I already restored a original TAF and they are not painted on they are a decals ,and the new decals theses days are better then the original

Good luck on the build at this rate it's going to cost 2 TAF happy building ,I think I will look for a donner TAF and start there

Don't trust the manual 100%. It's pretty close, but there are mistakes in there. I ran into them during my restoration, but I don't remember off hand what all they were.

My VirtuaPin took a bit over 4 months. That was 5 years ago though. Maybe they are faster now.

If you haven't found them yet, this guy made me a brand new panel that the speakers and display mount to:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/wanted-ballywilliams-wpc-era-speaker-panel-just-the-mdf-panel-1

Good luck with the build. I wanted to do the same thing with a TZ. I have the playfield however I know the worst part of that build is going to be the wiring harness. I've been looking for a project TZ that I could use for reference and I haven't been able to find one yet. Everyone has been telling me that I'm crazy for even wanting to attempt it however I still look forward to attempting it in the future.

I second this, proceed with extreme caution. I don’t know of any pinball manual that is 100% on lamps, rubber kits, post lengths. Sometimes the locations of things changed entirely.

You need some reference photo sets with high detail (I say sets because you will need multiple angles of the same areas), and you need a knowledge base of what the lamp sockets are and the screw lengths that attach them, don’t put a screw into the bottom of the playfield unless you are certain it is the correct length

3th this this is why I think you should get a donner like I am and start there ,then u have all your parts you need ,good luck on your build

When I did a full restore on earthshaker I stripped it down to every last bolt. It deffo felt like I was building it from scratch when rebuilding / doing the pf swap etc... you will get just as much enjoyment restoring a old Adams rather then trying to build one from scratch

Yes for sure I have rebuild many machines from the ground up and it's like doing it from scratch

Very true but you had all wiring,parts,plastics,boards,DMD,ect. All together right?

Every time Pinside tries to dissuade the OP, he gets more excited about it. I’m cheering the guy on for a task I would never partake myself.

Yes everything was there for me just had too rebuild everything too make it better then new ,saves a lot of money that way

Shredder-are you buying aftermarket boards (such as Rottendog) or original WPC? If you’re going originals, are you thinking about buying them from an outfit that refurbishes boards or are you going to buy whatever you find and fix them as you go?

Another suggestion/thought I have is find a WPC game that needs work. Board work, switch work, shopped-basically a basket case. Buy it, rebuild it and sell it. It will help you learn the ins and outs of WPC before you start you build. At the risk of being trite, you have to walk before you run.

I would find a Strikemaster shuffle bowler and pillage the power supply, boards, display, etc then pitch the rest. Would save money and time for sure.

I would have started with a playfield swap to get your feet wet. Most of these parts like a wiring harness are going to be impossible to find.

Do you realize this game is going to cost you $20k+ to build?? It simply makes no sense!

I'd guess more like $12k. You can't put a price on the satisfaction of completing something like this though. I think he'll succeed.

I'm rooting for him too.... This better not turn out like Wizard Blocks or Starman (gets to the end stages and we never see the finished product). I'll lose my shit!

Although I am new to this site myself, I can't help thinking...That machine went though many revisions, and ultimately a remake, And the wire wasn't really a harness like one may think but a point to point using discrete wiring and IDC connections (primarily)...And as pointed out earlier the manual should be considered a theoretical plan of operation since that too was not 100% even in its last revision, Not to even mention mid run production changes....I do wish The OP luck, However And would seriously heed all the warnings before you just throw your money away on fallacy.

Great job on the video bud hope u do well on your build

Good job on the tmnt episode, the intro was enough to be proud of.

A thought on the wiring harness... if you cannot find one. You could get 2 wpc harnesses from different games and theoretically wire up the Playfield with proper color wires by splicing wires together where needed.

You will definitely want to use the proper wire colors and stripes, doing a harness without the proper coding will be very troublesome later on.

Just an idea. I opted to forgo the original WPC circuitry on mine. I used a modified Open Pinball Project(OPP) system to control the playfield and then used a Raspberry Pi 3(about to switch to the much more powerful Pi 4) with Pinmame to emulate the ROMs. I'm doing all of the coding myself, so it's going slow but steady. I've got the machine driving the DMD and the switches and solenoids are driven via I2C serial I/O chips from a Teensy 3.5. It's a similar setup to my homebrew game, with the Pinmame swapped for Mission Pinball Framework.
So, if you weren't keen on figuring out the wiring harness, there are options. My Scared Stiff wiring will look very different from a stock machine.

I dunno maybe I’m crazy but the wiring harness doesn’t seem like that crazy of a thing to make. Once the bottom is fully populated and its on a rotisserie. You don’t have to fully replicate every wire color if you make your own chart while you build either. Use wire tags with the original color codes at both ends. Set a goal to do # wires a night and stick to it. Eventually it will be flowing.

I would agree. Pick a subsystem, wire one piece, make a note of it, on to the next.
I was simply offering a second route if the OP wanted it.

Loose wires become a mess quickly - not as easy as it sounds. Possible - sure. Def less $$ if not replicating color coded wires per original but extra work and diligence. Fun? Probably not too much.

Good luck. If you must go through with this insanity, first buy a complete game and part out and you will save thousands. Otherwise, it’s not just the money but the time and frustration to accumulate all parts individually many you will have to manufacture yourself and without a reference machine. But if you buy a complete game then ask yourself why build a game that is complete right in front of you? Which brings me back to the insanity part

I am actually building a WPC cab, (with a reference machine) and just gotta say it is a money pit, the back box alone was almost 4k, and there are not even any boards in it yet.

4K on a back box? WITHOUT BOARDS so just a 4K wooden box? How did u spend so much!!! That’s insane.

Yes bud that's nuts how can that be done

The biggest challenge was the reference machine was fire damaged so every part was compromised by heat, and the foam stuff the fire guys sprayed on it baked into the original boards.The custom half sized bolts/clips and wire was the worst part, and had to be fabricated as good enough...However, it should be noted I do have a reference machine, and without that it would have been virtually impossible.

Still cant see how that costs 4k that's is craaaaazy talk.

Ok so for the other machine that was fire damaged is where the 4K came from and you had something too work from

No...That 4k is all building a new one.

You can buy 2 fully trimmed and decaled WPC cabinets and have them shipped anywhere in the US for that price. Check out Virtuapin. IMO their cabinets are better than factory cabinets.

(That’s also having them built out of maple)

You could have also purchased a replacement Getaway in mint condition and had money leftover.

Lol yea a full cab is around 1k US I still don't get why 4K

If I were going to do a scratch build, I’d want original parts and correct wire colors just for the satisfaction of not telling someone in the know that I built the machine from scratch until after they praised it. I’ve been working on pinballs since I could walk. Literally. Everyday after school, every weekend, every spring, summer, winter and fall break, I was at the shop working on pins with and later for dad. So Shredder, if yuh can’t find a reference machine to buy, make friends with some one close to you that has a TAF. Go take THOUSANDS of pics. Start on the bottom side of the playfield, and photograph every square inch. Put your playfield in a rotisserie, start on the bottom side, and start assembling the trough and flippers. Assemble, terminate the wire, leave about 10-12 feet of every wire, and start running the harness just like your pics show. Simply work your way back. Once you fee you’re done, start testing. Use a small battery or power supply and fire lamps. Use an ohm meter and check switches and solenoid circuits. Once it’s all suffice on the bottom, start top side assembly. You can do this without a donor/reference machine. You’re going to have to be patient and always looking for those very hard to find parts. You’ll need some luck. You’ll get all the guidance you could ever imagine from us know it alls on Pinside. But seriously, at least find a TAF and take 16GB of pictures!

I agree that a wiring harness isn't crazy to build, it's just going to be incredibly tedious. Think wiring a jamma loom x100. You'll get it done, it will just be the longest part of the build.

That's great you have the right idea more things you get the better u are ,I have done a few in my days and I find its a lot better when u have something too go by other then the manual ,hope u get everything u need and start from there

I referred to HEPs TAF picks hundreds of times during my restoration. There's some great closeups in his gallery.

http://christopherhutchins.com/gallery/albums.php

WTF....I sell them in raw wood for less than $200

Im rooting for you OP...don't let the naysayers get you down.
I am doing the same thing with a Bad Cats, however I am starting with a fully populated playfield. The harness is my main concern...

I don’t think there are any naysayers here just people offering good advice on how to make this project far more viable / less impossible.

Sweet did you get all 5 of them