(Topic ID: 175044)

F-14 Tomcat for my Super Mario Bros

By aerobert

7 years ago


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  • 13 posts
  • 7 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 7 years ago by aerobert
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#1 7 years ago

I received an offer to trade a F14 Tomcat for my Gottlieb Super Mario Bros.

I'm quite happy with my SMB. It plays well, I put on some nice GI-leds and the cab is in a good condition. It looks great. I only had it for 8 months or so and I haven't done much too it. The machine is charming but kind of slow and boring.

Condition wise; Center pop bumper is dead (it registers hits but no coil action) and there is some wood wear in the bumper area. And a little around the holes. The last owner lost the keys so I haven't bothered to remove the backbox lock and inspect it.

Will I enjoy F-14? The theme is awesome (I love planes and top gun) but it lacks both ramps and modes imo. His machine is in good condition, some wear on the left outlane kicker and the factory mylar is old and starting to come off. The electronic boards are recently serviced by pros. The backglass is signed by Steve Richie.

Here's the kick, the guy offers roughly 870 USD on top of the machine...

What do you think?

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#2 7 years ago

Normally I would say no, don't do it. In a small collection I'd almost always take a DMD over a non-DMD game (aside from some of the later System 11 games). But you don't sound too thrilled with the gameplay of SMB and it needs some love. If you have the skills, I would hang on to SMB and fix it up. Don't judge a game that isn't fully working and dialed-in. If you don't want to give it some TLC then take the trade and move on. For all of F14's faults, it is NOT slow and boring. Just find the right speaker panel for it and hang that Millionaire panel on the wall.

#3 7 years ago

If the Super Mario were mine, I'd be on the phone immediately, saying, "let's do the trade".

When you get the F14, remove the backglass & immediately replace the batteries. Advise the new owner of Sper Mario to drill out the lock & replace batteries as well.

Put the $870 away in a PINBALL PURCHASE only fund. You'll have a start on funding your next game.

#4 7 years ago

I for one like both machines however that F-14 playfield looks a little worse for wear. The stopper between the two flippers is missing and that back panel where the scoring display is in the backbox looks to me like it's off Millionaire so that's missing also. As for that autograph unless you can authenticate it it's worthless.

I'd hold onto your Super Mario Bros pinball machine. Going to be more of a collectors piece than a beat up F-14. I'd hate to see ya get Choggard on a deal but that F-14 looks like it was slapped together to pawn off on some poor unsuspecting noob pinhead collector.

F-14 they made a ton of them...they got alot of play in the arcade and many of them are beat up pretty bad so even though it's a cheap pin I'd hate to see you end up with a clunker!

But that's just my two cents.

#5 7 years ago
Quoted from Hoopjohn:

Put the $870 away in a PINBALL PURCHASE only fund. You'll have a start on funding your next game.

Yup, this is the main pull as prices here in Sweden are lower than the states. You can get a decent DMD title in good condition between 1700-2000 USD.

Quoted from adii:

Normally I would say no, don't do it. If you have the skills, I would hang on to SMB and fix it up.

Just find the right speaker panel for it and hang that Millionaire panel on the wall.

Holy crap, I had'nt even noticed the speaker panel! I dont think its that bad of a condition otherwise, its mainly dirty and needs new rubbers.
But a new panel will cost a few bucks. :/

I dont have the skills to fix pf wear (unless its with decals) but I can replace a simple bumper coil and drill the lock (which hangs loose unscrewed but still blocks the glass).

I wouldnt hesitate if it had been a Back to the future machine.

#6 7 years ago

K's Arcade has the speaker panel for $40.

https://ksarcade.net/f14-speaker-display-plastic.html

I wouldn't sweat the wear on the playfield of your SMB. I just meant get everything working right, clean it up, and enjoy!

#7 7 years ago

Yeah I like SMB. But the $$$ plus a relatively good F14 is tempting.... Very torn.

#8 7 years ago

I have f-14 and wouldn't get rid of it, the gameplay is shallow but fun and fast when it's clean/waxed and working right. That one looks like a decent typical used f-14, most have some wear and raised inserts. I would do the trade and with the extra money I would see if you can get in on the repro f-14 playfield. I have played smb a few times and while it was ok it really didn't do much for me.

#9 7 years ago

Well, it seems that he can get hold of an original speaker panel for the F14 and he tells med the PF is really nice underneath the old mylar.
I'm going to take a look in person on sunday and decide wether or not I'll go for it, but its likely I'll do the trade.

The game has been serviced by a well known pinball collector in the area so electronics and coils/flippers are all overlooked or replaced.

#10 7 years ago
Quoted from aerobert:

the PF is really nice underneath the old mylar.

I would not take the mylar off. Will probably remove alot of paying on inserts and some on playfeild even if done right. Just leave it and play it.

#11 7 years ago
Quoted from aerobert:

he tells med the PF is really nice underneath the old mylar.

You can clearly see the arrow inserts are raised under the mylar, which is a common problem with the F14. That is what causes those bubbles under the mylar. Furthermore, the holes in the playfield below the Fly Again insert arent supposed to be there, and the metal ball guides below the flippers are missing.

Also, the plastic in the middle is broken and seems to have been "fixed" with a key fob, and the plastic on the mid left is also broken at the bottom.

I'd be cautious of any similar creative fixes on the underside of the playfield and in the backbox.

I'd take the F14 over the SMB though. F14 is awesome!

#12 7 years ago

Yeah I know, someone have probably put in a stopper or a post of some sorts. The missing ball guides is not an important or expensive detail.

The broken plastics are not that bad. The key fob fix is actually kind of creative in this case. I will inspect the game further on site. The raised inserts is the deal breaker here, I will check to see how much, because that is the type of job that I don't want to do.

1 week later
#13 7 years ago

Met the guy and inspected it a bit. Ended up talking for hours, as per usual when you meet a new acquaintance with the same interest. We shared a few other interests as well!

The arrow inserts are slightly raised. The center plastic is broken and loose, and the upper right outhole kicker is kind of....slow? It would take a second or two before it sent the ball out. But otherwise the machine looked fine for its age and the work in the backbox was properly done and had an external battery holder attached too. Someone knew what they did.

He will throw in new rubbers and an original speaker panel, because he had another F14. So I will go ahead and go through with the deal since he was building a game room for his employees. There was a lineup with five other great machines.

Nice machine, nice guy. All good. Thanks for your advise.

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