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PT : That Outer Space playfield looks beautiful. All the examples I have ever seen are worn to crap. Nice machine!
Outer Space is a really fun game. I have never seen one before this one. I stripped it and put on all new white posts, rubber, bulbs and rebuilt the flippers. It now resides at the Pinball Asylum in South Florida. It was used in an IFPA tournament there last weekend and performed flawlessly. The spinner and vari-target are really satisfying shots. And yes, the playfield on this one is beautiful. Very low plays.
Quoted from boilerman:a few more
Nice 2001. I bought new bulls-eye targets to put on mine. I went to do it one day and then saw how the targets are soldered into place with all those bare wires. I realized it was more than the simple 20 minute job I was hoping for, so I put it off. I need to dig back in there and finish it after seeing how nice yours look.
Quoted from hoov:PT,
I replaced the bulls eye targets on my 2001. Just take off the last blade of the target assembly that holds the target and with the exact size drill bit drill the rivet out holding the old target. Place your metal piece on a flat metal table with a towel underneath. With the new target in place use a Pinball Resources semi-tubular rivet and flare it with a 3/16" flared tool like a nailset or a punch that will flare the rivet. Then, flatten with a hammer. Worked for me.
Great idea!! I will try to do it this week.
Quoted from AlexF:Looks good. Grand Prix is the first machine I actually remember playing. My Dad had one in his motorcycle dealership when I was a kid.
Alex
Grad Prix has simple but fun rules. It is a really good game. I love the two spinner setup.
Quoted from hoov:In the middle of a 2001 restore........I REALLY need to get this done this year. It keeps getting put on the backburner.
I'll say!! Those pictures are dated 2003!
Quoted from johnf:Another restoration I did back then was a Spanish version of a Royal Flush. Got it at the Allentown flea market, the cabinet was made of particle board and was in a real bad shape. But because of a full acrylic overlay the PF was in a perfect shape, BG was nice too. Still, I passed on that day it but then made a 2 hr drive each way on Sunday just to pick it up. As I hoped, it was still there, probably because the back of the cabinet was falling apart, and maybe because it was made by Maresa and not Gottlieb.
I have two really beaten down Royal Flush in storage right now. The plan is to try to turn them into one nice RF with restored cabinet and touched up/cleared playfield. Definitely a good game.
Quoted from JohnC78:this is my 1973 Gottlieb Hot Shot pretty fun
I have a Hot Shot in storage. It needs a new lower cabinet and a lot of other work. I hope to get to work on it by the end of the year. It looks fun but I have never played it!
Had some friends over to play last night we all had a blast. After everyone left I decided to take some video with everything powered up.
Please excuse the presence of DMD and SS games in this video. Also, excuse the absence of my Atlantis, Hot Shot and Fire Queen which I am restoring.
Quoted from Pinhead-Seattle:Very nice gameroom, looks awesome. I really like the gameroom carpet as well.If you get tired of your Centigrade 37, let me know. I want.
I really like the Centigrade 37. It took me about five years to find a nice unrestored one, so I doubt I will give it up too soon. Thanks for the compliments. This room has obviously been a lot of labor of love!
Quoted from marksf123:What is the title of the EM game you show right after you come out of the bathroom with all the drop targets. That is beautiful. I am looking for an EM game for my game room.
That is a 2001. It is a beautiful and simple game that will test your metal. It can be brutal at times!
Quoted from Spyderturbo007:Where did you get that carpet? We are buying a new house in the next month or so and I'm starting my shopping early.
I got it from here:
http://www.valuecarpetonline.com/carpet-black-light.htm
I called them and worked with a guy named Tony. He was really helpful. The carpet I got was leftover from a huge corporate buy. It is really high quality and has what is called "Kanga trac" backing. Basically it is a polyurethane backing instead of rubber. It commercial grade, wears like iron, is made for airports and places with heavy equipment rolling around. It also does not allow spills to go through or soak in at all, so they can be cleaned up. It is great stuff. Has to be glued down by someone who knows what they are doing. Tony knew what I was looking for and sent me pictures of this when the leftovers came in stock and I got it for very cheap at $2.89 per square foot.
Quoted from boilerman:what is the definition of skill shot?
my understanding it is a shot that scores a lot but it is only lit until a point is scored then goes away for the rest of that ball?
Exactly. I'm trying to think of ANY Gottlieb EM that has a skill shot? I can't think of a single one. Maybe Jack in the Box because you can't hit the ball back up there at any time during the ball?
Quoted from jathomp22:I picked up my first EM last month. It's been surprisingly fun to play. I would definitely consider buying another one.
20150509_095755.jpg (Click image to enlarge)
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C37 is a great game! Looks like you got a nice one. The wood tone on the playfield is still nice and light. Sometimes they are really yellowed/browned and make the girl look like she has a cheap spray-on tan.
Quoted from wayner:Greg at oldpinballs stocks the kits.
http://www.oldpinballs.com/store.html
Has anyone tried these? Even in the picture on their website you can see the concentric rings and it looks like it makes the insert cloudy?
Does anyone sell insert decals for Gottlieb?
00IMG_4244.JPGQuoted from presqueisle:Here's a fun little row. I like drop targets! They all compliment each other I think with their layout and play. I always start out by playing one till I beat it, then move on to try and beat all three in a row. It's only happened a couple times.
image_(resized).jpeg
That is a nice little row! All three are great games. Right now Volley is my #1 ranked EM. I've had it a few years now but I have been playing it more than any of my other games lately.
Just picked up a Bally Quarterback today. My first Bally EM. Will have pics soon. It's kind of a project machine.
Quoted from Darcy:Where is it going to be shipped to?
Haha! Fixed! This one looks like a lot of fun, so its not shipping anywhere in the near future. Also, I am going to try my skills at making a poly carbonate playfield protector for this one. The reason being there are a ton of really cupped inserts directly in front of the flippers. The game will play like the lunar surface without some sort of leveling on the inserts.
Quoted from DaveBuckholts:My Jungle Queen inserts are cupped pretty badly. I'm interested in this approach. How thick is the poly used?
Thanks,
Dave
The commercially available protectors use 0.03" thick Makrolon. That is 0.75mm. That seems thin until you try to cut it. This stuff is TOUGH to cut.
ebay.com link: Playfield Protectors for Pinball Machines F O
I bought two sheets of it on Amazon. I am still working out my techniques for cutting it since I don't have an automated laser or anything fancy. I have come up with a few methods depending on the type of cuts needed (holes, curved lines, straight lines, etc). Soon I will give it a shot.
http://smile.amazon.com/Lexan-Sheet-Polycarbonate-Thick-Nominal/dp/B0051X13PC
Quoted from 1974DeltaQueen:Going with a space / sci fi theme on this wall. Circa 1971/2 Outer Space , Astro, Dimension .
Awesome lineup. I LOVE Outer Space.
Quoted from Otaku:Gottlieb's Wild Wild West also does similar things, you hit vari-targets to score points but they don't release and score points until you get them in the kickout hole connected to that particular vari-target unit, and this is also preserved between players so one player can steal your score if they get it in the kickout hole after you hit the vari-target but failed to grab your points from that same kick-out hole on your turn. This game has been on my list for quite a while now. They also made a very rare add-a-ball game called "Lariat" of this, but in my opinion it looks kind of goofy because they had to edit the art to accommodate the extra reels they added. Well done, just looks nicer on Wild Wild West in my opinion.
There was one for sale down here in Florida for $350. It looks like it finally sold. If it wasn't a 3+ hour drive out into the boonies, I would have bought it. I have enough machines to keep me busy though...
The girls on the Flip a Card backglass just finished smoking pot and put the pipe into the open drawer.
Quoted from Vic_Camp:Silverball Museum in Del Ray Florida is a fantastic place
Yeah it is a great place. I was shocked by how crowded it was when I was there. Next time I go on a weekday morning...
Quoted from poppapin:Sweet!! A bar too!! Something Asbury Park Silverball doesn't have.
I was there on a family day (Sunday afternoon). I saw tons of kids, but also tons of young, good looking moms walking around with nice tall glasses of beer.
Quoted from TopMoose:*SWOON*
Paradise was one of my favorite games at ReplayFX last year - yours looks gorgeous!
I only wish the cabinet was as nice as the playfield. The playfield was dirty but cleaned up beautifully. Looks like I will have to do a stencil job on the cab at some point. For now I will put it in a row where the cabinet is kind of hidden...
Quoted from Vic_Camp:EM restoration specialist.....Nick Raschilla had a pinball gathering today at his home in PA. Here is a sneak peak at his remarkable collection of Gottlieb wedgheads and other games.
Whoa! Incredible.
Quoted from Electrocute:Ding Dong which I'll probably sell.
Ding Dong is an awesome game once you play it a bit. Definitely shop it out and give it a chance...
Quoted from Electrocute:Volley
Possibly my favorite wedge head.
Yeah Flip a Card is a lot of fun. The way it is set up, its fun to try to light up the whole guitar and go for multiple specials. It is still a decent tournament game, though you are always shooting for the ace or trying to get back in the top inlanes. When I had one, I definitely found myself shooting for specials more than score.
It's great to see so much love lately for Volley. Definitely one of my favorite games of all time. Mine still gets tons of play and it's not going anywhere soon.
Quoted from Electrocute:The backglass on that Dodge City looks really nice. Usually the animated cowboy cuts into the blonde girl's hair. Very good pickup. Took me awhile to find a decent example.
I've been looking for a nice Dodge City for a long while. I have a Paradise, which is a similar game with the spinning projector under the playfield. Paradise is unfortunately 99% luck because you can't shoot directly to the drop holes to collect the big points. The ball simply drops in as it is rolling around randomly. Dodge City on the other hand is a shooters game (pun intended) with the gates. It is basically an early Steve Ritchie fan!
Just brought a couple in this weekend. Buccaneer is really nice original game. It's just here in the garage holding area and will probably go to a local friend. I'll tune it up and play it some of course. The Twin Win is destined for my main gameroom to replace the Bally Quarterback. Hate to give up the QB, but it is going to a good friend who has done me right many times.
Quoted from Darcy:Just 1 question. Just above the 'Spin Roto' on the lower playfield, there appears to be a 1 circle in each side of the pin. Were playfield posts put there once? Or from another pin, the art work covers an insert?
Those are inserts on Paradise which it the replay version. See it in my picture here:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/em-show-us-your-em-pinball-machines/page/156#post-3538708
Ship-Mates just moved into the game room two nights ago. This machine took me more time repairing and troubleshooting than any game I can remember having. First I completely stripped, shopped it and rebuilt everything including new pop bumper bodies, the correct caps, all coil sleeves, etc. Fortunately playfield, cabinet, plastics and backglass are acceptable without repainting or having to touch up. Once it was cleaned and shined, I literally had to clean and adjust every switch and mechanism in the game to get it working 100%. There isn't a single wire on the schematic that I haven't covered in my troubleshooting at this point. It plays great now and is pretty snappy without having to high tap it. A new slice of playfield glass was the last addition and it looks amazing in my game room!
20180829_183636 (resized).jpg20180829_183648 (resized).jpg20180829_183658 (resized).jpg20180829_183711 (resized).jpgWhile I'm posting, I'll throw in a second EM that's new to me. I got this beautiful Bally Expressway from Pinside member "docquest" during the pre-Allentown for sale thread. This game arrived in beautiful shape and unlike the Ship-Mates above required a minimum of repair and troubleshooting. I cleaned and shopped the heck out of it and finished it off with a new slice of playfield glass. The game sure is a beauty. You have to look close at the cabinet to tell that its original. It almost looks too nice not to be a really good re-stencil job!
Thanks to docquest for a smooth purchase and a game that was if anything nicer that what I expected! Also, thanks to Pinside member Rixzilla for the excellent and unbelievably fast shipping service to Florida.
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Must be the elbow grease. I did use LEDs but just on a few really dark inserts on Ship-Mates. Other than that both games have #44 bulbs and no LEDs in all of the playfield inserts and GI.
The Ship-Mates is a great head to head game because of all the progressive rules and extra ball robbing that are possible!
Quoted from Inkochnito:Very, very nice!
Good looking machines.
Nice to see my score and instruction cards are being used.
Is that a F14-Tomcat left of Lawman?
Peter
www.inkochnito.nl
Notice your cards on the Ship Mates too! I was glad for the Word files so I could modify the free game scores a little and make it 5 balls.
I've been playing with my new 3D printer. This might offend some purists here but I started making replacement start buttons for my 60s and 70s Gottlieb EMs to make them more obvious. They are now similar to the newer Gottliebs. I won't be having to point out the start button to people any more and it actually makes it easier on me too! I do plan on making some other EM parts that are not available new. The old card guides for 60s Gottlieb score reel assemblies are coming up soon.
20190527_113801 (resized).jpgQuoted from woody76:such a cool pin. all I need is a top score now and I will have my 3 favorite EMs.[quoted image]
Congrats! Dodge City is a great game. I'm about to do a playfield swap on mine.
Quoted from woody76:sweet, did you get someone to restore a PF for ya?
No I got a second parts machine that is missing a lot of parts in the back box including the dancing guy. It does have a really nice playfield though. I'm just going to clean it up, shop it out completely and swap it in.
Quoted from NoQuarters:Dodge City looks nice. Interesting layout too. Should be fun trying to hit those gates.
It's like an early Steve Ritchie fan. I love Paradise as a similar game, but hitting the kicker holes in that game is pretty much pure luck. The gates on Dodge City are great for sharpshooting.
Quoted from gdonovan:Actually I have little confidence for 3 reasons- Limitations of the scanner software, tool calibration and cabinet fade. However it does get you close and what I will do is take some good size blobs of the paint and will tint them up and down and proceed from there.
I used an app called color grab on my phone. Helps a lot to have a really nice phone camera like the latest samsung or apple model and good natural lighting.
When you post pictures please post the name of the game(s). It will help future searching within the thread. Thanks
Quoted from Playdium:That's fine example! Very good looking machine.
Indeed, I love Paradise and that is certainly a beauty!! That is a keeper!
Quoted from jrpinball:Agree. Not every game needs a museum-quality restoration, but if that's what you want and you can do it, go ahead. I like the original look to a point. Nothing like a mint original though.
I have learned to live with some significant patina on the cabinet. I would rather have the game original unless it is really bad or it is de-laminating from water damage or something. Both of these games above have cabinets that are rough, but I can live with for now. I did replace the bottom board in the Dodge City because it was basically disintegrated. I put in a 1/2" plywood sheet and now it is rock solid when it is riding around on my cart!
Quoted from gdonovan:Magic Town in the line up!
Not sure I like this one yet, need to tune it up though before making judgment.[quoted image]
There is one for sale here in Florida. Let us know how it plays!
Quoted from Rat_Tomago:I am drooling over that Ship Mates? How fun is it to play? I never was able to finish my project Ship Mates due to personal issues a few years back. One day I hope to at least get to play a game on one.
It's a great playing game, especially for multiple players. It has great progressive rules and satisfying shots. Fun to steal the extra ball after someone else leaves you set up! This is my go to game when friends come over and it's time to go head to head and lock horns.
Quoted from Ballypin:Ooops, I did it again. This one surely will be for sale or Bally trade bait.
[quoted image][quoted image]
That things looks nice. As mentioned it's not a title you see very often. If you were closer...
Quoted from LeChuck:Out of curiosity, can bgresto print up new backglasses? Or do they only do restorations on existing backglasses?
I assumed it was the latter, but from what limited reading I've done on their process it seems like they could theoretically print new ones too.
They make new ones...
Just got my Sky Jump. I bought it from a guy on Pinside and friend of mine picked it up in mid-August near St Louis. The game finally made it down with him to Florida for his winter vacation. I have a new Wade playfield to put into it. Game should be sweet when it's all done.
20200113_223630 (resized).jpgFinally moved the Teacher's Pet into the game room. It is completely shopped minus some flipper tweaks. I also replaced a hand full of coils that had metal sleeves which couldn't be removed. The game had a dreadful hand painted cabinet when I got it. I didn't feel like doing a full cab restoration and stencil, so I did a quick repaint using masking tape and a circle cutter. I took the liberty of changing a few things around including making the apples red instead of green. It's very similar to the original cab art and colors, but I like mine better. I never liked the original art and colors, though I've only seen it in pictures.
The game is challenging and a lot of fun. Will most likely be a keeper!
Quoted from o-din:You did a super nice job. Looks way better than the all orange painted one I had.
Thanks. I'm tired of cabinet restores, so it takes a lot for me to actually do one. I've become very forgiving of scratches and dents these days. All orange might have looked better than what my cabinet looked like when I got it.
It did turn out nice considering I did it with a paint brush, frisket and masking tape. I used "mural paint". The coverage was great with just two thin brush coats. I brushed the whole cabinet with Minwax Polycrylic satin clear once the paint was done. That gave some protection and a little extra shine to the paint.
The legs and coin door were done with Rustoleum Hammered paint. I'm waiting on the coin door stickers from down under.
Just finished off the Spanish Eyes. This game was a project. When I got it, it had been in storage somewhere hot for a long time. The playfield was planking and peeling and worn to the bone around all the pop bumpers. I decided to make a playfield protector to prevent any further damage. I have a good method for making the protector, so that is not a huge project. I did a little touch up on the playfield and to fix the areas under the pops, I made some sun patterns like the ones already in the art other places on the playfield and put them under the protector. All in all the playfield looks nice now even though I left a lot of patina rather than repainting large areas. The protector makes it shiny, smooth and fast.
The game came to me with the backglass completely peeled and basically gave a clear view of the backboard lamps! I got a BGResto glass and it sure looks sweet!!
I went with all LEDs against my normal way of doing EMs. In rare cases the heat from regular bulbs can cause the protector sheets to expand and not sit totally flat. Either way, I figured LEDs would look good in this game. I went with Sunlight LEDs from Comet. They are a nice mix between daylight and warm white. The LEDs also work behind the BGResto backglass because it doesn't pass as much light through as an OEM glass.
The game plays so fast its unbelievable. It may be the fastest pop bumper action I have ever seen!
20200331_232656 (resized).jpg20200331_233934 (resized).jpg20200331_233946 (resized).jpg20200331_234008 (resized).jpgQuoted from miracleman:Dibs...
This may be a keeper for a while. We will definitely lock horns on it when you come over.
Quoted from DCRand:Hi, any chance of sharing the playfield protector secret?
It is not too difficult if you have the right tools and avoid the wrong tools. Work on a thick (3/4) plywood as backing because most of the cutting involves punching and the required a good whack from a hammer. For holes, I use a punch and NEVER a drill. I have a punch kit for all sizes. For long cuts I use really nice scissors (Fiskars). For short straight cuts I use a set of nice wood chisels. Don't try to use a knife. Using a combination of tools, each one right for the cut you need, it will end up really clean looking.
Here are the basic steps for an EM.
- Strip the playfield leaving only the wood rails if possible.
- Measure carefully and cut the protector so it covers the playfield and a little way around into the shooter lane. Use only .020 polycarbonate material. Don't use the thicker stuff. Leave the protective layer on until the final installation and then peel it off.
- Mark sure the protector can move a little bit in all four directions say an 1/8" or a few mm and mark two or three holes where there are posts on the playfield. Punch small holes to allow installing posts. The purpose here is to hold down the protector good and firm.
- Trace all of the lines and holes that you want to cut with the plastic held firmly in place. Remember to leave a small gap around everything on the playfield. The final protector should be able to move back and forth freely a little bit or it will bow up when it expands from heat.
- Cut out all of the lines you have traced and return the protector to the playfield and screw it back down again with the posts. Make sure you didn't miss anything.
- Now enlarge the holes from the hold down posts you have been using so the posts no longer go over top of the protector.
- Begin repopulating the playfield and make sure nothing prevents the protector from being able to move. You might need to return it to the bench a dozen times to trim here and there.
The PETG sheets may be hard to come by right now - 0.020 is the key. Nothing thicker. Order a few sheets and they ship them flat instead of rolled...
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00B1U1X4A/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_1LdPEbG372SW4
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B000Q7AVL0/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_LGdPEbQQAYQQ6
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07GS1GKKF/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_UHdPEb58QVNJF
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07Q2L6W5W/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_yIdPEb6X5KSA6
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Quoted from Peruman:Thanks for sharing this. One question, after installed, what holds the protector down? I like this as an alternative to clear coating a restored play field.
Alberto
Nothing holds the protector down. If you make it right it should be able to move a little bit in all four directions before hitting a post or something. This might seem odd. The reason this is done is because the Playfield is wood and when it heats up it expands at a different rate than the plastic does. When this happens the plastic will bubble up. That's the reason the play field protectors that are available commercially work the same way.
Quoted from wayinla:Do you worry about dirt and miscellaneous dust getting under the protector?
I haven't seen it in home use. I make sure the game is spotless before they go down and I'm careful when I go in and clean and wax. I should note that I only put these on games with bad cupping on the inserts or to prevent further damage on a game like my Spanish Eyes that is badly planked and chipping. I just finished up on my Fun Land and the playfield is nice and the inserts are flat, so the only protector on this one is a good coat of wax.
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Quoted from John_in_NC:Rearranged the EMs together. Space was DMD filled forever. The EMs are winning.
[quoted image]
Does that neon reflect on the playfield glass?
Yeah the spinners in Fun Land are really cool in the way they score based on where they stop rather than how hard you rip it. The roving Special and the spinning wheel lights make for a real frenzy when you get to that stage of the game. Agree this is a unique and under rated game.
Normally I have a self imposed ban on pinball machines in the house outside of the game room. I am out of room and the garage is hot in the summer, so Spanish Eyes found its way into my guest bedroom. It actually looks kind of good there, and is close by my home office while I'm still telecommuting!
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