Those plastics are tricky to fit and need to be bent to the correct angles. My CQ BC (thanks Absolute Pinball) with new plastics came bent and I adjusted the fit and assembly slightly of the two you mentioned. Also, I slightly adjusted (pushed down) the kick out flanges to give a better fit for the dog house roof, as the front panel of the roof is a bit long.

Along those lines are a few other mods of interest:
- Some of the old plastics were added to the fishbowl ramp.
- A few bird drop target stickers were added at the end of the tiger ramp and on both art blades.
- A few fish bonus cat targets were placed on the roof of the dog house and the thread ball balloon.
- Added art blades and at first they seemed sparse prior to application (one sided whiskers and all) but they mesh well with the overall colour scheme.
- The fish bonus kick out hole was lit up as well as the left cat face bumper.
- The CPR gold playfield received a playfield protector.
- Most metal parts received micro gold metallic powder coating.
- And of course a 'furry game warmer upper' was self added!

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The side art blades are from Retro Refurbs based in the UK. I liked the product and it was reasonably priced with more than patience required for shipping / customs costs /currency exchange. Mine took about a month to get to rural Canada last year. I ordered two, one for BC and one for Atlantis. Multiple or bulk orders would be the way to go to save on shipping.

Thanks and I think you're on to something with that Garfield / Bad Cats analogy! (I'm going to have to keep an eye on my Garfield (Elmer) for that!)

To have Python Anghelo do the artwork was a masterstroke! Everywhere you look on Bad Cats just overflows with entertainment that attracts you before even turning the game on! This is more than just a pinball machine!

"Cats & Dogs, Bees & Birds by the Pinball Python." He was at the top of his game, even giving himself a nickname and spot on the backglass! He had carte blanche to do his artwork! I wondered about the "Bees" part because there didn't seem to be any on the game but this is Python and so birds and bees + that sexy tattooed lady (and the trash 'items?')...well I get it...and so does one of the cats (Garfield) on the backglass, peering down from the shed roof, tail straight up in the air and waiting for some skirt action!

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Thanks, I understand what you mean by the art blades being too simple. Looking forward to your idea of a more Python inspired blade!

Thanks RhymeOrc!

I was very happy with the Bad Cats buying experience at Absolute Pinball such that I have subsequently ordered a CQ Bride of Pinbot to pick up some time next year. You have to be patient though as these restorations take time and there is a waiting list. I ordered my BC April 2019 and had a blast driving the 2300 km roundtrip to pick it up in my old University town Saskatoon, this June. In my estimation, it was well worth it. The machine is just beautiful, plays smooth as silk with no issues and I think, for a CQ priced in Canadian $'s, was quite reasonable. No currency exchange, customs or border hassles to deal with was a bonus. Also, the micro gold metallic powder coating was at my choice and included in the advertised price. (I added the other mods, like the playfield protector, art blades, additional plastics / decals and lighting the cat face bumper after taking delivery...
...just had to...love tinkering with these machines! + + = >

Devron did some fine work on that machine, full three stage restoration (Board Sets-Playfield-Cabinet) to CQ status. If you scroll back through the Absolute Pinball Facebook page you can follow the detailed progress from start to finish on this and other machines.

I really enjoy the trial and error of game lighting, especially back boxes and although there are endless ways to light a game up, I found that Bad Cats back glass with its detailed and varied color schemes was best illuminated with cool white LED 44's (also depends on your preferences during lit or darkened room game play). The only exceptions in my BC back box were:

- For the barbecue and the mouse roasting candle I used incandescent 44's to give a more realistic flickering yellowish flame;
- For Python's head I found an incandescent 44 gave a more natural flesh tone;
- For the shed insert light (behind, at the top) I used a blue frosted 555 LED.
- And for the jackpot lighting I colour matched the individual boxes with frosted 555 LEDs.

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2 Backboard, machine on. (resized).JPG

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4 Shed light (resized).JPG

5 Shed light during plunger shot (resized).JPG

They are 2smd Comets and here's something else pretty sweet,
(just a little comparison of Python's 'Bad Kitty and the Bride'):

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Yes, it's a necessary pain removing the ramp to get at those bulbs and rubber (I got good at it!! ) Depending on the task, once unanchored the fishbowl ramp can be carefully pulled away (towards the back box) from the wire ramp join without disassembling and removing the wire ramp.

Try and think of anything else you want to do while you have things disassembled, like installing a bulb and fixture in the cat bumper (fairly easy); polishing up or adjusting the ball gate; changing other nearby GI bulbs; adjusting / cleaning nearby plastics / playfield areas and don't forget to put...everything...back before putting the ramps back on! Me double on that one!

I looked at my BC and the right side post to post measurement is at least a half inch longer than the left side post to post. Also the tension on the left and right rubber feels the same, so all else being equal, my way of thinking is that can only happen if the left side rubber is longer. Go with the 2".

I am not positive of the factory set up (my guess is 9), as I have optimized my BC, putting sleeves where I feel they are needed. I don't use cones and have placed ten black sleeves on my machine:

- 2 (one on each side of the fish bonus target).
- 1 on the left side of the collect fish bonus entrance.
- 1 on the far end of the fish bonus ball gate.
- 4 (two in front of each ramp).
- 1 between the milk bottle drop targets and the dog house entrance.
- 1 at the steel support post below the bird drop targets (custom).

Blackbeard, that's a tough one and you always have to factor in condition and rarity but the way pin asking prices have moved lately makes for a rising price target for any pin. Last year's prices (or even six months ago prices) are not this year's prices.

I see a lot of low to medium rated EM's in 6 or 7 condition priced for nearly $US2,000 and the highly rated rare ones pricing for double that or more in my local. SS's are about that or more and NIB prices are going off the charts. It just seems the middle era alphas and DMD's are seeing a less volatile price surge. Their time will come. The shine just seems to be elsewhere right now. JMHO

As far as Bad Cats go here are my thoughts:
- My refurbished to CQ status BC was ordered two years ago for the equivalent of just over $US6,000. I felt that was a lot at the time but NIB's were nudging up to $US10,000 here so I reasoned I was getting a good deal.
- Well two years later I'm a happy camper with that purchase as it's basically a NIB (or better) HUO and easily half the cost of any NIB.
- Now I see the prices from the same refurbisher (Absolute Pinball ) and you are looking at around $US8,000 for the same or even lower rated game.
- It depends on the buyer though. Bad Cats is a masterpiece of art from Python and many people love cats. Yes, it may not be the most highly rated game playwise but look at all the mediocre stuff pumped up on the market that has a lot less going for it.

Bottom line, in today's market, I'll guess $US5,000 to $7,000 for a restored Bad Cats depending on condition. Go for $6,000+.

I have one of those promo Bad Kitty decals too!

It would go well with that sexy, bent over, butterfly tattoo Lady, so I'm thinking of putting it on the underside of a separate sheet of playfield glass...(just the kind of gameplay distraction Python imagined)!

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I ordered my Bad Cats art blades from:
https://www.retrorefurbs.com/shop/bad-cats-pinball-sideblades/

At first they seemed a bit sparse but now I think they blend well with the rest of the game. (The one sided whiskers are odd though). You may notice a few other playfield mods I've made too!

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