(Topic ID: 238831)

Bally 1971 Skyrocket Restoration

By Ballypin

5 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 116 posts
  • 24 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 4 years ago by DK
  • Topic is favorited by 17 Pinsiders

You

Linked Games

Topic Gallery

View topic image gallery

20181011_171818 (resized).jpg
A7473411-3D4A-4D92-9532-C4BB253E9308 (resized).jpeg
IMG_1988 (resized).JPG
IMG_1987 (resized).JPG
IMG_1986 (resized).JPG
IMG_1985 (resized).JPG
IMG_1984 (resized).JPG
IMG_1983 (resized).JPG
IMG_1980 (resized).JPG
IMG_1981 (resized).JPG
IMG_1982 (resized).JPG
DB3E0098-708C-453F-8046-24669D541B64 (resized).jpeg
31EFD579-FA47-4F83-AB35-4D0948658291 (resized).jpeg
s-l1600 crop (resized).jpg
20190603_004450 (resized).jpg
20190704_191523 (resized).jpg

You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider ZNET.
Click here to go back to viewing the entire thread.

#2 5 years ago

My Skyrocket's serial number is 1564.

20190319_235509 (resized).jpg20190319_235509 (resized).jpg20190319_235554 (resized).jpg20190319_235554 (resized).jpg
3 weeks later
#29 5 years ago
Quoted from Ballypin:

PLUS tax
Should have taken Ivan's offer of about $ 45 picked up at Allentown.

First, Have you installed the new glass in the frame to confirm that the glass fits? These are the dimensions on the Marco website so I suspect that they are accurate. It's my understanding that installing the glass from the head's end is the much easier approach than from the player's end.

Second, Was Ivan's $45 price for this nonstandard dimension glass or just for the standard glass size?

Third, What is Ivan's Pinside identity or other contact information (please PM me).

Thanks!

#32 5 years ago
Quoted from Ballypin:

I just sent you a PM. Ivan is Ivan1496 here on pinside. Actually $ 42 for non-standard. He might still be able to get it made by Pinfest.
$ 35 for standard and then $29 if you buy 5.
Yes, I did confirm that the glass is 21" x 41-1/2" that fits in the Bally "Chop-Top" frame.

Thanks. I ordered 5 sheets at $45/sheet, in time for retrieval at Pinfest.

1 month later
#41 4 years ago
Quoted from Ballypin:

In a somewhat related topic, my super talented artist wife is nearing completion on a new 18" x 24" mosaic to celebrate my love of Bally pinball. [quoted image]
I asked her to create this stained glass mosaic of the Bally "Harlequin Man" that was the prominent apron artwork from late 1968 to early 1975. A huge stainless steel with back-lit neon version once hung at the Bally office in Chicago.
The mosaic technique she used is glass-on-glass (actually Lexan) with a glue that dries clear. She will then fill the gaps between the pieces with black grout and this will define the outlining around the Bally script letters and the elements of the logo. [quoted image]
The inspiration was the lime green and red color scheme from the Cosmos apron with some editing to simplify the design.[quoted image]
My intent with the glass-on-glass method was so it can be back-lit and illuminated. I still need to work out what will probably be a custom built shadow box and use either led strip lights or traditional pinball lamps with some flasher bulbs to create animation.[quoted image]

I can't wait to see how you illuminate and display this eye-catching artistic creation.

2 weeks later
#54 4 years ago
Quoted from Ballypin:

I killed my second Harbor Freight 5 lb tumbler Wednesday so I bought another one tonight. I forgot how quiet a new one runs compared to how ragged out they get before they die. I'm sad because I upgraded the old one to a 1/4" threaded rod for the main shaft because the stock rod worn out and the wing nut would not secure the lid.[quoted image]

I recently replaced my old, very loud tumbler with this extremely quiet one, which sells for $109 with free shipping on eBay. Indeed, it's so quiet that you can forget that it's on.

The manufacturer is RCBS, model # 87060. The wing nut secures well to the rod and the tub is a higher quality than most in that price range.

My previous tumbler's wing nut system was unreliable and other components were inferior to this new tumbler. I highly recommend this tumbler.
ebay.com link: 0

#57 4 years ago
Quoted from Ballypin:

More weekend progress...refinished the playfield glass frame to a near mirror finish. Not perfect, but much improved from the scratched and dull condition. Started with 220 grit sandpaper on a palm sander and then went to 400,800,1000,1500,2000,3000 and finished with 0000 steel wool with Mothers Mag polish. Wrangled it back together with a new sheet of glass.
[quoted image][quoted image]
[quoted image]
Coin door is coming along as well. Sanded and painted the metal front and plywood back. Polished exposed front hardware and will begin reassembly.
[quoted image]

Holy moly. Those siderails are like mirrors. You could bounce a laser to Saturn in those high-depth reflective surfaces!

I look at the siderails on my games now and all I see is molten sheet metal. Oh, the humanity of it. . .

#60 4 years ago
Quoted from Ballypin:

"Ben...I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? Plastics."
Now that the rain has finally stopped and summer has arrived, it allows for the safe way of flattening plastics between 2 sheets of old playfield glass. Tried the oven method on a cookie sheet tray before with so-so results.[quoted image]
For the yellowed, warped and chipped ball guide plastics, I hand traced the originals and will have it converted to a DWG file so I can GRADUATE to new, clear laser cut pieces. Sorry to punish you. [quoted image]

So many memorable lines from The Graduate: "It's too late; not for me" and my favorite Anne Bancroft reply to Dustin Hoffman in which she succumbs to post-coital pillow-talk, revealing her college major to have been "art."

#61 4 years ago
Quoted from Ballypin:

"Ben...I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? Plastics."
Now that the rain has finally stopped and summer has arrived, it allows for the safe way of flattening plastics between 2 sheets of old playfield glass. Tried the oven method on a cookie sheet tray before with so-so results.[quoted image]
For the yellowed, warped and chipped ball guide plastics, I hand traced the originals and will have it converted to a DWG file so I can GRADUATE to new, clear laser cut pieces. Sorry to punish you. [quoted image]

Incidentally, I like the solar method as well to flatten plastics. However, I always try the blowdryer technique first because it's so safe and so fast.

I never utilize the oven method. It's too easy to ruin the plastics, in my opinion.

#63 4 years ago
Quoted from Ballypin:

Fortunately, we both still have hair for the need of a blowdryer.

Having just turned 60, I'm happy to have enough to protect my scalp from the sun. Here's me and my wife with our son at his 8th grade graduation last week. Fortunately, he got his mom's good head of hair.

He hasn't yet fully inherited my pinball passion. But, there's still time.

20190619_202445 (resized).jpg20190619_202445 (resized).jpg20190627_210611 (resized).jpg20190627_210611 (resized).jpg
1 week later
#68 4 years ago
Quoted from Ballypin:

Wow. That backglass had some serious UV fade and the BGresto glass is a 1000% improvement.
Luckily, my glass has no fade but did have some flaking that I was able to touch up reasonably well AFTER the glass was locked down with triple thick. My touch-ups are not perfect in luminosity but they do eliminate the harsh spotlights of bare light coming through.
[quoted image]
[quoted image][quoted image]

Nice job touching up. I usually opt for the less ambitious solution by omitting a bulb or using a colored bulb. I wish that I could master the backglass touch-up technique.

#69 4 years ago

I upgraded my Skyrocket backglass to the one depicted here, which I rate as an 8 out of 10.

By placing colored bulbs (sometimes with colored sleeves to further mute the glow) and by eliminating a small but key illuminated area in the lower right (to disguise the spidering degradation in that limited area), I think that the backglass passes for a 9 when installed and lit up. The 2 small missing paint spots in the upper right remain visible; but, you have to look to find them (no harsh white light drawing your eye to the defects).

My previous backglass's best appearance, with lighting trickery, was in the 8 range, so I'm happy to have upgraded.

If my upgrade effort had failed, I would have gladly opted for that Bgresto repro because it looks really good on the website. I find the three-dimensionality of the graphics to be compelling, especially with flashing light bulbs installed in the Skyrocket lettering and in the exploding fireworks.

This game deserves an exceptionally nice backglass because the gameplay is so darn fun. I can't wait to see your finished Skyrocket. You are sparing no effort in your restoration and it's showing.

20190603_004450 (resized).jpg20190603_004450 (resized).jpg20190704_191523 (resized).jpg20190704_191523 (resized).jpg
#71 4 years ago
Quoted from Electrocute:

There is a Sky Rocket on EBay right now for $499. Shitty pics and it looks like moisture damage on the electronics. Backglass looks great.

That sold quickly. Anyone here snag that project?

#76 4 years ago
Quoted from Ballypin:

Inquiring minds want to know where you scored another BG and what you did with the rest of the game.

A fellow collector on Facebook had the extra Skyrocket backglass. He has a perfect original as well and is hoping to find the game.

I sold the backglass which accompanied my game at purchase to a different Facebook collector, who just bought a decent $1,500 Skyrocket (listed on the Facebook marketplace). That game had a trashed backglass so mine was a major upgrade for his recently purchased Skyrocket.

In other words, there's lots of pinball action on Facebook.

#80 4 years ago
Quoted from Ballypin:

My purchase was under 1k so, without using a pun, their value has increased drastically.

I see what you did there.

2 weeks later
#89 4 years ago

Looking good.

#95 4 years ago
Quoted from NicoVolta:

Whoa. That should clean up nice. Technically the one on the museum floor right now is mine (and will eventually be replaced with something else)... so... hmmmm.

It's only about a 20 minute drive from my residence. If I didn't already have a restored Skyrocket, I would be very interested in this auction. I hope that a fellow pinsider wins this auction.

In my opinion, it's a $2,000 game as it sits and I wouldn't be surprised to see it fetch well north of that amount. It's a steal at $1,500 or less, in my opinion, because this title has been escalating in value.

#99 4 years ago
Quoted from NicoVolta:

Haha nope not selling mine. Was thinking I'd buy another for the museum because Skyrocket will eventually be relocated to my pinball B&B.
But nah. No need for two Skyrockets in this town. Better for visitors to have different games to play between the museum and my place.
Skyrocket is a constant favorite at the museum. Pretty neat that it was designed by Harry Williams. Doesn't play like a Zale. It's different, but in a good way. Also the 2-player in a 1-player cab design is cool. Has great rules for head-to-head play with the extra ball possibility at the bottom. And, of course, THE BEST light show in all of EM pinball.
Skyrocket is in my all-time top 5 EM's, no contest. I'd take it over any wedgehead. Yes, even 2001... if only just.

I share your assessment of Skyrocket, Nic. I think that Skyrocket is among the top five EM titles and the best of the Bally EM era (multiplayer category and perhaps including single player games as well).

I'm not too keen on comparing wedgeheads to nonwedgeheads, nor woodrails to metal-rail games, though.

Thus, I rank my favorite wedgeheads separately, e.g. Strange World, Blue Note, King of Diamonds, 2001, Bank-A-Ball, Atlantis et al. Even among the wedgeheads, I am tempted to create separate categories distinguishing 2 inch flipper games from 3 inch flipper games.

I suppose that I want to understand and rate games based upon the designer, with a forgiving eye toward the technological status quo and the limits/expectations imposed by the designer's employer.

Back to Skyrocket: I love hitting the open gate target and the pedestrian sound upon a successful shot. It's Pavlovian.

#101 4 years ago
Quoted from Ballypin:

Congrats Bryan.
If anyone else wants to play along at home, here is your chance. I predict this one will land between $ 1,500 and $ 2,000.
ebay.com link » Sky Rocket Pinball Machine 1970 Bally

This Skyrocket eBay auction sold for $2,677.60 today. Congratulations to the buyer.

#109 4 years ago
Quoted from NicoVolta:

Whoo boy. Over $2600! Somehow I feel partly responsible for this.
All right... was it anyone here? Fess up!

The $2,677 sale price is closer to $2,850 including tax, which eBay collects, at the time of sale.

#114 4 years ago
Quoted from NicoVolta:

Surf Side is also a MUST. Gottlieb's best 60's multiplayer. A total screaming riot to play with experienced players.

I agree that Surf Side is a great 2-player title. I also really like Paradise in that category.

You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider ZNET.
Click here to go back to viewing the entire thread.

Reply

Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.

Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

Donate to Pinside

Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!


This page was printed from https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/bally-1971-skyrocket-restoration?tu=ZNET and we tried optimising it for printing. Some page elements may have been deliberately hidden.

Scan the QR code on the left to jump to the URL this document was printed from.