(Topic ID: 246361)

Doing a All out total restoration cost, making it all new or like new?

By EdHess

4 years ago



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    #1 4 years ago

    Just wondering how much others spent doing a total no holds barred restoration. Rebuilding everything or replacing so that everything is either new or like new.
    Playfield swap, cabinet & back box restoration, boards or whatever. Did you return it to the same or better condition than is was 30-50 years ago?

    Saying you shopped it is not what I am referring to here as in comparison shopping is pretty far from a total redo or restoration. Include or not the initial machine cost. Include or not any upgrades or mods.

    I am just finishing a Xenon and I was surprised when I added it up.

    #2 4 years ago

    Im in my TOM restoration for $7500 and I have not bought the color DMD yet...

    #3 4 years ago
    Quoted from EdHess:

    Did you return it to the same or better condition than is was 30-50 years ago?

    ^^ This is how I try to do it. I just finished a Bally 6803 Motordome and built a brand new cab and back box for it out of plywood to replace the particle board.
    I restore them to sell and only expect to recover material cost, NEVER anything for my time! These are usually labors of love, if you go into with that in mind then you will be OK.

    #4 4 years ago
    Quoted from Atari_Daze:

    ^^ This is how I try to do it. I just finished a Bally 6803 Motordome and built a brand new cab and back box for it out of plywood to replace the particle board.
    I restore them to sell and only expect to recover material cost, NEVER anything for my time! These are usually labors of love, if you go into with that in mind then you will be OK.

    Oh I understand that. I didn’t do this like it was a business deal. Was only interested in making it perfect, like new, with a few mods. With everything done including buying any tools or equipment I did not already have I ended at 6800. Nothing in the prior sales database on this site can even come close to this machine now. Labor? Not really wanting to sell my new pride and joy. But labor return even if I did would be a tuff nut to get any kind of return on it. I do read the ads all the time and you just dont see much that is old but now MINT!.

    #5 4 years ago

    When I did my Xenon and sold it I barely broke even.

    But that's ok I enjoyed redoing it. And the buyer got a great game. Reward enough.

    #6 4 years ago

    You should really love the game, #1. You will lose money. If you are ok with losing a LOT of money, try to polish and refurbish the existing parts and replace only when there is no alternative. If you are ok with losing a SHIT TON of money, go for all new parts.

    It’s the specialty parts that are the most expensive. I typically opt for using the existing parts but repainting top of the playfield stuff, and polishing via a tumbler the mech parts that need to shine (top and bottom of PF)

    #7 4 years ago

    It is like anything. You can take it as far as you want. Also how much of the work are you doing yourself? I use as much of the original machine as I can because I like original. I do my own board work (with plenty of advice) and touchup existing playfield and do the clearcoat. There are still plenty of costs in flipper rebuild, sleeves, rubbers, bulbs...., broken plastics and posts. Those add up fast. That being said I have about 2k into a restored Diner. That is about my average including the machine, but I don't buy high dollar machines.

    #8 4 years ago

    I had 12K into a full blown SS restoration. Everything I could lay my hands on was new. Cabinet was torn down and rebuilt. Chromed everything inside and out. Back when our dollar was parity to yours. If I did it now it would be 20K.
    It was just something I wanted to try after doing an Indy a years earlier.

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