Bad Cats
Williams, 1989Im starting to think ahead to my next project, I want to start collecting parts now for next years exciting endeavour. When Im done I would like to have this...
s11_badcats1 (resized).jpg
Im starting with a populated playfield....
20210501_195154 (resized).jpg
I have a very nice backglass...
10a2e8b5264233c2699c8ac03a2d6479eb80ff4f (resized).jpg
And the insert panel complete with animation...
6da4a920393c9dd349b1996064b3cb99c527ef19 (resized).jpg
Thats all I have at the moment.
Now, unless someone has a bad cats that has a roached playfield and backglass (yeah, probably not gonna get that lucky), Im gonna need some parts. Second choice would be to buy a much less desirable title donor game from the same era and harvest the parts from that. (Big guns?)
Last resort but most likely option is to build one from scratch, compiling parts over the next year.
I can put together a complete cab and head, but would need a long list of components and would like some help...
1) anybody got a shitty, cheap Bad Cats? 
2) anybody have a cheap alternative game from that era that would have the platform I need ?
3) what are the titles that I could use that would give me boards, transformer, harnesses etc that I could use for BC?
4) can we compile a list of parts I need to source individually if neither of the other options are available?
Thanks!
I would be looking for another system 11b roached out machine to be a donor. If the playfield and backglass will fit in a Jokerz, those can be had fairly cheap.
Quoted from uncivil_engineer:I would be looking for another system 11b roached out machine to be a donor. If the playfield and backglass will fit in a Jokerz, those can be had fairly cheap.
I’ll be following this. I’m sure you’ll get a donor game. Where’d you come upon a populated PF? Good score!
Not trying to be presumptuous here. Seems to me you have already acquired the hardest parts of building the machine.
Those contain the machine specific parts. Pretty much everything else is generic to System 11B. The hardware is available from various Pinball parts merchants.
You have already demonstrated your 1337 woodworking skillz so the cabinet should not be a problem for you. I think the only things you need are:
01_system11_cabinet (resized).jpg
02_system11_backbox (resized).jpg
I am sure there are other things that I am missing but that's probably a good starting point.
I have a fair number of the electronics available if you're interested. A few of the boards (sound and power) have problems that I am working through. The big screw terminal 30,000uF capacitor and bridge rectifier can be replaced with a custom board I can make for you if you want. The 30,000uF capacitor can be replaced with 2x 15,000uF or 3x 10,000uF capacitors in parallel on a board. The fuse on the side can be incorporated on the board.
Anything in red below works.
Not all system 11 games are created equal. You need a game that uses an interconnect board in the backbox, so you will have a compatible wiring harness. Big guns has a funny cabinet and doesn't have an interconnect, so probably not the best. The interconnect boards are specific to their respective game.
Jokerz is probably the best donor for a bad cats swap. Both the lamp and switch matrix will be correct, but you will have to change the pinout for the solenoid power. Jokerz uses the same display as bad cats, but it has a different sound board. Doing the swap isn't as plug and play as you might think.
I am a Bad Cats owner who will be doing a full restore one of these days (years) and can help out with anything you need as far as pictures. Kudos to you tho- you have the important stuff- especially that backbox panel! Impossible to find.
Quoted from ToucanF16:I’ll be following this. I’m sure you’ll get a donor game. Where’d you come upon a populated PF? Good score!
It popped up for sale a few years ago, I grabbed it just because it was available and figured maybe someday I would do something with it.
That day is now approaching!
Quoted from DumbAss:Not trying to be presumptuous here. Seems to me you have already acquired the hardest parts of building the machine.
The populated playfield.
The insert panel.Those contain the machine specific parts. Pretty much everything else is generic to System 11B. The hardware is available from various Pinball parts merchants.
You have already demonstrated your 1337 woodworking skillz so the cabinet should not be a problem for you. I think the only things you need are:The parts in the cabinet.
The transformer.
The power box.
The cabinet speaker.
The wiring harness from the transformer to the backbox.
The wiring harness from the backbox to the coin door.
The tilt mechanism and related items.
The flipper switches and related items.
The volume control and related items.[quoted image]
The parts in the backbox.The metal backing plate.
The knocker assembly.
The backbox electronics.[quoted image]
The speaker panel.The speakers.
The display.
The plastic speaker cover.I am sure there are other things that I am missing but that's probably a good starting point.
I have a fair number of the electronics available if you're interested. A few of the boards (sound and power) have problems that I am working through. The big screw terminal 30,000uF capacitor and bridge rectifier can be replaced with a custom board I can make for you if you want. The 30,000uF capacitor can be replaced with 2x 15,000uF or 3x 10,000uF capacitors in parallel on a board. The fuse on the side can be incorporated on the board.
Anything in red below works.
[quoted image]
Awesome bit of info here, thank you.
Its good to know there is a source for boards if I have to individually piece this together vs. a complete donor game.
Quoted from donjagra:Jokerz is probably the best donor for a bad cats swap. Both the lamp and switch matrix will be correct, but you will have to change the pinout for the solenoid power. Jokerz uses the same display as bad cats, but it has a different sound board. Doing the swap isn't as plug and play as you might think.
That makes sense, and jokerz is one of the more affordable 11b games right now.
I know that unless I start with a donor BC, I will have quite a challenge to make it all work.
If it was easy, everybody would be doing it...
Quoted from truemagoo102:I am a Bad Cats owner who will be doing a full restore one of these days (years) and can help out with anything you need as far as pictures. Kudos to you tho- you have the important stuff- especially that backbox panel! Impossible to find.
Thank you, I may take you up on that
Looking forward to seeing this come together! If anyone can do it, you will! I don’t have anything to help for the cause other than support. I have a badly flaked backglass but you’re set there.
Quoted from dmacy:Looking forward to seeing this come together! If anyone can do it, you will! I don’t have anything to help for the cause other than support. I have a badly flaked backglass but you’re set there.
I appreciate that, support is what I am going to need more than anything else.
I just missed this, sounds like its what im looking for...
Screenshot_20210502-070533_Samsung Internet (resized).jpg
I changed my Wanted ad to Jokerz instead of any sys 11b
So I took a look in the dwindling stash of parts I got from tracelifter years ago and was lucky enough to find a transformer for this project.
I now have:
Populated playfield with harness
Backglass
Complete Insert board
Transformer
I think the only other game specific parts I need are the speaker art panel and cab decals, both of which seem easily available
20210502_083634 (resized).jpg
I have the basics already as far as legs, lockdown bar,receiver, hinges, coin door left over from previous restorations
I think the most valuable thing you would get from a doner machine is the wiring harness. Jokerz has both the aux driver board, and the interconnect board. However just a warning, the interconnect boards were setup for each specific game. I seem to recall the circuits that had flashers on them had the big 5watt resistors.
Quoted from cosmokramer:So I took a look in the dwindling stash of parts I got from tracelifter years ago and was lucky enough to find a transformer for this project.
I now have:
Populated playfield with harness
Backglass
Complete Insert board
Transformer
I think the only other game specific parts I need are the speaker art panel and cab decals, both of which seem easily available
[quoted image]
I have the basics already as far as legs, lockdown bar,receiver, hinges, coin door left over from previous restorations
You need the interconnect board. It is specific to bad cats.
https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/D-12313-575
Jokerz is a fun game, I put 600 plays on it before I converted it. I also kept all the parts because the conversion is reversable. If someone were to make me a SoF cabinet, for example....
Quoted from Methos:FWIW, Jokerz is a better player than Bad Cats. I had both...still have Jokerz (that is my for sale ad) and Bad Cats is long gone.
Yeah, I hear you. Believe me I am not doing this so I can immerse myself in the greatest rule set of all time, or to experience edge of your seat excitement.
I am doing this because there is something naughty about Bad Cats... the sultry overtones and jazzy music are a great combo.
And I like cats
And I trying to avoid my WH20 restoration as long as I can so this project will keep me busy after FH is wrapped up at the end of this year.
Quoted from uncivil_engineer:Working this and Funhouse at the same time? Looks like fun!
No, not quite, just collecting parts for BC at the moment... If I dont take a break from restoring after FH is done and work on an increasingly lengthy "honey do" list my wife has been putting together all summer, I may have to find a new place to live...
Quoted from cosmokramer:Uh-Oh
My wife just sent me this screenshot if a conversation with the girl at out postal location. Looks like one of the packages exploded on the way, I hope not too much is missing...
[quoted image]
Me-ouch!
Looks like most everything in here...
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The speaker didnt make it...
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Some broken plastic but all in all it could have been worse. The speakers were not going to be used anyway.
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Nice to start making a bit of progress on this.
Better late than never...
Just signed back on to pinside after stepping away for about 2 years since I finished my FH resto...
Time to get back to pinball, and more specifically, lets build a Bad Cats!
Over the next week or so I am going to begin to get parts that I have on hand inventoried, and make a detailed list of parts needed.
Im sure it will take a while to gather all the parts needed...
Quoted from cosmokramer:Better late than never...
Just signed back on to pinside after stepping away for about 2 years since I finished my FH resto...
Time to get back to pinball, and more specifically, lets build a Bad Cats!
Over the next week or so I am going to begin to get parts that I have on hand inventoried, and make a detailed list of parts needed.
Im sure it will take a while to gather all the parts needed...
Welcome back buddy! I missed ya.
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Red Lion, PA
