(Topic ID: 219010)

Just got home with my grail. Needs some work but......

By cottonm4

5 years ago


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  • 27 posts
  • 17 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 5 years ago by TractorDoc
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16
#1 5 years ago

I have been looking for two years for the final pin I want in my collection. I realize two years is nothing compared to how long some of you have been looking for that one pin.

I sort of stumbled onto this grail opportunity 4 months ago. The price was in a ballpark but it was not a smoking deal. I had to think on this one for awhile. I asked around, made some calls, and did a lot of thinking on it.

About 3 weeks ago a pinsider friend said I should go for it. So, a couple of weeks ago, I contacted the seller and asked if the play field (notice: play field, not pinball machine) was still for sale. It was and I made an offer; The seller countered and we made a deal.

As the seller and I were working out arrangements for shipping a play field another opportunity raised its hand and said, " Here I am. Look at me". And another pinsider enters the story.

I just bought a play field. Now I need a cabinet with all the trimmings. Enter Pinsider TractorDoc who has been entertaining us with his project Stern Nine Ball and his restoration on this Nine Ball. TractorDoc had come home with two Nine Balls and restored one out of two. I asked TractorDoc what his plans were for the extra cabinet and if he would be interested in selling the cab, back box, lockdown bar, etc.

TractorDoc helped me out big time and agreed to sell his spare Nine Ball cabinet assembly.

The play field was located way up north in Ohio. Just so happens that TractorDoc lives way up north in Ohio but not as far north as where the play field lives. And it just so happens TractorDoc's house is located about 10 miles off of my main route on up to the play field.

I work out arrangements with both sellers and hit the road. I leave Friday morning. The first stop at 800 miles out is a motel in Dayton Ohio. The next morning with a good nights sleep I am heading to Ashland Ohio to pick up the Nine Ball cabinet.

TractorDoc is a real nice guy. We talk pinballs and stuff. And I get to see two of the nicest restored classic John Deere tractors that I have ever had the privilege to see. TractorDoc does some very nice work. These two J. Deere tractors look like they were brand new and still sitting on the dealer show room floor. I have seen a few restored tractors over the last few years but nothing to compare to what I just saw last Saturday.

After about an our of shooting the breeze I need to head on up to Cleveland to pick up the play field.

The seller of the play field is out in his garage working on his pinball machines when I drive up. THe seller is a real nice guy and has some REAL nice pinball machines. Some nicely restored pinball machines. I get to see some real beauties. We talk shop and I learn a few restoration tricks.

We unload the empty cabinet I bought from TractorDoc and load the play field into the cabinet and load it back into my wagon. I would have liked to stayed longer at both places and talked pinball but I have a long drive and need to get back on the road. After a night in a motel in Terre Haute, Indiana I come on in and get home early Sunday afternoon.

I pulled into my driveway and the odometer read the total roundtrip miles of 2012.7. This is my last long trip. Two years ago I decided I wanted to build a small collection of classic Sterns. This one completes my goal. My plans do not call for me to be chasing any more pins. Now I can stay home and concentrate on restoring the ones I have.

Here are some pics. I hope you enjoy the show.

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It is a Stern Quicksilver; Coming in the hard way.

If it was any other play field I would not mess with it. But this is a Quicksilver and it can be restored. Yeah. I wish it was in nicer condition. But it is what it is. Hard to find. Beggars cannot be choosers.

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#2 5 years ago

NICE! It'll be a fun one.

#3 5 years ago

Congrats on your grail pin.....I noticed you collect the early Sterns...I would love to stop by sometime and check them out! (as I invite myself)

#4 5 years ago
Quoted from cottonm4:

I hope you enjoy the show.

Congrats on scoring your grail! I hope you will be able to document the future work? I'll sure tune in to watch.

#5 5 years ago

Congrats and good for you for finding your grail pin!

#6 5 years ago

Pleasure to meet you cottonm4 -- glad I could help you in your quest.
You are welcome back anytime; I will have the pinball machines on and ready . Looking forward to your progress and seeing the full line up!

#7 5 years ago

Robin should add the feature to “double” thumbs up a post. Because thumbs up! Congrats on finding your grail game!

#8 5 years ago

Thank you. Thank you. Let me take a deep bow.

Quicksilver is going to have to live in the corner all folded up for a bit. I need space so I have on EM pin that I am working on to get it ready for sale.

The QS is missing a 4-place drop target. I have a spare. I will need to make some rails and also make some inlane/outlane wire guides. I have the plastics. I'll make one of my polycarbonate play field protectors to smooth out the low areas. This will get the play field in playable condition.

But I need more money to buy the boards.

I also need to get started on my Star Gazer cabinet so that means some money going to Pinball Pimp for cab stencils.

I will document my progress but it is going to be slow starting out.

I did order 3 back glasses from BG Resto last week once the QS was bought.

Stay tuned.

#9 5 years ago

Dude I'm so happy for you. Quicksilver happens to be my grail game as well. Good luck with it! Ever since I bought my Meteor, I have zero interest in any pins made after 1990/91. Something about SS and certain EM pins for me. These hipsters want games they can play for a week and a half before the ball drains to " tell a story" screw that this is pinball baby, hard, fast, and brutal all the way!

#10 5 years ago
Quoted from Frippertron:

Quicksilver happens to be my grail game as well. Good luck with it! Ever since I bought my Meteor, I have zero interest in any pins made after 1990/91.

Lots of grails with those 80s Bally/Sterns! 8BD, Quicksilver, Catacomb, Centaur & on & on. You could just own a few of those and be happy for sure.

#11 5 years ago

Nice to meet you Craig, glad you got your grail... never thought QS was my grail till I actually owned it....crazy how that works out. Dont forget to stop back to the CLE in Sept for the show

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#12 5 years ago

Congrats on your new trophy. Great story.

#13 5 years ago
Quoted from tdiddy:

Nice to meet you Craig, glad you got your grail... never thought QS was my grail till I actually owned it....crazy how that works out. Dont forget to stop back to the CLE in Sept for the show

Tom, those two pins were absolutely beautiful to stare at. Your picture does not do them justice.

#14 5 years ago

Tdiddy, will you agree to a knife fight like Rebel Without A Cause for your Star Gazer and Quicksilver or a wrestling match if you don't like blood? I'm a man of my word.

#15 5 years ago

Col Hannibal: "I love it when a plan comes together".

#16 5 years ago

From one Craig to another, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!

#17 5 years ago

You pretty much picked up 2(!) grails. Congrats!

#18 5 years ago
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#19 5 years ago
Quoted from tdiddy:

never thought QS was my grail till I actually owned it

Neither did I. I remember playing it in the arcade and it was fun, but never on my short list to own. Then I played one belonging to Classic_Stern and the love affair began.

Congrats Craig! Looking forward to watching your game come along.

#20 5 years ago
Quoted from dothedoo:

Neither did I. I remember playing it in the arcade and it was fun, but never on my short list to own. Then I played one belonging to classic_stern and the love affair began.
Congrats Craig! Looking forward to watching your game come along.

It just might be my favorite pin of all time.

#21 5 years ago

No pictures of the tractors?

#22 5 years ago
Quoted from Agent_Hero:

No pictures of the tractors?

Yeah they'd fit right in. They are green and yellow after all.

#23 5 years ago

Congrats cotton!!! Way to make your dream come true!!

#24 5 years ago
Quoted from Agent_Hero:

No pictures of the tractors?

Uh oh. Pictures or it did not happen?

TractorDoc, help me out here. I need you to go to your barn and come back with a couple pics of those tractors. I know you can do it Pretty please.

#25 5 years ago
Quoted from DK:

You pretty much picked up 2(!) grails. Congrats!

Yeah, I guess so. I had not looked at it like that. A QS will be coming back to life. And a Nine Ball sort bit the dust for needed parts.

But that Nine Ball is still a nice play field that could be restored. It has decent plastics. What it really needs is another 8-place drop target assembly. And now a cabinet and transformer, also. But cabs can be built new if the need arises.

#26 5 years ago

Here is where I start looking for some suggestions. The back box and score displays are one of the first items I have to get worked out.

My back box is bare. Other then the mounting brackets and the sheet aluminum for the circuit boards it is an open box.

I have no displays and no board for the displays to mount to. I think those new flat mount displays are the way to go.

I'm thinking of using melamine board and recessing the center for the lighting I am considering.

For back box lighting I am thinking of installing some of these Matrix light strips from Comet.

http://www.cometpinball.com/MATRIX-20-SMD-5050-6-3V-LIGHTED-STRIPS-p/20smd6.3vstrip.htm

Any thoughts, suggestions, ideas? I'm wide open.

#27 5 years ago
Quoted from cottonm4:

TractorDoc, help me out here. I need you to go to your barn and come back with a couple pics of those tractors. I know you can do it Pretty please.

Rather than muck up Craig's thread with a bunch of tractor pictures Ill post this link to another thread that has them already posted.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/what-else-have-you-restored

You'll get some befores/afters there.

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