Ive posted this before, so if you read it, please skip.
A long time ago, in a galaxy far away....1977-78, I picked up a Bally Safari that had no backglass and a worn playfield beyond the help of a 17 year old.
I was hanging with a set of Triplets, and a few radicals, and in the time of Cheech and Chong, and stray youth, anything could happen.
Out came the belt sander, and we had a clean wood playfield.
Next, we found a piece of glass that fit the backglass...that seemed hard back then.
Cabinet, Roached too....sanded that as well.
Well, it was Harvest time, and some of the older guys hanging were growing, and in a group decision, we decided to cover the playfield and backglass tastefully in stunning full green fan leaves!
Out came whatever was clear then...shellac? Maybe urethane, but when finished the biggest leaves were on the side,
and the playfield, although Lumpy, was playable!
Now heres the kicker. We grabbed a retractable vacuum cord, and replaced the power cord with a hose,
and added a battery powered bong with I think an 8 or 10 hit dial a shot.
This all fit inside the coin door, with the hose coming out a finished hole on the left, and a button below, and the dal edge through a slot.
When the Special was hit, the knocker fired the heating element, and you grabbed the hose and took a hit! It actually worked!
(There was a little help from a dad, that we asked to have the knocker stay on longer)
Maybe the first Pinball Mod!
Release the hose, so you could still play, and it recoiled back into the game.
It was a grand all summer project, we made a Table Golf game the year before.
In 1978, I graduated and left the state, and the Game ended up at the University of Florida...
I only heard it was a hit at the frat house the first year, then gone from that.
With 6 people claiming ownership, and graduating, I just left it, but hope one day it pops up on the forum here!
