I've owned my Grand Prix since it came off route in the late 70's when I was a kid and I have to say it's been pretty much problem free. The only time I had any issues is when I moved it from one house to another and a few things went out of whack, all easily fixable. I can't speak from a non-working project state but for me it's been a solid machine. On the other hand, every Gottlieb EM I've ever owned needed constant tinkering to keep working properly.