This thread will document the build of a Cheetah from scratch. I hope to have this finished in time for Pincinnati show. We will see..
I will also be bringing this machine to the next Louisville show.
For generic parts, I have a couple Galaxy's that I can snag pieces from, along with the backbox (backboxes are same size on the widebody games).

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Since Cheetah is a wide body, apron and lockdown bar can be hard to find.
I've been sitting on these for awhile now.
I had new apron decal made.

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Lower cabinet made from 3/4" Baltic birch plywood. You can buy this in 5' x 5' sheets which is perfect for 1 box.

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1/4" prefinished plywood for the bottom.
Angle brace is there to keep box square until glue sets up.

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Playfield purchased awhile ago from CPR.

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Back glass from BGResto

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Support for backbox cut from 3/4 ply and notched to fit lower box.

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"Neck" from a junk Seawitch will be used.

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Thanks, not sure, but if the part is in one of those machines, it's yours.
Pm me

You're pushing it asswipe. haha, I do have a memory

Sometimes

Bondo applied at all plywood joints, and sanded with #80. Ready for glaze (I apply as grain filler).
I made a simple template for locating holes for leg bolts

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Glaze sanded to #120, 2 coats primer/sealer applied.
I'll block sand this with #800, and lay on 3 coats of basecoat in about 1 hour.

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Going with the black color scheme on this one.

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Next color will be yellow, but since yellow has very little pigment, it doesn't cover well.
So a white base helps before applying the yellow.

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Yellow applied, green goes on tomorrow

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Ready for 3 coats of clear this afternoon.

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I knew I'd be spraying clear today, so I stripped and painted these legs, so I could clear them at same time.

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Legs and new side rails (pinball life) installed.

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New pops, flippers, and yoppsicles installed.

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Drop targets disassembled, cleaned, and painted.
Cheetah is putting a strain on my Stern drop parts stash.

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Drop units finished

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Thanks. I appreciate the interest

No. I make the pf harnesses custom after populating the pf.
The cabinet and backbox harnesses are the same.

Metal protectors from djblouw installed below inlane guides. Have another for upper arch.
Nice stuff

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Topside progress

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Had to move the pf off the horses, so why not slide it into the new cabinet.

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Apron paint stripped of paint with commercial stripper (not the crap at Lowe's).
Cleaned with Prep-All, ready for paint

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Paint and decal applied.

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Coin door stripped and painted.
Bezel chromed by Hot Rod Plating.

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Backbox emptied, almost ready for Bondo and glaze.

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No reason for locking miter when corners are glued and screwed. I use 45 degree bevels.

Insert panel cut and drilled

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Backbox primed and in basecoat

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Yellow applied, green goes on tomorrow

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Oh, yeah.

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Backglass frame and lift channel from gatecrasher.
Nice stuff.

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When making insert panel from scratch, locating displays is an issue. I like these Pinitech kits, because you can tape the blank board to the glass where u want it, and mark screw locations on tape applied to frame. Remove glass, and transfer location marks to panel.

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Picked up my next resto project today.
Looking forward to this one

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1980 Honda CR250

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Treat her kindly.
Thanks Erik.