Reliability in a 40+ year machine will not last forever; you have to be prepared to answer the question "who will fix it when it breaks?" as all electro-mechanical pinball machines will have or will develop issues once you take possession. If you're handy, you'll learn to repair them and there's many very helpful people on this forum - e.g. HowardR - who are more than willing to provide guidance if you get stumped! Otherwise, unless you are willing to ignore problems (which do not make the machine inoperable,) be prepared to pay repair bills, because they will come.

Reach out to NicoVolta , he runs the Roanoke Pinball Museum a couple hours away.
https://roanokepinball.org/about/

Once setup properly, EM's especially Gottlieb's are very reliable...

got a really nice volley

Excellent chioce for a first game.

How about a King of Diamonds?

Have a players quality Sweet Hearts wedgehead works 100%. Decent cosmetics except some touch-up around the head cabinet. Located in CT.Asking $550. LMK if interested

If you don't mind games being on the east coast (Upstate N.Y.), I have add-a-ball machines. Mostly Wedge Heads..

My Spirit of 76 was gone through in 2005 and my Sky jump also around 2007 so both have been running for 10+ year with only a couple light bulbs and re-rubbered them a few years ago but nothing has gone wrong. Nothing. Took both games to a show a couple times in there too! Very reliable.

sure. i can send you a few pics or you can come play it

Can’t go wrong with Volley - a great player with lots of drop tagets

Just finished playing 3 games on Volley. Never gets old!

2" flippers ----- King of Diamonds and Sweet Hearts
3" flippers ----- Volley, Sky Jump and Spirit of '76

Sent you a PM

Yes but these are not mine........

pm me your email

Hmm

Just to expound on the notion Gottlieb EMs are reliable. In the past 7 years, seven or less have been
setup and working for charity, they have brought in and donated to local charity well over 20K in quarters,
of which required nearly as much in labor and parts to keep going, all worth it but never again.
The CC, WMS, Bally machines in the collection where never considered for this nearly decade long experiment
because, they are not even close to 'industrial' to do the job on location. Its really that simple, GTB was
King for a reason, they were built like Sherman tanks, and lasted. Good, bad or ugly, they worked, made
money and are ideal for home or operation use even today. However, 1-2 bucks per play, 2$ for 3 play
is the norm, and sadly no-flash EMs do the trick unless you hark for another time and era. The kids don't
get it, their tricks are for just kids.

Time to install, move, maintain over the 7 years, windshield time, WMS not as good as GTB, absolutely accurate. Yes, it would have been better and smarter to just donate the 40K and have been done with it from day one. Other than the experience, was a total waste of time for all involved. The upside, pinball on location for others, that is all. Drunk, no, just honest assessment and summary of a 7 year long experiment.

Unfortunately, Pinside PMs do not include a photo attachment option. That's why you either post pics on a forum or go the separate e-mail route.

As for reliability, even though you really should learn how to repair EMs if you want to have them, they should need a lot less repair in your gameroom than on location, where they would get a lot more plays. I've found that after a "break-in" period, where things that were probably ready to fail did, the EMs I've bought have been pretty reliable, including all big 3 manufacturers.

Sorry, not right now, and I'm a long way from DC, although I did once drive to Delaware and back in 24 hours to get a Target Alpha (really like that pin)...

Just an idea, send a PM to some Pinsiders that have EMs listed in their collection, that live in your area and ask if they have any they want to sell (that aren't currently listed for sale). I drove to AZ and CA recently after doing this. Lots of nice pinball people out there. Good luck.

Just seen this posting, but I have a College Queens prototype that's all shopped and working. This is the first time I've mentioned it to anyone but was going to list it for $850. Any interest let me know but I'm not willing to ship.
Thanks
John

If you have 30-40 GTBs, and 15-20 WMS, and 30+ 'also player' games, you begin to realize how nice, functional, lovely in design and art, and tank-like the GTBs are. Until that time, its maybe speculative at best. Just-sayin', its until then just speculative.

Central Park $600

EM's always seem to need tweaking time to time, regardless of brand. I have a dozen running and my worst offender has been a 70's Bally but have a Gottlieb Domino that currently needs three issues fixed. Gottliebs in general have short contact arms and seem to be very touchy in regards to contact point clearances. The other three major brands are more forgiving there.

Winners for highest reliability?

Williams Heat Wave which has not a single issue in over a year and Chicago Coin Moon Shot.

Both have been anvils since setup.

Keep in mind that these machines are incredibility complex electro-mechanical devices that are pushing 50 years of service. Not all were treated well, stored well nor serviced by the best people at times.

Your mileage will vary.

DSCN8512 (resized).JPG

Yes

CP is a nudger's game, worth buying, questionable at 600 as a project.

+1 for Gottlieb reliability. The relays are precise and require fine tuning, but once adjusted, they don't go out. BTW, Volley is great.

Sooner or later anything goes out or they would not require refurbishment in the first place

Worst EM I had to work on was a Gottlieb Jungle King, spent weeks getting it to run right and would only do so for a week or two at a stretch.

That one machine made me swear off any further Gottlieb EM's, Domino is my last one.