Yes.

Yes, these can still be repaired; there are several options for removing rust from parts (e.g., Evap-o-Rust, Oxalic acid, CLR, buffing/mechanical means).

Yes, there are plenty of parts available; pbresource.com, eBay, other collectors, parts games, etc.

It would be helpful to know what game it is though. Most 70's Gottlieb backboxes only contain 3-4 relays (unless you're meaning all the steppers and solenoids too).

Just need more info to be able to provide accurate help.

I'll go first...

That's way too rusted to repair. I'd be happy to take it off your hands.<g>

They are generally accurate (they count how many times a game has been started). If the game was maintained during its playing lifetime (on route) with proper cleaning and waxing, then it's possible for the playfields to survive nicely. What kills playfields is improper cleaning, bad environmental storage, no waxing, rusted pinballs and such. This one looks like it was maintained at least somewhat, and the count is about average for the age of it.

That would be too rusted for me work on given the game.

So fixable. Just look at some of the threads.
This is not even close to a parts machine.
The backbox needs some unrusting but probably works fine
The bottom board looks dusty but fine.
Beautiful machine

--Jeff

A little surface rust never killed anyone.... unless they got tetanus.

It's entirely fixable and doesn't look to be in bad shape at all. You'd probably have to take most of those parts off in an better condition machine to clean and adjust points anyhow.

you know it's too rusty, when you put a part in rust remover for an hour, then you come back and it's gone.

nah, 96k is just getting broken in... i'd wager that most em's that are in people's collections have at least that, if not far more... i know all of mine are over 100k...

they may "work" in their existing condition... i've seen worse looking parts still work... it may take a few plays to get everything moving, but it wouldn't be overly surprising if most of it still did what it was supposed to do...

that being said, a bit of work and chemicals should clean everything up... de-rusting the parts would just be an additional step in the normal "take everything apart and clean it" part of a shop job...

oh, one more thing... not to be a nanny, but get a tetanus shot... anyone who works on old pins should have one... better to be safe than sorry...

In my limited experience with EM pins they can look quite rusty and work just fine. Only the contact surfaces and moving parts need to be reasonably clean. Brackets the hold parts and other structural components can be a real mess visually and work just as well as super clean ones.

If you are just getting into EMs I would do the least possible to get it working and fix problems as they come up. If you start with a total tear down you may lose interest before you even get to play a game.

I am amazed how my EM pins can have some marginally working parts on them if they have sat unplayed for a while and once I play a few games on them the pin starts to fix itself (contacts get clean enough, things free up, etc.)

Amazing that it could get that rusty yet show little playfield or backglass damage.

I recently expanded my em collection. They are simpler games to play, but still enjoyable. Also parts are relatively inexpensive and usually cleaning/adjusting makes it function again. Nice score on another fine collectible pin.

When I get a game that has sat for a long time unplayed the very 1st thing I do is go through the steppers and score reels and make sure they're working properly. There's two approaches to the steppers - I take Tri-Flow lubricant and lightly spray pivot points and the main shaft and then work it good. Use Q-tips and rags/paper towels and get that old grease/gunk out of the stepper. Rinse and repeat 3 or 4 times until it is moving freely. Take apart the coil plunger and clean and clean or replace the plastic coil sleeve. The coil stop should be tight and flat and not mushroomed out. The coil plunger linkage should not be sloppy. Generally, coils are good. Most coils that go bad are continuous duty-type coils. Pinball Resource sells any parts you need for your Gottlieb em game. A "correct" stepper should "snap" back when manually engaged. Check your springs to see if they're stretched out. Pinball Resource sells a spring kit - call and tell Steve what you have and he'll set you up.

The other approach is to completely disassemble the stepper and do pretty much the same as above and reassemble.

I also check all score reels for proper operation when I receive a game. Since yours are rusty I would suggest taking the coil assembly apart and clean everything you can get to and pretty much doing the same as the stepper above. Gunk/dried lubricants/rust are the worst enemy of score reels. Pinrepair.com has good info. on cleaning/adjusting switches and contacts.

Steppers and score reels are two of the biggest problems with these Gottlieb's.

Yep.

The switch stacks are only held in with the screws, and the coil with the brass screw. Note though, that there is also a brass washer between the coil and the bracket, so that after the screw is out to remove the coil, this washer is going to fall out. Make sure not to lose it.

Then the spring for the armature plate can be removed and the armature comes off.

It's easier to take apart than to put back together though. Gotta get that brass screw sandwiched back in place and then get the screw back in. Then the hardest part is getting the switch blades back into the correct rungs of the plastic ladder stack. It becomes easier with practice though. I have the best luck getting the bottom blades in first and then work upwards, with a slight flex.

Suggest starting a new thread with the game title and issue as the topic.

But coin switches should normally be open; they only close when the coin passes by to trip them.

woot!!! nice looking pro-football there... i really like mine...

yea, i've got the startup sequence... as dirtflipper suggested, fire up a new thread and i'll post it there for you and "we"* can work through your issue...

* translated: i'll flail at it, and dirtflipper will find the solution(s)...

Well, if you're ANYWHERE near Dallas, I'll be more than happy to take Crescendo off your hands. My wife has wanted one forever.

I am salivating over that beautiful pro football wedge head! Nice pick up!