(Topic ID: 79388)

I got lost in the zone...(new addition...and the "restore")

By NJGecko

10 years ago


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  • 375 posts
  • 54 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 9 years ago by spfxted
  • Topic is favorited by 21 Pinsiders

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There are 375 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 8.
#1 10 years ago

So I've had some movement in my collection the last week or so and landed a TZ today. Friend of mine hooked me up with one in South Philly. Spoke to the guy yesterday. In storage for years in a basement. 5 or 6 steps up.

Met the seller on site today. Neat story...one owner, bought for an exclusive Italian-American "social" club in South Philly. On site for years, but moved into the basement of an adjacent church years back during a remodel and just wanted it gone.

So...get there and, yeah, not 5 steps. At least 20 steps, steep and narrow. And just me and my daughter. Ouch.
Looked at the game. Filthy filthy as expected. Not working also as expected. Leaky batteries as expected. I was OK with the price until I reached down to flip the power switch. Didn't feel right. Looked underneath. Must have been placed under a leaky ceiling. Entire bottom was sagging and had dried mold. Front of the machine was separating. Legs were barely attached. I said I wouldn't take it without a much lower offer and actually walked away.

Guy actually chased me down the street and wanted to make a deal...worked out a very very good price and home it came. Not going to repair the cabinet. Just going to replace it.

#2 10 years ago

The find!

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#3 10 years ago

Got it home. Wife is sick so I didn't want to ask for help and since it's going to go to a new cabinet anyway, figured I might as well take it apart and bring it inside in pieces. Here's some pictures of the "as found" machine.

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#4 10 years ago

Yep - always look under the game before you buy.

#5 10 years ago

Looks pretty good. With a new cabinet that is going to be sweet.

Quoted from ScottinSGFNY:

Yep - always look under the game before you buy.

I made the mistake of not doing that on an IJ I bought once. Hard lesson to learn, never doing that again!

#6 10 years ago

That's cool! You always do such a great job of telling all of us about the restore that we are all looking forward to hearing about the progress on this one. The more messed up they are the more fun it is to bring them back to life.

#7 10 years ago

Whats up with th slot machine scoop plastic? Did they make their own or something?

#8 10 years ago

Congrats on your project!
I was looking at ebay and came across this cab to restore that may be near you.
ebay.com link: itm

#9 10 years ago

Never seen a flasher melt its cover like that before (by gumball machine), but I bet the play field will clean up nicely. Looks like an original clock too. Congrats and best of luck with your project!

#10 10 years ago

Way to go gecko. Nothing like a challenging project

#11 10 years ago

Looks like a fun project. Diamond in the rough.

#12 10 years ago
Quoted from fitzpatricksrus:

Never seen a flasher melt its cover like that before (by gumball machine), but I bet the play field will clean up nicely. Looks like an original clock too. Congrats and best of luck with your project!

I've seen that happen a bunch of times. Could be a bunch of reasons, but my guess is a fried transistor locked it on and it just got toasty and the plastic got melty!

Quoted from bballfan:

Congrats on your project!
I was looking at ebay and came across this cab to restore that may be near you.
ebay.com link

Yep, that's my new cabinet

This one was totally original, never shopped or even touched in its life. Just really nice to find.

Can't wait to get it up on the rotisserie and see what's what with it...but wasn't gonna happen yesterday. I think I hurt myself in at least one place moving that thing!

#13 10 years ago

Good luck with the restore NJ. TZ is a worthy subject

#14 10 years ago

I have a nice AFM bottom cabinet that I was going to use for My MB that you can have for what I paid for it. Let me know if you want it. PM me if you do.

#15 10 years ago
Quoted from yfz450:

I have a nice AFM bottom cabinet that I was going to use for My MB that you can have for what I paid for it. Let me know if you want it. PM me if you do.

Thanks, but TZ is a widebody, so that would be a bit more of a project than I'm after...either widening the AFM cab or narrowing the TZ playfield

#16 10 years ago

congrats Gecko!

Don't forget, "The Robots can help"

#17 10 years ago

This is going to be a fun game...I'm actually looking forward to playing it as much as getting it back into shape!

#18 10 years ago
Quoted from NJGecko:

Thanks, but TZ is a widebody, so that would be a bit more of a project than I'm after...either widening the AFM cab or narrowing the TZ playfield

Ahh dude your right. Wasn't thinking.

#19 10 years ago
Quoted from NJGecko:

I think I hurt myself in at least one place moving that thing!

You know I could have helped.....

#20 10 years ago

Looks like a challenging project. From your other threads I would say would have the skill and patience to make this a nice TZ. No more widebody pins for me. I remember the struggle getting my WWFRR down the basement steps.

#21 10 years ago
Quoted from spfxted:

You know I could have helped.....

The hurt was moving it up the 20 steps by myself...the taking it apart in the driveway..well, not the first time I did it. Still doesn't mean I enjoyed it, but it had to be done!

#22 10 years ago

I give you credit. Not an easy pin to move. I'm still trying to pry one away from a bowling alley nearby. I move all my pins myself and have a "system" now so it's pretty smooth, but step 1 is still "hope my back doesn't give out".

#23 10 years ago

Agreed. And today I'm realizing I definitely pulled something.

#24 10 years ago
Quoted from NJGecko:

And today I'm realizing I definitely pulled something.

#25 10 years ago
Quoted from herbertbsharp:

I made the mistake of not doing that on an IJ I bought once. Hard lesson to learn, never doing that again!

I agree, sucks when you can't trust someone's ad or word nowadays you know?

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#26 10 years ago
Quoted from Guinnesstime:

I give you credit. Not an easy pin to move. I'm still trying to pry one away from a bowling alley nearby. I move all my pins myself and have a "system" now so it's pretty smooth, but step 1 is still "hope my back doesn't give out".

I use the Escalera stair climber. It was expensive but allows me to move my TZ out of the basement myself.

#27 10 years ago

OK folks...I'm going to make this my mini-restore thread. I don't want to call this a full restoration. People get touchy about what qualifies as a restore. I'm not out to make this a full-blown restore. I'm swapping in a better cabinet than I have, total topside tear down, and general bottom of playfield cleanup.
Not a full playfield swap. Not going to pull the wiring off of this or any of that (at this point).

I'm going to make this a nice clean above-average player.

#28 10 years ago

This is truly a one-owner, never shopped pin. Today I wanted to get the playfield on the rotisserie. Pulled the apron off and it's nice and clean. Looks like the cards were never ever touched!

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#29 10 years ago

Hey Geck0
Where do you get the cabinet and about how much does it cost. Thanks

#30 10 years ago

Damn that's clean compared to the moldy pics I saw the other day

#31 10 years ago

Here's some "before" shots.
I find the creative use of rubber bands amusing. Slingshot rubber must have let go, so they wrapped two rubber bands around it. Back side of the playfield...rubber band. Mini flipper had the rubber split and just left to crumble.

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#32 10 years ago

Wow nice Jerry Rig. I can't imagine it actually worked

#33 10 years ago

The pictures can't capture the cobwebs I found on the playfield by the way!

#34 10 years ago

Once I got it up on the rotisserie I was determined to see what the playfield looked like. I mean, 20 years without a shop job...I was hoping it would clean up nicely. I figured it would, but never know.

As you can see with some time, Novus, and elbow grease, I successfully made a clean spot!

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#35 10 years ago

Yeah, based on the description I was expecting a lot worse of a cabinet

As for 'full restoration' or not.. just call it a 'resurrection' project

#36 10 years ago

Nice, keep the pics coming! Interested to see how this one turns out.

#37 10 years ago
Quoted from LitzDoc:

Hey Geck0
Where do you get the cabinet and about how much does it cost. Thanks

Local fella had one hanging around. He swapped it for one that he redid with new decals, etc. So it's cleaner than mine, and I picked it up for a few hundred.

#38 10 years ago

Nice. I am looking around for a project TZ too. I am going to try a full restoration job with a fellow pinsider. I should learn a lot.

#39 10 years ago

OK folks...you're all wanting to see nasty cabinet pictures...

The artwork on the cabinet is gorgeous, but the entire front and the front half of the bottom of the cabinet is shot. I'm sure it's repairable, but you know what..for under $500 I have a complete solid cabinet ready to plug and play.

Transformer is rusty, I'm going to replace it. You can see the issues on the service outlet housing. You can see the plywood front is crumbling. You can see how low the bottom is bowing. I can clean up the lockdown bar probably.

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#40 10 years ago

Is there mylar on the playfield? And if so, would you remove it and clearcoat the whole thing?

#41 10 years ago

Hey Ted...
I don't think these guys came with mylar. None on this one, but the playfields were made well enough that they are super durable and this one will clean up nicely I hope!

#42 10 years ago

So far, the part you cleaned looks pretty darn good!

#43 10 years ago
Quoted from NJGecko:

Hey Ted...
I don't think these guys came with mylar. None on this one, but the playfields were made well enough that they are super durable and this one will clean up nicely I hope!

There is mylar on many of them... a sectional type vs a blanket that covered the whole thing. If it was there, you would see the edges in the center area of the playfield near the sides.. like around the rocket, etc. But if it ain't broke.. don't fix it

#44 10 years ago

i had a few people ask me what shape the scoop is in. Besides dirty, I'm gonna say good shape!

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#45 10 years ago

Nasty dirty...

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#46 10 years ago

Cleaner! I swear they are smiling more!

But man, that's a lot of elbow grease for a few clean spots! I think this weekend if I get a chunk of time I'm hopefully going to tear it really apart and man, my Treasure Cove kit is going to get a workout!

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#48 10 years ago

Yeah, I'm slacking

Actually I think either the wife or kids stole my teardown baggies, so that's part of the reason. Tonight I will get to the store and dig in! Just doing a topside teardown actually doesn't look like it will be too bad on this. The challenge is going to be getting everything working since I'm just poking around and seeing mechs broken or bent or missing.

#49 10 years ago

Git to strippin!

I bet those subways look like opaque black plastic

#50 10 years ago

What...you mean they weren't black plastic?

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