After unboxed for 24 hours, I have to admit I am quite ok with factory 1.08 game code. I probably don’t know what I am missing with some of the custom SDcards, but the factory gamecode seems very complete and authentic to the real movie; music, original sound bites, video/images, etc. Also, the Groot multi ball is pretty amazing! As a family machine, pretty busy, in a good way. And the play field surface itself is nearly flawless which was a concern going into this purchase. (The scoop hole itself has some odd sawdust or something stuck in the clear coat, but a metal protector will cover that).

To make you feel even better, I don't believe you are missing any custom images. I believe they are exactly the same.

Cleland's mod as I understand it adds several full songs from the movie soundtrack and replaces some voice actor audio callouts with original audio from the movie. I noticed differences in the callouts but only played the stock code for a day. All that's really important is that you enjoy what you have!

If there's a cliffy for the scoop I haven't seen it and would like to know. I haven't installed the one I bought yet that I believe is a metal Stern original same as the Prem/LE.

I think you are correct about the hole protector. The part may have come from PBL I think. (it's been awhile since I ordered it). It is likely a Stern part.

Looking for an LE with topper, please PM me if interested in selling
Thanks

I'm glad you're enjoying it and I won't try to ruin that by telling you how awesome the Cleland sound package is and where you'd really notice it. Hopefully 1.08 gets the pinball browser treatment soon and you can see for yourself.

Mine arrived this morning! Serial# is in the 320's so pretty sure it's 1.08... Is there a thread or post that discusses mods? Specifically ones that are protective in nature, I'll worry about lights and stuff later.

Yesterday I decided to replace the PRO playfield service post legs, with the more usable service brackets found on the PREM/LE machines. I slide the playfield out pretty regularly on machines, so the posts seemed pretty limiting. Anyway, PBL sells the whole bracket kit for $50, and it takes 15 minutes to install. It involved pressing some T-Nuts into the playfield from the top under the apron, removing the post legs, and then drilling (yikes!) 4 small holes from the bottom where Stern marked them. The drilling was only only scary part, and I marked the drill bit with blue tape to tell me how deep to drill.

$50, 15-minutes, looks factory!

There are lots of posts regarding protective mods and other stuff a couple years or more back in this topic but it's a long read. I think the main protective item was when the early ones had no protective metal bar over the orb lock that Stern later added to protect the plastic from breaking. Several places made a clear plastic to add protection but I like the one from cpr9999 the best. Mine had the metal bar but it blocks the view so I removed it and installed the polycarbonate one he sold me.

The trough kickout into the launch lane benefits from some protection too I think, or at least turn down the power in the menu as much as possible. I installed a couple metal protectors for that. I also have the scoop protector but haven't installed it yet, I think it's probably a good idea but to me doesn't seem high priority.

I replaced my pegs with service rails, very worth it in my opinion if lifting the playfield much. I've lifted mine many times without sideart protectors but recently got a set of those anyway since I only have to slip once to damage my art blades.

I added plastic protectors pretty much everywhere else but I think most of them are more decorative than necessary. I like the look of the colored Ulek ones that compliment the stock plastics so for me it's mostly to have everything match than for the extra protection but overkill protection is ok.

I messed my side blades up pretty good lifting my playfield. What a noobie move.....smh

Condolences Yeah I can see how that could be easy to do.

I had a NIB on order for a couple months are ordered a lot of mods while waiting, including a set of Stern art blades. After a couple production delays it turned out my order didn't make it into the production run and got delayed to the end of the year. I got lucky and bought a March 2021 HUO with less than 100 plays on it that the original owner already installed the art blades on so now I have a spare set of art blades.

Oh nice! Yeah I was upset, I spent a good amount of time putting them in and making sure they where even and looked good.

I've installed almost all the mods I bought, here's the current list...

Cleland sounds for code 1.06
shaker motor, pinball life
side art blades, Stern
shooter eject trough protector
orange flourescent acrylic lower lane protectors, ULEK
green flourescent acrylic sling plastic protectors, ULEK
orange flourescent acrylic right orbit plastic protector, ULEK
shooter rod, superskillshot.com
speaker lighting and acrylic design, speakerlightkits.com
service rails, pinball life, replacing stock pegs
green LED Groot mouth illumination, mezelmods
purple LED scoop illumination, mezelmods
green LED ramp illumination, mezelmods
purple LED flipper buttons, britemods
white LED trough lighting, lermods
clear cabinet flipper button protector set, titan
pinwoofer spike super kit GT
pinstadium neo
competition silicon rings, titan
polycarbonate orb airball protector, cpr9999
orange flourescent acrylic rocket plastic protector, ULEK
colored flourescent acrylic pop bumper plastics protectors, ULEK
orange LED standup target illumination, mezelmods
sunon maglev 4020 silent fan for power supply, amazon

mods on hand but not yet installed:

scoop protector, pinball life
translucent drop target with RGB LED illumination for orb, pinball mods and comet

Anyone installed the metal scoop hole protector sold by PBL? Before I jump into it, any issues or things to look for I should know about?

Yep, pretty simple and straight-forward.

Yes do it. Had my Pro 2 years before this and the wood started chipping a bit. Easy install just take your time and must have.

You get Wizard Mod panels for the speaker?

I have a dilemma... If I get a Wiz panel mod for GOTG then I also need it for Jurassic Park since they sit next to each other... but I have a set of 3D printed dinosaur grills already installed on JP. So I haven't decided what to do, yet.

Hmmmm yeah you would have to get both. The one without it would look naked. I have them for GOTG and Maiden coming hopefully this week!

My orb lock protective plastic bit has the Stern metal bar in it. And it still cracked!
I’d get the CPR999 mod but the shipping to Australia costs more than the item its self.

Oh wow, so the metal isn't even doing the job. That's unpleasant. I'm doubtful the cpr9999 one I have will break, it seems to be a decent thickness of polycarbonate sheet and oversized in all the right ways. I could have made my own if I had an appropriately sized piece of PC, I have a CNC router that I use for that sort of thing but only have acrylic and carbon fiber on hand. For the time it would take me to accurately draw it up in Fusion360 I was very happy to support cpr9999 and not have to make my own, but to my US address the shipping wasn't an issue for me.

I wish I had the tools to print the graphics directly on the protector and just leave the original plastic off, it would look a lot cleaner to not see the edge of the smaller original at all. First-world problems.

I ship occasionally other mods to Australia.
I can let you know when shipping there again. I have connected Pinsiders to save on shipping. I usually send TBL mods at least once per quarter there.

FYI the protectors are made from pet-g plastic. If you crack it you would be the first. If these were made from acrylic yes to cracking, but pet-g bends not break.

(My early protectors were acrylic and we quickly learned the value of pet-g).

Waterslide decal material would allow you to esentially print on the cut plastic. You can get a dozen sheets of laser or inkjet compatible material, with white or clear substrate for $10-12 on Amazon. Worth a try if you want to experiment.

I wonder about the printable vinyl for Cricut machines?

Not sure how well laser toner or inkjet ink would adhere to cricut vinyl. Also, you need sheets of it to feed through a printer before you start slicing it up in the machine.

Install the scoop protector. I had a decent size piece of the clear chip out, and the protector i got after the fact, doesn't completely cover up the missing piece.
I also have the metal bar from stern, and my orb plastic broke....

Finally got the wiz mod speaker magnets . They look insanely good! Like the game should have come with these already on.

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Also, do you guys know how to get to the settings that allows you to restart a game by holding in the start button? My Iron Maiden came like that by default .

I forget what its called but its in there. Theres also a setting to end a game by holding start and left flipper

A couple of settings in v1.08 that might help:
ADJ > SPI
#21 - Balls / Game
#39 - Reset High Score at number of games
#49 - Left Flipper + Start Button End game
#53 - Allow flippers to launch ball

Thanks mark
Doesn’t look like 1.06 has that in there which makes sense now that I looked and Maiden has 1.08 and that came as a default feature . Ah well .

Look for "Game Restart" under Std. Adjustments.

The Left+Start end game option wasn't added to Stern games until recently; code updates to older Stern titles typically add that as part of the update.

Guardians of the Galaxy, is in the house. Ok, technically the garage. Just picked up this beautiful, nicely mod'ed pro today.

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Ill look again tonight.

The code update allowing left plus start button to end game came after last available Cleland code update. Since 1.08 isn't allowing him to update, if you are on his last code you can't restart the game this way. While I really do want this option for restarting I just live Cleland code too much.

Yeah I wont be updating soon either. Ill just live with the way it is for now.

Man this game is frustrating me. Its a lot like when I got my TMNT. That game really got to me, made me angry. Maybe Im not a borg guy! I dunno....Need to give it some time off and get back to it. Iron Maiden coming this week so itll give me some time off!

No issues for me. Went in ok and looks good.

That phrase had been uttered by many others.

I actually miss my TMNT LE i got. i gave up too fast. It was hard, but so pretty. And I never got to play half shell challenge.

Does anyone know of a third party GOTG Topper?
Mezel Mods has one that is, well ... okay, and I might consider it if I can't find anything else.
Naturally, I would love to have an OEM Stern Topper but haven't seen one posted in a while.
Tilt Topper and Laseriffic have nothing for GOTG.
If anyone knows of something else out there, I would be grateful for the info. Thanks.

Only decent one I found was the mezel mods topper. Ended up getting one and I think it looks better in person and actually really like it. It is also RGB which I didn't realize when I purchased. Pretty good quality powder coated 2 piece metal topper.

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Thanks BroMan90! Your reply pushed me over the edge. I'm going to go ahead and order one. I do know that photos on websites don't always do products justice. Hearing that it looks better in person was probably all that I really needed for me to give one a try. I have the Tilt Topper for Jurassic Park and it looks way better in person than it does in their photos.

Well, off to Mezel mod's website!

When I bought it I couldn't even tell it was made with metal. I was expecting cheap plastic but was pleasantly surprized.

Added lighted flippers to her. I love it. https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/lighted-flipper-kits-by-arcademadecom

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Anybody have a photo of what the back of the orb looks like on the pro? I have a spotlight not mounted to anything. Also looks like a plastic is missing. Is there a protector for the light board?

Don't have pic handy, but there is a spotlight that mounts on the back right behind the orb, I think that is the one you are talking about. Where on yours are you thinking there is a plastic missing? Light board, the one with the mystery light etc?

Tim

Thanks, @nagamitsu. I should have taken a photo myself to show what I have going on. I'll do that tonight. I just don't see anything to mount that spotlight on. There was also a ball trapped in that area when I bought it, so there must be something missing.

nagamitsu The board I was talking about is for the led right behind the orb. Could be a mod.