In case anyone is in the market for a Comet, mine is now up for sale:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/ft-comet-in-phoenix-az
In case anyone is in the market for a Comet, mine is now up for sale:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/ft-comet-in-phoenix-az
Vid for the win! There is no decal on my drop target and my stand up targets are faded to white...should be a bit of an improvement
Thanks!
I just joined the club! Holy moly I've got some work on my hands... Been sitting in a warehouse for years.
It's missing the power transformer, the shooter rod assembly, and two coils. The left flipper is all wacked out and is missing at least a sleeve. One of the displays is marked "bad" in sharpie on the glass...
No battery damage to the boards, but lots (and I mean LOTS) of dust. The backglass is pretty decent, it has bubbled all over but is mostly intact and looks good from the front.
Playfield is pretty worn. All the ramps and hard to find plastic parts, however, are all there and working.
Cabinet is average for it's age. Some planking and flaking, but not all beat to heck and easily fixed.
I'm gonna start with the transformer and missing coils. If I can bring it back to life, I'll order a new shooter rod, rebuild the flippers, and then figure out how much restoration I'm going to attempt on the PF.
My wife said I needed a project, and that I should go look at it. Mission accomplished, I now have a winter project!!
Quoted from vid1900:That never happens.
I know, right? Hard to believe but I got a good one. She plays as much as I do!
Quick question for any Comet owners out there, is there supposed to be a plastic ball detent as part of the plunger kicker assembly? Mine is pretty bungled up, and I'm not sure if there is supposed to be a small plastic piece above the ball sensor switch for the ball to rest in or not.
Thx guys. I've got some serious work ahead of me!
New member here. Just picked up a rough but mostly complete Comet this afternoon. Xpin displays are on the way. Now I just need to find a decent backglass for her.
I picked mine up about a month ago. Replaced the power supply with a rotten dog, Ed Cheung has my main board as I write this. It cleaned up pretty well! I found a corkscrew on ebay( paid throughrepaintung the nose, but I got it!), waiting patiently to play! It had a 11 power supply when I got it, was badly butchered. Seriously considering going with LEDs throughout on this one! The cabinet needs work, and repainted. I have seen many pictures of the ball gates for this play field, and many are different. Any help on the correct ones and where?
Quoted from vwallat99:Family has owned The Comet and has been resided in our basement since 1990!
20150912_144007_(resized).jpg
Now THAT is an attractive use of LEDs. Well done.
Quoted from jibmums:Now THAT is an attractive use of LEDs. Well done.
My favorite before and after backglass from a LED conversion. The color is great on this one and looks better in person!
Every now and then when my slingshots activate all the lighting under the pf goes out for a split second then comes right back, almost like a power surge. Doesn't affect game play but a bit annoying. Any tips to fix it? Love, love, love, my comet.
Quoted from TnJHead:Maybe my backglass will look better with red LEDs?lol!
I think adding some colored LEDs like vwallat99 did would probably work out well with your backglass. Maybe even some color changing LEDs behind those fireworks. You need something to add some color back!
I plan on adding LEDs just to lower the power consumption, if for no other reason. Where's the best place to get them?
Quoted from mattosborn:I think adding some colored LEDs like vwallat99 did would probably work out well with your backglass. Maybe even some color changing LEDs behind those fireworks. You need something to add some color back!
Lights behind the fireworks are flashers. It would be nice if there was any color changing flasher bulbs.
Quoted from TnJHead:I plan on adding LEDs just to lower the power consumption, if for no other reason. Where's the best place to get them?
Comet Pinball would be my recommendation for sure.
Quoted from vwallat99:Lights behind the fireworks are flashers. It would be nice if there was any color changing flasher bulbs.
We have tinkered with quite a few color changing flashers...unfortunately, none respond to the super fast signal of flashing
to change color fast enough. Nice and slow "blink", instead of fast flash, and they work.
If anyone feels they have the skill to proto, Id be glad to manufacture them.
...with royalties....
Art
Picked this Comet up a couple months ago. It has Coaster Ramp Protection. Seems to be the original ramp. Only issue is that the Lane lights and the lights in that series are out. Im a Brand Newbie. Loved this game as a kid. I got a good deal. I don't see any burnt connectors or anything on the board. All the wires seem in tact. Lost!!
Quoted from Coin_Door_Kid:Only issue is that the Lane lights and the lights in that series are out.
Did you put new bulbs in?
Yep did that. First thing I did when I got her home. All new # 63s and 44s. All the fuses are in tact.
Mine, joined the club a little over a month ago
8.5/10 playfield, 7/10 cabinet, 10/10 backglass. Just needs displays, waiting on good originals because unlike everybody else I really just hate the reproductions, I can 100% always tell when a game has them and it really bothers me, I find them ugly personally and wouldn't want them on my own games but can definitely respect others who like to use them and can totally see why.
Came with well-done color matched normal brightness LEDs underneath. Not my thing either but looks original and backglass and top of playfield have incandescent bulbs left so I left it alone, finally a game without superbrights. Paid $500.
12072794_10205897113175483_2404803214079937041_n_(resized).jpg
Corkscrew ramp in eBay $25!!! Mine is in good enough shape to keep I need main ramp.
ebay.com link: Williams Comet Pinball Playfield Cork Screw Plastic and Tube B 10738 and 03 7938
Actually got my comet about 3 months ago but didnt realize there was a club thread for it! It is the first pin I ever "bought" (traded my uncle a Cruisn' USA with LCD "upgrade" for it) He had the machine for like 25 years and said he didn't play it much at all.
I have cleaned and waxed the play field , replaced all the rubbers, batteries, and fuses. Full LED conversion with non ghosting bulbs where needed and next up to do is to the MOSFET conversion that vid wrote up then do my first play field restore.
That looks nice.
I'm picking one up this weekend with a pretty shot playfield. Has anyone ever printed an overlay for this?
I have one as well! I seem to prefer the quicker and simpler games these days, and I most often go for a quick game of Comet! It has a simple, but enjoyable rule set.
Got a couple lights out....all 3 pop bumps and all 3 lane guides under 1986. Just noticed it tonight. Any input on where to start? Are those lights in a column/row? I did try to change the bulbs. Lol
Fuses. That's where I would start. The same fuse controls all of that. If your Flashers go out it is due to the white block resistors under the playfield. That's been my experience. Good luck!!
Just checked all fuses all is well. The 2 shorter block resistors are burning up after the games been on for a minute or 2. I'll replace them tonight. Did the wattage or amperage change with modern tech? Do you know the watt/amp? Couldn't find my Manuel.
Just picked up Comet last week and happy with my shop job.
Lets talk AIRBALLS. I know this game has glass hits, but I'm seeing the ball jump all the way off the comet ramp and going to the back of the machine routinely.
Also I'm assuming the reason why the dummy plastic and the train station plastic are broken is due to AIRBALLS coming off the drop target, but it's horrible on my machine and often flies right over the slingshot to the outline.
I'm thinking my left flipper coil is too powerful because it's clearly not the same as the right and that's where all the AIRBALLS are coming from.
If not, are the any fixes for the drop target to make it less like a catapult. I replaced the foam backing behind the fixed bullseye target because I even get AIRBALLS from that, but that doesn't address the drop target itself.
Thanks
I had the same problem, and put a piece of foam on the assembly behind the drop target, and it fixed it.
Don't know if there was suppose to be foam there but it worked, but went through 3 foams to find the right size. One was to thin, one was to thick etc..
Airballs off the cycle jump ramp is just part of the game I think, and may happen more often with the thicker replacement ramp.
Can't take any pictures as I'm out of the club for now.
Good Luck
Thanks, I'll try the foam there as well. I expect the cycle ramp AIRBALLS, but that steep grade on the middle ramp gives them to me as well. It's one thing to hit the glass but another all together to fly into the back of the machine and break the lane plastics. Foam and new coil to start I suppose.
Joined the club yesterday! Scored a comet and two EMs. Comet has some bad transistors on the cpu board, two bad score displays and a bad credit display. Corkscrew ramp is cracked but repairable until I find a better one. Clown plastic is cracked above the shooter lane but not terribly noticeable since it is black and not lit from below. Otherwise in in decent shape besides being SUPER dirty.
Came with all the original paperwork/scorecard inserts and promo flag!
Does anyone out there have any of the pieces on my wish list the would be willing to part with?
* Corkscrew ramp (long shot, but worth asking, right?)
* 2 plasma score displays
* Plasma credit display
* Clown plastic
Yay Comet! I love mid-80's pinball.
Quoted from shicketmaster:I expect the cycle ramp AIRBALLS, but that steep grade on the middle ramp gives them to me as well.
You are probably missing the thick washers that go under the center ramp rear supports.
Those washers just barely keep the ball from jumping off the ramp.
Quoted from pinheadpierre:Found this in the cabinet. It is wired to a switch which activates when the coin door is opened/closed. This machine used to be on route. Some sort of burgler alarm perhaps?
If the game ever starts to smoke, you'll have plenty of warning.
Thank you! I should've known that this would cycle back to Vid! The center playfield scan will definitely help with the dunk and ramp area. Hey Vid - any chance you have a closer up scan of the chicken to the left of the cycle jump ramp entrance? If not, I will see what I can fudge out of the full playfield shot. Thank you for being such an incredible resource to all of us here in the pinball world!
Quoted from pinheadpierre:Joined the club yesterday! Scored a comet and two EMs. Comet has some bad transistors on the cpu board, two bad score displays and a bad credit display. Corkscrew ramp is cracked but repairable until I find a better one. Clown plastic is cracked above the shooter lane but not terribly noticeable since it is black and not lit from below. Otherwise in in decent shape besides being SUPER dirty.
Came with all the original paperwork/scorecard inserts and promo flag!
Does anyone out there have any of the pieces on my wish list the would be willing to part with?
* Corkscrew ramp (long shot, but worth asking, right?)
* 2 plasma score displays
* Plasma credit display
* Clown plastic
Yay Comet! I love mid-80's pinball.
If you have 2 remaining working plasma displays, perhaps we can work on a trade? I'll PM you.
Quoted from pinheadpierre:Thank you! I should've known that this would cycle back to Vid! The center playfield scan will definitely help with the dunk and ramp area. Hey Vid - any chance you have a closer up scan of the chicken to the left of the cycle jump ramp entrance? If not, I will see what I can fudge out of the full playfield shot. Thank you for being such an incredible resource to all of us here in the pinball world!
Okay - now I feel silly, having realized that the familiar feeling of having seen these playfield scans before is because they are just the pictures of the playfield from the ipdb. So....still looking for a couple good scans to replace missing art. (The ipdb photos just aren't good enough resolution and not true close up scans.)
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