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Refurb Faux Pas

Goffy

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Joined
Jul 6, 2021
Messages
10
Location
Surrey
I’ve tried searching but not found anything too obvious.

What are the major faux pas when looking at a restoration?

Are there certain games that people would rather see left untouched?

I’ve read a few shop threads where people have used stencils to repaint a cabinet, they generally look great afterwards. Seen very few vinyl wraps... Presumably frowned upon?

Replacing plastics, ramps, translite etc. Is this acceptable on most machines?

I’d be tempted to undertake a cabinet restoration if it helped to get a game I couldn’t afford otherwise, but wouldn’t want to ‘ruin’ a game that should be left untouched.


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Stencils to repaint a cab that was originally stencilled, and Decals to re-do a cab that was originally decal'd. I'd only use a decal if the stencils are not available and the decals are.

Replacing other parts if you need to because they are missing, broken or warped/discoloured (eg plastics). Quality of replacements vary.

Same with backglasses and translites. Make sure the quality is good.

Ive been happy to have playable games in my lineup with naff cabs - but after a while I want them looking a lot nicer.

Playfield is the key part of the game, If it's good then great, if not then check out the availability of a spare playfield (new or new old stock or used but in better condition than the one you have), or an overlay - hardtop better than soft vinyl. Minor wear / damage can be fixed easy enough.
 
Stencils to repaint a cab that was originally stencilled, and Decals to re-do a cab that was originally decal'd. I'd only use a decal if the stencils are not available and the decals are.

Replacing other parts if you need to because they are missing, broken or warped/discoloured (eg plastics). Quality of replacements vary.

Same with backglasses and translites. Make sure the quality is good.

Ive been happy to have playable games in my lineup with naff cabs - but after a while I want them looking a lot nicer.

Playfield is the key part of the game, If it's good then great, if not then check out the availability of a spare playfield (new or new old stock or used but in better condition than the one you have), or an overlay - hardtop better than soft vinyl. Minor wear / damage can be fixed easy enough.

Makes sense. I’d seen a game a while back that had been fully vinyl wrapped that would originally have been stencil. It looked brand new... but obviously not in keeping with the original design


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I don't think there is a right or wrong answer, its all very much down to personal preference, some people want a 100% shopped game, some prefer 100% original. Its easier to make a decision if a games in really nice condition, or really bad, somewhere in the middle makes the decision harder, but in all honesty as long as you aren't doing garish mods or something its all good.
 
I don't think there is a right or wrong answer, its all very much down to personal preference, some people want a 100% shopped game, some prefer 100% original. Its easier to make a decision if a games in really nice condition, or really bad, somewhere in the middle makes the decision harder, but in all honesty as long as you aren't doing garish mods or something its all good.

Good to know. I know with some things like watches originality is really important..

I want a game I can play not a museum piece, but still wouldn’t want to do something daft to it.


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As @kev a says, the degree to which an owner refurbs, upgrades or modifies a game is a matter of personal preference. If originality fiends don't like any changes, they can buy it and set it how they like, or keep quiet. Those who insist on "100% original" might consider that none of the games that I unpacked brand-new were satisfactory as they stood. Badly adjusted flippers, bumpers, etc, if not worse, were to be expected.

My F-14 had a later type coin door fitted, since its own was damaged and a perfectly good one was surplus at work (taken off a Bride of Pinbot being converted to an electronic acceptor door). Similarly, the upper flippers were built onto later type baseplates, with the detachable mountings for EoS switches. But probably the most important alteration was adding fuse protection to the bridge rectifiers for solenoid and feature lamp power rails.

I added a lamp to illuminate the otherwise blank eject hole on my Earthshaker, the largest concern being which circuit to connect it to (G/Illumination, Lock, or Zone 5). Plus later flipper baseplates.

Rollergames 'had to' be altered before being used at all, since the software was reporting a fault with a switch that wasn't even fitted. I could've installed a later program, but it wasn't a go-to solution at the time. An extra switch was fitted where the missing item seemed to have been (there was a double-length slot in the playfield), and wired to the relevant lines of the switch matrix. A prototype shown on ipdb confirms this.

On the subject of stencilled artwork or vinyl decals, there are games at a changeover point, where both were used. I think Earthshaker may be an example.
 
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