubt you will enjoy this place. we are all different and the hobby has something for everyone - let us call them player-beaters, collector-owners, fixer-restorers, mod-n-blingers, competitors, software guys, and memorabilia boys.

i agree with GrizZ about the irrelevance of a cracked plastic or a dented cab, as for me the enjoyment is in the playing, and i would be happy with a game with every plastic cracked and the cab sanded down to bare wood. but there are many who enjoy the restoration side of it as much as it sounds like you do. i know pinheads who only enjoy the hunting, and as soon as they find what they seek, they move to another target. and i know some who absolutely adore their pins with problems to fix and artwork to touch up and improvements to make with mods and add-on bling - these guys lose interest as soon as the machine becomes perfect. then there's the ones who live to compete, and the ones who love the hobby to innovate with designing new software, and even the ones who only want to have their favourite game so they can gaze upon it to remind them of another time.

i have no idea why i'm rambling on.

gif indiana.gif gif family guy electroshock.gif gif farting in pool.gif
 
thank you so much for your suggestions. I have only been looking for new machines for a few weeks. The wife and I came to a deal - new kitchen and her moving her office upstairs into a bedroom in exchange for my exclusive use of the home office so it has given me 2 pinball sized holes to fill

I am happy to tinker, solder coils in, replace broken bits, clean and wax it, use the diagnostics etc. I started buying game specific parts for my Addams Family back in the 90s when I found ebay so I managed to get ramp, a full used plastics set, motors etc before any of the repros came out. Unfortunately I am a bit of a perfectionist - my Addams has flaws - damaged cabinet and backbox, touch ups, the usual playfield cracking around the mansion and lightning bolts. Indeed I bought it with a cracked main ramp - the guy that sold it to me said that it would not get any worse in home use, and 15 years later he was right !

Touching up playfields and dealing with faulty electronics would be beyond my skills - I think my best bet might be to pay a bit of a premium for a game that has previously been refurbed by a dealer or an enthusiast, so someone has already dealt with the ramps etc
 
As a player rather than a restorer I'd say the playfields the most important part. If thats in good nick and the game plays well, like @cooldan says, you can play with a bare wood cabinet for all it really matters. Watch out for pins with unobtanium vital parts like ramps and playfield toys, but don't let them put you off a nice pin entirely.

Don't get me wrong - I love the machines I have that are really minty, decals and all. Having a really nice machine does make me want to take even better care of it to keep it in that shape, and maybe even improve it to the limit of my meager ability. But, that aside, cosmetic damage or wear won't stop me from buying a game I want to play, because thats the main reason why I want them - To play.

Most of the elecronics are pretty basic by todays standards and the parts (solenoids/ switches/ etc) are readily available from several suppliers in country. Also, however low your skills with a soldering iron or multimeter are there's some serious experts lurking on here that seem to be able to sort out anything short of a direct hit by lightning and are more than willing to help out for expenses and a few beer tokens in my experience.

If it comes down to it I'm pretty sure theres some expert playfield restorers around here as well...

Anyway enough rambling - I think you've got the idea anyway. Best of luck and let us know how your hunt goes :)

Rog
 
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