I'm a glutton for punishment. If I were looking to build a Bally KISS from parts, are there certain machines I should be looking for when trying to locate a donor cabinet/harness? It would need to be a non-widebody with a transformer in the head, but were there any production differences in cabinets between the games in the AS-2518-XX run? What are the earliest and latest games I could consider using? Boards are not an issue, as I don't mind using repros.

Good to know about the "unobtanium" ball gates. Since the machine would be a Frankenstein anyhow, I wouldn't mind experimenting with gates that would work make do (more than likely wire gates like the longer ones at the shooter entrance) until originals could be found. All this is just a fact finding mission anyhow. I just came back from Allentown where trashed Bally games from this era were plentiful...and only upon my return did I explore building my own Kiss. It was a missed opportunity.

If anyone is looking, a set of these KISS and Paragon ball gates have popped up on eBay. Left and right sold separately (of course).

ebay.com link: KISS 1979 BALLY PINBALL MACHINE PLAYFIELD RIGHT TOP BALL LAUNCH METAL GATE

ebay.com link: KISS 1979 BALLY PINBALL MACHINE PLAYFIELD LEFT TOP BALL LAUNCH METAL GATE

As an aside, I was digging through a parts bin at a swap meet in the fall, and sure enough I was able to find a set of these. I wasn't specifically looking for them, but I knew what I was looking at when I picked up the left gate...and with a bit of frantic digging, the right was there, too.

I found these blank operator test game reports mixed in with my Harlem Globetrotters manual and schematics. Check out the groovy self-sealing envelope! I highly doubt that my HGT was a test game given its serial number.

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