Learn to love the cheap pin! Honestly, I enjoy early solid states the most. Maybe it's because they were the first pins I remember playing but I love their easy to learn, tough to complete rulesets. To me there have never been more perfect pins than Joker Poker, Eight Ball Deluxe, or Flash Gordon. Try to get to know this era of pin. You may be surprised. A lot of people like the bells and whistles of modern pins, but I think there's something to be said for the classic SS era.

Start out small. Get a Meteor or a Space Shuttle then turn that into a Taxi. Turn the Taxi into a Whirlwind and so on. Many people have done things like this and you can too! Patience is a virtue.

Gonzo, did you ever find anything?