I'm not so certain PinBot would qualify at 1K, 1200 maybe but the condition would really vary depending on the sellers situation and flexibility. If it could be had, definitely a solid choice, but so would High Speed as others said and in general much of the William's System 11 is high tier quality that could crack easily into that range. I just put down $1500 on PinBot but that's only because it was a home use only system (I'm the third owner) and there was nothing broken about it internally and was heavily cared for right down to the entire surface (moving ramp included on left) covered in mylar. It was missing the tilt ball and plumb, plunger rubber was shot, and the table was slightly off center which I address. The only busted part on it is the total back side of the topper light plastic cover is cracked to hell but you can't see it. I almost had picked up a Black Knight before that for 1K but it did have some electrical/switch issue as it wouldn't eject a ball so you could play (broke fairly recently owner stated) but was otherwise good and also a home use machine for around 20 years.

If you get pre-that period(System 11) you can easily get something again still depending on the overall condition of the thing inside and out and if you fall into the earlier/mid 80s stuff when some cheaper tables were made that kind of mirrored the EM style tables that would be a quality way to go. My Gold Ball table is basically an early solid state table but behaves and looks much like an EM table as there's not much flash and flair to it (3 pop bumpers, 1 spinner, a couple target arrays, basic points (10) off the rubbers along the side and little else, hell it even has the throw ball star roll overs. That one you could bag like I did in fairly nice shape for under your cap. And if he likes the old pre-SS EM stuff you as others said could get a few room permitting. I almost locally got a very beautiful Amigo when I ended up with Gold Ball and it would have just been $400.

Personally my favorites of the 80s in order of a top three were PinBot, Black Knight, and Space Shuttle and those should be doable.

Maybe it depends on certain specific areas and luck too. I have no idea how accurate the cash ratings are on this site when you pop up a game where it has a high and a low, but even that isn't near $1000 as it's at $1760-2040 based on whatever information that uses. I know it has to be somewhat high, but $760 off the mark seems a bit much.

One could assume that his friend probably has little (like me) to no experience fixing such things and would want one in fine shape that doesn't physically of visually need work to last. That's why I made those last 2 posts I did the other day with the detail I went into. He said it would be the guys first so unless he is a mechanical and electrical wizard with stuff he'll be going into it with very minimum skill like myself. I can solder here and there, buff out some lines and polish up a table all nice along with the plastics and metal. Don't think for one moment I feel comfortable stripping a board of all the parts top and bottom as I'd never get it back together.