Just acquired this game and I hate the cliffy on the lock shot. Other approaches that might preserve game play while also preserving the playfield?

Other recs on must-have or other cool mods?

For home use, how wrecked is that shot going to get anyway?

Tempted to get these blades
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JFC I just checked it out and it appears that I have to disassemble the left ramp, plastics and more to remove the goddamn cliffy. This is an otherwise beautiful version of the machine. Ugh.

Are people 100% sure that super light ups and points from change set up do absolutely nothing? I'm tempted to go deep on some glass off testing. Has Nordman or anyone else involved with the game ever commented on the rules?

I love the game but don't much care about the race itself. So they just look cool to me!

That's a great idea and I think I'll definitely take this route. From the couple of photos I found I can't quite tell how this was installed, namely where it attaches.over by the plastics under the left ramp. Attachment to the post by the right side of the lock entrance is obvious enough.

Can the same gate be used for the saucer shot straight up the middle?

Also there is no way to replicate the real track views and to incorporate the iconic central tower (whatever it is called) on side blades in a way that would make geographic sense if one considers the art as being a track on the periphery of the playfield. That said, they could've just done it with the realistic vistas employed.

How do you guys usually set up your extra ball options? After playing more, I'm inclined to limit the EB from change set-up to one or zero (or if I have the options wrong, total EB's to 3). EB via speedway mode and right ramp is easy, as is at least one from change set-up. More than 3 EB's per game feels like too much. Changing the change set-up would also make me more inclined to pick laps or passes from there in pursuit of victory laps.

Djshakes or RobbyIRL5 could you describe and/post pics of how you installed the gate at the turbo lock shot? I'm struggling to figure out how best to mount it on the left side. The one up to by the center shot is obvious enough (although of course the game I just received is missing a screw on the right...)

The gate on the lock shot is a must! Especially if the cliffy is in place. Totally improved game play. I couldn't install one on the center shot so will try a foam pad to soften the bounce as someone else on here has done.

Also, this game needs a Pagoda topper!

I find the ramp easier to loop, but hitting that narrow gasoline alley shot off a hot feed to the flipper is just tough! And the time on that mode defaults to pretty short. I can play the shit out of this game but that's one mode I've considered making easier by adding time.

The foam padding made bounce outs from the center shot worse, and then I tried to add a gate like I did at the turbo lock, and it wasn't low enough to block the rebound. Are there lower hanging gates that are available?

I wish the spanners shots had been part of another victory lap or multiball or something worth chasing. Collecting them seems random with the rules as they are. And I know that building to points is similarly random on "hit the wall" but at least that might get strategic since you can collect it while landing a mode start shot on the right orbit.

So do you guys just accept that the light up targets seem to break easily? Is there a preferred replacement or mod that seems most durable?

So I got the adapters to repair a broken light up opto interrupter and then I noticed that the one in need of repair is the only one with guides in place (see right) and the opto interrupter piece gets stuck between them because it's too thick. Looks like the guides were removed in the other light ups. What's the best approach here? All options seem like a pain in the ass.

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Thanks for the reply. I got the pieces for sale on here and they're definitely too thick. I may just file them down to a thinner width, as the "least invasive" option. Or I might saw off the guide posts so I don't have to to deal with the rivets.

I love this game so much, but I can see why Bally never again employed these targets!

Holy shit that's amazing! Will try! Thanks!

Yes, they register fine as far as I can tell on playing and testing.

Having now "installed" and tested with gameplay, I can vouch for the light up targets repair caylegeorge recommended. Just fold a piece of electrical tape halfway down (to mimic the opto interrupter) and then cut the remaining tape down the middle so you can twist half of each side to stick to the right and left sides of the front and back of the target. Works beautifully!

I'd add wear at the saucer for the long center shot. Can lead to a lot of frustrating bounce outs SDTM. I rebuilt mine with putty and some foam padding, but you may also be able to install a gate in front of it.

This is admittedly sloppy but it worked. I used a wood epoxy putty to build up the saucer. Haven't sanded it to clean it up. Would pick a different style of epoxy if I had it to do again. I still got some bounce outs so I added the little piece of green foam you see, which worked to soften the shot. I'd say less than 5% of center shots bounce out now (had been probably over 50% prior to adjustments). Could definitely do a prettier job but for now I just want the game to play right. Also, see above for the easy electrical tape fix to the light up target breakage issue. Still working beautifully!
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Does anyone have a clear understanding of what relights "pass" on the left and "start race" in the middle? I haven't been able to sort out the logic.

Ok, I'd strongly suspected the first and lightly suspected the 2nd. Thanks!

The secret race modes are also great for advancing position if you can get lucky or nudge your way to a lot of action in the pops!

Was a couple of modes and 5 laps (for 400) shy of my fourth and fifth victory laps and left a damn EB on the table.

I love this game more and more as I dive deeper into it. There are so many subtle points of strategy. Leaves me able to ignore some of the holes in the code.

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Triple scoring doesn't apply to dueling drivers or to video mode. Applies to laps but not passes, I believe (not necessarily a bug, but passes are super hard to get to video lap unless you nail gasoline alley mode). I did once do a quick stack of 3x with wrong turn mode into multiball and it was nuts. Not sure if 3x applies to cashing in the spanner targets. Not a bug, but I do wish they'd made the spanner targets more a part of the game, i.e. something to go after as a mode or something, rather than what ultimately amounts to incidental points for keeping the ball alive
All souvenirs reward only 5 mil. Super light-ups apparently does nothing (which is a shame since they're otherwise not part of the game other than unto themselves toward the victory lap).

As a scoring note, I love if I can cradle one ball on the left and pound left ramp into lock all day. Gets up to 90 mil per lock shot and you really blow up a score since you're in total control with essentially single ball and single flipper play.

My rear-most light up (top left playfield) autofires at will and I have no idea why. The opto physics look fine. Recs in where to start troubleshooting? It's driving me nuts both with sound and scoring derangement, especially since I've gotten so much better at the game and actually play the light ups strategically!

I love this game so much. The light ups aren't so bad, and they convey information about shots remaining.

Or you can just put in a gate...much easier and just as effective.

HAHAHA!

Yucky teardown

I think the gate is totally the way to go. Super easy to install. The bounce outs aren't due to bad shots, really, since they're rare without the cliffy. To me, the gate seemed easier than messing with the angle of the backstop (i.e. bending metal).

You should decide how you want yours to be installed (I've seen different set ups on here), measure, and pick something suitable from Marco. Not sure there's a standard ideal since it wasn't designed for a gate.

Correct. I'm running 1.1

Yeah where'd you get them? This game needs better art blades than what's out there.

Does your game have a gate between the flippers and the saucer? Or are you referring to the one between the saucer and the PIT lanes?

Unless I'm mistaken, the gate in front of the saucer is not factory installed, so as an add on, this sort of thing tends to require custom tweaking.

Totally makes sense. Mine's definitely missing that. Something to fix!

They are definitely an odd element of the game. Zero relationship to theme. And it's notable that the hardware elements were never used again..

I actually like them (apart from breakage). I just wish they were better integrated via sound, DMD, or playfield art.

I find that especially if you've racked up INDY insane souvenirs, the pit stop multiball (which is fairly low scoring) is a good time to deliberately try to pick off and advance the light up target waves, especially of course if you can get a ball cradled on each flipper.

Is it typical for the lock to sometimes get confused on ball count during multiball? This seems to happen on random occasions. Also happened today when I had turbo boost multiball mode going, then regular multiball started and the first turbo shot was an immediate super jackpot. Everything felt so out of whack. Are you supposed to be able to stack turbo boost into the regular multiball? Vaguely related, but the game requires 4 balls - what are the scenarios when all four are in play?

I still can't believe it took me years to unlearn the myth that the super light ups mode does nothing. A little more info on the DMD would have gone a long way.

For the duration of the mode it takes only one shot to clear a light up target. Probably most useful if stacked into a multiball (aim or flail, your choice) or if you're close to finishing all the waves (souvenirs don't help with easing all waves).

I do try to get all the victory laps. And pit stop is a good time to shoot light ups. Could also argue for shooting them in regular multiball as well, esp when ball save is active, if you're getting close to finishing them. Finishing wave 5 (I think) also lights extra ball.

Has anyone ever done a good topper for this game? I've thought about doing something with Indy Car toys of some kind.

Where'd you get those art blades?

I'd never install the cliffy to begin with

What I should have said is

Do you have a gate installed? Mine had the cliffy when I bought it. Bounce outs all the time. Didn't want the work of removing it or messing with the backstop. Installed a gate. Bounce outs are now extinct.

I think I bought this from Marco Specialties. I just mounted it to the post, the other side is amply held in place by slight downward pressure so that it is sturdy and doesn't seem to slide on the plastic or seem to rotate on the post in either direction. I've played hundreds of games since doing this and it's worked beautifully.
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It doesn't look quite right, but it covers as much of the ball path as you need to do the job, and the rebound force that would produce a bounce out is pretty low velocity. Others may have better approaches, but this was easy to install and it's lasted!

I don't know what plastic I'm missing, but you may simply be able to find a different-size gate.

Doesn't obviously appear so. Really, it mostly depends on how it plays (dead bounce, shot angles, cradling).

I'm starting to think some games came without that gate. Mine had no signs of one.

Got mine yesterday. This really works well! Now I want to flank it with some scale model Indy cars.

So Al Unser Jr. maybe makes more sense to use. Could also do something using the different styles of car from years past (a la match sequence)

Anybody got a good mod for the launch button? Seems ripe for a wheel or steering wheel or the like. The stock green "serve ball" is so lame.

I suspect you could do a few basic options cheaply, maybe even one in 3D.
But then again I have no experience with that other than extrapolating from general mods I've seen on other machines. But does a close parellel exist on another machine that also has a launch button instead of a plunger?

I continue to have trouble with the rear most lite up target registering hits with mere nudges of the game (and sometimes apparently at rest during gameplay). I can see no physical problem with the target structures or connections. Anyone have any idea what the hell this could be caused by? It's the only bothersome problem with my game, and I actually like to play the targets!

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Will reevaluate later this week. Thanks to all!

Looking for the same, or at least a passable stand-in

Has anyone here put or seen Pinstadium lighting in this? Worth it?

Cool, thanks for the input. I've never had them on a game and am unsure I've ever seen them on any of the location games I play. Just trying to figure out if the $300+ is worth it. It does seem clear that the community here generally loves them.

What's about the most you guys have ever put up on a Turbo boost multiball? Just put up about 700M. Crazy that if you can cradle up on the left, you can just hammer ramp-scoop all day with the right flippers, all while building the jackpot on the main multiball to the max. You can really blow up a game if you get this early.

I like the translite but would be curious about an alternative. I have seen what little there is for art blades out there and would be interested in something new. Curious to hear more. Open to supporting this.

Check out this classic promo video:

My turbo multiball super jackpot doesn't give me four balls. Am I missing a ball or is it a buggy code issue, something else? I don't remember games I played on local giving four balls either. I also never knew that "hit the wall" effectively awards a pass by knocking another car out of the race, if I understand this hype video correctly.

Seems it's the SECOND super jackpot that gives you a fourth ball.

Has anyone yet found or compiled a complete, accurate accounting of the rules for this game? The one on pinball.org seems incomplete. The one I found on a virtual pinball forum (which extracted rules from the pinball arcade software) does not reflect the way the real game scores. I did recently confirm through game play that collecting Hit the Wall awards a pass!