4 Queens
Bally, 1970
4 Roses
Williams, 1962
8 Ball
Williams, 1966
Abra Ca Dabra
Gottlieb, 1975
Aladdin's Castle
Bally, 1976
Alligator
Bally, 1969
Aquarius
Gottlieb, 1970
Astro
Gottlieb, 1971You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider Dono.
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Speaking of United's with the Disguised flips... check out this Serenade I restored a few years back... no disguising these flips... they stick out very well. This game was a bitch to restore, but I was surprised how fun the game is to play... and the flips were snappy enough to get that ball all the way up the playfield... not bad for a very early flip game.
SERENADE FINAL 002.JPGQuoted from stashyboy:Latest effort in my pinball cabin. Client game, was previously repainted. LEDS in backbox per his addition. I removed them from the play field (blindness causing!) Plays 100% except for one small lane guide on order. The 60s games are a ton of work compared to 70s games IMO
Wow, a repaint where the webbing actually looks great! I hate webbing in a can, or splatter where there should be webbing; nice job.
Quoted from o-din:Sea Ray is one of the first pinball machines I remember playing when it was new. That game always had a good crowd around it. It had a look about it that stood out from the rest. Even though I'm a two inch flipper guy now I wouldn't mind finding one. Congrats!
Wow, same experience here... when I was 13 we frequented a bowling alley near our home - that's when I started playing pins ... this place always featured WMS/Ballys exclusively... pins like BOWL-O, Solids N Stripes, Sea Ray, Old Chicago I can remember for sure... and you're right on... the Sea Ray game always seemed to have a crowd of players/watchers around it.
Jungle Queen/Princess, is a fantastic player IMO.. doesn't get a lot of love by collectors mainly because it's a 4 player, but to me it's one of the better 70s games out there - takes some serious skill to beat it consistently, but awards the player for great shots, and the alternating special/free play lights are the ultimate in pinball eye candy - keeps you coming back for more.
4 Belles backbox - only showing the backside since I finally got it done - playfield is next - getting it ready for the York Show. Every step up on this game required complete disassembly/cleaning/metal to metal lube/reassembly. Notice the extra coil on the replay unit to handle the double award feature - one of the not-so-great ideas Gottlieb came up with to garner more coins in the box. Came across an old write-up of how Wayne Neyens in his quest to see if the Double Award was successful, installed an extra meter in the cabinet to track coins played per game. Turns out no one was using the feature - it lasted only 9 games and was promptly axed.
Quoted from Dono:only showing the backside since I finally got it done - playfield is next - getting it ready for the York Show. Every step up on this game required complete disassembly/cleaning/metal to metal lube/reassembly.
A couple of as-found shots from the rolling hills of Virginia outside Charlottesville. Waiting on some parts from PBR - playfield is all that's left to shop. York here we come!!!
#cleopatra_em Finally, Finally, Finally finished this game up... for those that have restored this game, you know what a bear this one is, with 2 relay disks (KS, FS), tons of relays to support the bonus buildup and handling of double bonus and free ball/special logic. Add to that the fact it's a 4 player EM, and this baby is loaded to the hilt with mechanics, especially on the underside of the playfield. My game was a disaster from the start. What looked like a great playfield underneath mylar, wasn't so great after the mylar was removed. Because the mylar was most likely added day one once it was shipped to Germany, it took forever to remove it and the nasty glue left behind. After a bunch of touchups, including first use of an airbrush, it's finally done, and what a great, fast machine it is. A superb game awarding great shots, but it's also tough and unforgiving at times like a pinball should be. I used an acrylic clear coat, and it really needs to be gone over again as the area around the lower inserts needs a bit of sanding and leveling, but good for now. It plays super fast, with DC on the pops, kickers and flips, it rocks. I did find a few interesting things about this game - 1) the spot rollover award on the kickouts, should have been labeled MYSTERY rollover award, as the spotting depends on the FS relay disk contact... only 5 of the 10 contacts on that disk award a spot when the left or right outhole is made. 2) the rebound rubber at the top left of the playfield at times affects the ball entering the upper level from a left hand channel shot, kicking the ball right back down the left channel - that sucks, and I do remember that as an issue playing this game as a kid. But all in all an awesome 4 player Gottlieb.
Touch ups, check. Clear coat, check. Cabinet repaint, check. Mechanicals - check. Currently troubleshooting, this Gulfstream is just about ready for the York show - one of the fastest EMs ever built - simple but deadly, just the way I like 'em!
Looking forward to yet another wonderful show, see everyone in less than a week!!!
Quoted from ckcsm:I'm looking forward to playing such a nice example, played this title alot back in the day.
I played your Cleopatra at Allentown and that was very nicely done.
I hope it gets a good workout at the show! And thanks for the kind words on the Cleopatra - really enjoyed working on that one... talk about rough starts... that game went to Germany day 1, and the distributor had mylars applied to their playfields... it was brutal taking that thing off, cleaning up the glue residue and repainting so many areas of that p/f...
that's one hell of a fast game as well!
Quoted from Mikala:Great Job. My Gulfstream restoration was a nightmare. I put about 150 hours into mine and yours looks pretty damn good. Can we see more pic's of the PF? First machine I bought without playing it first. I had an opportunity to pick up a project machine at a good price and a few pinsiders told me grab it, I will not regret it. I love this machine. Addictive play and truly one of my favorites.
this is the last time I'll be using water-based varathane poly on playfields... just mutes colors too much. Even though this P/F was a bit faded to start, I'm a bit puzzled how faded the aqua color came out... going to acrylic lacquer!
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Quoted from ZNET:Here are better photos than posted on the 2018 Allentown Pinfest thread of the 1971 Bally Expressway I purchased at the event last weekend.
Pinsider dono (Don O.) restored this game, preserving its originality. He resisted the temptation to over-restore her, opting for a light playfield clear-coat in lieu of multiple automotive layers of lacquer. The ball speed is fast and the flippers have that irresistible "buttery" feel to them. I am very impressed with Don's restoration skills and couldn't be more pleased with this acquisition.
The up-post is illuminated by 2 amber-colored incandescent bulbs. The game was set up in the free-play area up until the end of the event on Saturday. I hope that others had the opportunity to play it.
Glad it went to a nice home and gracious new owner, thanks for posting these pics Bruce.
Another Bally pickup this week... never had this game before but did play it on route when I was a young pup... looking forward to getting this beast running 100%... nice unmolested condition. Love the Home Amusement sticker on the tray - bought my first EM from this company back in 1986 and still have it today.
5D3C6A0C-583E-476D-8048-349F02B5D022 (resized).jpegA5E2CC64-8149-40D6-B99F-E2C4DE3D686A (resized).jpegB4D844F2-5BEF-43A6-BE90-30BE7FC1E3EB (resized).jpegThose Bally coin door inserts look great... good luck finding them in the field... very hard to come by and no one to my knowledge has repro'd the ones with the lip that fits into the metal housing, like in your MiniZag.. nice job BTW, looks super.
Quoted from EM-PINMAN:I think our Bally Mata Hari EM schematic is just as long.
It is without question just as long.
Quoted from EM-PINMAN:I think our Bally Mata Hari EM schematic is just as long.
It is Ken!
Quoted from atpcfiaim:Some more recent photos of my game room. EM Black Jack not pictured as it is being shopped upstairs.[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
I noticed your Old Chicago cabinet paint looks nice and unfaded... is it a repaint, or are you amongst the lucky few who has an original unfaded cabinet?
Quoted from Sea_Wolf:Something weird I just noticed. Both machines have a non-matching drop target in the same position on the left bank. I’ve already ordered the correct replacement from PBR.
Just a strange coincidence?
not a coincidence; the black horseshoe target on both banks resets (other targets stay down) and is worth 5K each. I believe if hitting all targets down, only those black targets resets. GREAT FEATURE!
Quoted from Ballypin:Bally made several EM's with DUAL captive balls. 1974 Champ / Sky Kings (same layout - different art) has a symmetrical playfield with a center spinner and is a good player. [quoted image][quoted image]
1975 Flicker / Boomerang (also same layout - different art). Flicker is a dog with that useless center pop bumper but does have Laurel and Hardy, and IMHO, has the best artwork package of all four.
PLUS, if you look at the backglass from a side angle, the "L" and "i" in FLiCKER morphs into the letter "U" and changes the name of the game [quoted image][quoted image]
Huge difference in game play between games having only one captive ball vs. those with 2 in my opinion... all those Bally games with 2 captive balls in a symetrical layout suck up all the creativity and get boring quickly; perhaps part of this is that on these games they take up too much of playfield. Hot Tip, on the other hand, with only one captive ball, has so many other shot options.
Quoted from John_in_NC:Actually.. 5 pins = 5 digits = 100,000 possible numbers from 00,000-99,999. There are 5 X 9 = 45 possible combinations of numbers containing 4 5s. (05555, 15555, 25555,35555,45555,65555,75555,85555,95555...50555,51555,52555.....so on and so on to...55559. making that 100,000/45 or 1 in 2,222.22222
One might argue 55555 qualifies as having 4/5 5s making the odds 1 in 2,173.91304 but that would be over thinking it wouldn't it? LOL
Yep, you nailed it.
Quoted from fingersport:Old Chicago is one of the most beautiful games ever made. IMHO
Agreed. Would love to know why the paint on 99% of OC cabinets faded horribly over time. Working on one now.
Quoted from bigguybbr:Just picked up a 1965 Williams Big Chief.
-Play field is in good shape save for flipper rub from the left flipper. Needs to be cleaned and waxed, but otherwise pretty good.
-Plastics are pretty good as well. I need to make a new Score Selector wheel out of a 4" plexi disc and some laser printed water transfer decals since the mylar on the bottom of the original is badly peeling and the disc is warped from baking over a bulb. There is a thin plexi sandwiched in the middle of the right plastics that is banged up and needs to be replaced. Pop bumper caps are faded and will be swapped. Roll over switches are faded and need to get swapped.
-Back glass is in pretty decent shape but needs to be sprayed ASAP before it loses more paint.
-Cabinet is rough. It's going to be sanded and repainted once I go through and give it a thorough cleaning. Will need to make some stencils since none seem to be available for this.
-Mechanically most everything is working. Machine scores 11 points instead of 10 while playing. Reels are buzzy. Someone cut out the 5" bell knocker for 100 point shots for some reason. Removed the whole bracket, but left the relay?[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Your machine got me thinking about the history of WMS 4 player machines, since I don't ever remember seeing or playing very many multi-player games from WMS, if any from the 60s. Looks like there were a dozen or so 4 player pins from Williams, dating back to 1955; I had no idea. Nice looking game, love the theme.
Quoted from jrpinball:This may be on the block soon.
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Very nice! I assume the OC cab colors are stock, as they look exactly correct... if so it's amazing that the purple didn't fade, even though the yellow has a bit.
Quoted from NoQuarters:Great job. Looks really nice !
Fab! Maybe we'll see it at A-town one of these years LOL.
Quoted from DCRand:Not in perfect condition. But pretty good. Scored this a couple of weeks ago and just finished cleaning it up, polishing all the metal, and getting it dialed in to add to the line up. This one won't be for sale for a while.
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playfield looks nicer than most... that yellow down at the flippers NEVER held up well.
Fun game, it's underrated IMO... only thing that could have been better in design on these late 60 EMs is the quickness of the motor revolutions... too slow and clunky.
Quoted from DodgersFan32:2 of my games that get the most action as of late.
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Nice... hey what's a Dodger's fan doing in DC anyway? LOL
Quoted from jrpinball:There was one for sale at one of the Saratoga shows. It wasn't up and working. Thought maybe you got it there.
I used to see one on location back in the '70s, but it was always out of order.
In my area, there was a Zayre's department store that had several GTB games - Play Ball, Royal Guard, and Spooksville... those games were distributed by Michaels Vending... a great outfit that ALWAYS kept their games at a high playing level. I played Spooksville sparingly. It worked great, just didn't pique my interest enough to play it more than a few times here and there if I was able to sell some racked up free games on the other pins. The ability to "shake" the game was a pretty cool feature, but viewing the game through the odd-ball cabinet and angle gave me a headache after a while.
Quoted from Skidave:Picked up a Twin Win from a fellow Pinsider.
I need a back door (which is an older style 4 player head). Anyone have anything local to Central Pa? Please PM me. Thanks
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hey what's with those WMS flips down bottom... oh the horrors! Seriously, nice looking game. I enjoyed this game when it came out; doesn't get a lot of love but I think it's kinda cool.
Quoted from stavio:Hello shiny, amazingly new looking 50 year old beautiful machine...
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Great post. When doing an Old Chicago PF swap, I had 15 busted/cracked posts, some obliterated like yours. My bet is that the same line worker built these PFs, applying way too much pressure when drilling. Who knows, but it's odd that I've only seen this on Bally EMs of the period.
Quoted from EJS:My latest acquisition. I’m going to give it it’s own thread soon. It’s been through floods and fires but I think I can save it
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Looks like a constant barrage of water thrown on it, quickly followed up by a 10 second burst of flamethrower action. Good luck, you are a very brave man.
Quoted from Budman:Nick is the best
Agreed, gameplay and aesthetics always top shelf.
Quoted from mricks1960:Wow, Tim, those two look awesome together! So, which is the better player?
Just played an awesome paradise this past weekend, it's a good 1 player game, but a great two player game. The A-B-C-D carry over feature from player to player (also game to game) is rather unique for a multi-player game; I can only think of one other game with this feature - GTB Super Score/Hi-Score 1967.
Quoted from illawarra92:just bought this rare keeney colorama home, into the restoration queue. all there, parts are in the 2 plastic bags ontop of the head[quoted image]
I restored a Poker Face a few years back.. you've got your work cut out for ya there pardner... Keeney mechs have a lot to be desired - particularly kick-out and kicker mechanisms, flipper pawls, and those terribly designed nylon or plastic score reels - be careful the tines are very easy to break. If you decide to keep the game, I would suggest beefing up the start up sequence... its poor design allows the game to start at non-zero values on occasion. On the positive side their flip coils are strong and snappy. Hope you don't have to source a coil... Keeney coils are very hard to locate in the wild.
Quoted from Prmailers:You don't appreciate how heavy these are until you hail them up 2 flights of stairs.
Had to move them up to the "pink" room to make room in my office for Space Mission and Aladdin's Castle, and the Genie and Lucky 7 project pins...
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Gulfstream & Super Star... two pins I wasted hundreds of dollars | hours on in my youth honing pinball skills and escaping the stress of competitive swimming. My first purchase was the Gulf in 1986, and acquired a Super Star in the late 90s. Still have the Gulfstream and sold Super Star several years ago... great games!
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Glenelg, MD