So I might be picking up a Captain Fantastic this weekend for seriously cheap. I don't know anything about it, except that I'm told that it's the arcade version and it used to work perfectly before it was put into a garage and stored for the past 15-20 years or so.

It's coming from a good friend's parents and they're sort of expecting me to give them a low but somewhat fair amount for it. They said "cheap or free depending on what you think it's worth to you". His dad is out of work right now so I want to give them at least something because they're good people, but I've never done any work on an EM before and I have no idea what I might be getting myself into.

Can't tell you what condition the cabinet is in, but I'm guessing it's got it's fair share of scuffs and scrapes. It hasn't been turned on since it's been stored.

All that being said:

1. Is there anything I need to do before I plug it in and turn it on? I certainly don't want to fry anything that isn't already!

2. Given the limited info above, what would you pay for it if it works? How about if it doesn't? What if it half works? Bear in mind that I want to give them something, but I also want to get a GREAT deal, or I wouldn't even bother with it.

3. Are parts for this machine readily available?

4. Does this have the potential to be a money pit, or is any problem easily fixable for a reasonable cost?

5. Any major red flags to look out for?

I literally know nothing about this machine. I don't want to end up spending more on fixing it than I would on buying a fully working one. Thanks for any help you might be able to offer!

WOWZA!!! There needs to be a button to bestow like 1,000 karma points! Thanks so much for the awesome help, DirtFlipper!!! This is why Pinside rules. I went from going in totally out of my element, to feeling like I know exactly how to approach it. So, thanks so much!

I think this sounds like a fun project as long as it's not totally beat. Plus, my wife loves both Elton John AND pinball, so she'll be upset if I don't at least give it my best effort. I've never really gotten into EMs as much, but I think your idea about fixing it up, then playing and enjoying it for a while, then eventually selling it off is a pretty good idea!

It's not like I don't already have a fun DMD title, so this would just add some diversity. No matter what if I don't end up being a huge fan of it, then I can always just sell it and put the cash towards our next DMD. Seems like a win/win as long as I pick it up on the cheap.

Awesome, thanks! For some reason that was the only one that showed up when I put the word "Captain" in to link the game. I will definitely take that into consideration!

Yeah, now I'm getting excited! I just want to give them something but not overpay either. It's great to know that there's so much help and advice available, otherwise it gets kind of scary taking on potentially big projects!

It looks like I'll be going to check it out and hopefully bring it home on Sunday! I'll definitely update the thread once I've got it in my possession!

It's a actually just from a really good friend of mine's parents. His dad bought it and a Fireball a long time ago and had them set up in their last house. Then when they moved to this house somewhere in the neighborhood of 15-20 years ago, they set it out in the garage and never moved it inside. It's been there every since. I don't know if they still have the Fireball or not. If they do I'm definitely going to try to snag the 2 pin special!!! My buddy thinks they might have gotten rid of Fireball awhile ago though.

They ended up not being able to meet on Sunday, so we're trying to set up a time to get together this week. Can't wait!!!

So..............went to pick up the Captain Fantastic today. It is an arcade version, but it isn't pretty. Holy smokes. I don't know how many mice were living in there, but the whole inside is screwed. It wreaks like poop on the inside and it's all covered in what looks like a mix of rust and mouse doo-doo. There are at least 2 abandoned mouse nests and the mousey bedding is all stuck up in all the wiring and contacts. From the looks and smell of the inside, I'd call it unrestorable, at least to the extent that any sane person wouldn't attempt to reuse any of the insides.

The Playfield is in rough shape too. There are a few spots where it's worn down to the bare wood, and one of them is rather large. However, none of the plastics are broken, so that's a plus I guess. The one and only shining star is that the backglass is in really nice shape. For that reason and that reason alone, I decided to haul the game out of their basement. They didn't charge me anything. They just wanted me to haul it out.

So now the game is sitting in my parent's garage. I didn't have a camera with me unfortunately. I will be back up there tomorrow and I'll take some shots then to post here. I'm not sure what to do with it. My wife really likes the backglass, and she wants to frame it and hang it in our (coming soon) arcade room. I like that idea, because it's super cool looking and wicked retro. I guess if I did that, I'd probably part out what I can and scrap the rest. I was up for a project, but it's really beat, and WAY beyond anything I'd be up for. That's at least the thought for now. Pics tomorrow night.

Hey Jim! So glad to see you updating this thread and so glad to know that this machine will live and breathe again!!! I'm very happy that it went to good guy, a fellow Pinsider, and a fellow VW guy! Can't wait to see picks as you get going on it!