Steve Fury's Pinball Story

By SteveFury

June 01, 2012

This story got featured on March 29, 2024


11 years ago

I'm 51 years old in 2012 and have always had an interest in electronic and mechanical things.

In about 1976 my parents bought a slightly used Gottlieb Target Pool game as a bribe to stop smoking pot. The bribe did not work but I really enjoyed tinkering and playing the game. It was sold again about two years later.

I was hired as a pinball mechanic at a place called Lieberman Enterprises (Bloomington Minnesota USA) in 1978. There were about a dozen of us repairing arcade games in the shop. I also did some house calls on the side.

I also owned and restored a Gottlieb Tropic Isle at the time. I paid $50 for it and I made a new lightbox glass using plexiglass and paint. It didn't look original but turned out suprisingly well.

By 1981 I was the shop's lead mechanic but the business seemed to be slowing down and I quit and moved out of state to Georgia USA in 1984.

Fast forward to spring 2012 when I bought a nice used Pachislo machine. That's like a one arm bandit slot machine except it uses buttons to stop the reels instead of the arm.

Then I bought my first Nishijin 1971 Pachinko machine and completely restored it. I found that I absolutely love to play pachinko.

Then I bought my 2nd Pachinko machine and restored it, a 1973 Sanyo.

Then I bought two late 1940's Pachinko machines. One is restored and the other is partially restored.

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With one son in college and two to follow, money for this is scarce. I've always kept my love for EM Pinball although necessarily supressed. I've been watching Craigs List for a good restorable Pinball machine for under $200. Some appear from time to time but when I call they are already taken.

Last week I was lucky enough to get a Gottlieb Spirit of 76 for $150. It was extremely dirty, dirty, missing the playfield glass and the playfield condition is marginal.

But I absolutely love that machine, and I consider myself beyond lucky because that is a model I always loved to work on and play.

As I write this, I've rebuilt the relay board and score motor unit and gotten the machine to electronically play perfectly. I say "electronically" because the playfield is too filthy to really enjoy yet.... missing rubbers, broken posts etc.

I am in the process of completely restoring that machine.

My time in the pinball shop was almost 40 years ago. Although I was very skilled and knowledgeable about them back then, much of that knowledge has been lost (But not all). Also, most of the machines I used to work on were less than 10 years old. ~30 year old machines are much different and present a new set of problems I don't recall dealing with, mainly dirt and playfield restoral.

I am forever grateful and in awe to the people who have experience restoring these machines with eternal respect, those who are not shy sharing their knowledge and know-how about these wonderful machines.

The more machines we can save the more will be around 40 years from now.

Thanks for reading.

-Steve Fury

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Comments

11 years ago

Welcome Steve! I love the early 80's SS machines and have had to learn to work on my own so I know how satisfying that can be. Hope you stay with us here on pinside and with the silver ballin'.

10 years ago

Steve, really enjoyed your story. i started with an Addams Family, and then bought an 8 Ball( game i played with Captain Fantastic at the bowling alley). i got Capt Fan last year by the way. Anyway when the 8 Ball broke down 2 years ago, called a guy who was local and he taught me a lot and continues to share all kinds of info with me. He sold me the 1954 game and a totally crapped out harlem Globetrotters game because he didn't have the time and i needed to learn. I too find it a passion to save these from parting out or going into the dumpster. thanks for all your comments and if you need anything, just holler. i'm a newbie though, so I am on a huge learning curve,

10 years ago

Steve I just have to give you props and an sincere thanks for all that you helped me with on my Space Mission. My family now can enjoy the new addition to our family arcade. Again a sincere thanks!

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