So, I've been having my eye on getting a sinbad recently. And I bought one. I had a post about the weirdness that went along with buying the machine.
The machine was just filthy. I do think I slightly overpaid for this... But, I'm not going to fret over 100-300 dollars, when I got a nice pinball machine. And I mean nice in the way that I believe a Sinbad machine to be a very good pinball machine and one of the best early SS machines.
The condition of this machine I'd say is 6.5-7 players condition machine. Its rough. Wasn't cleaned for many years. Rubbers are cracked and will need to be replaced. Plastics are good condition, but there is one that has slight damage... I might replace... I might not.
The backglass is in good shape. Has moderate wearing and peeling. I want to fix and seal that. I'd rate the backglass at around an 8 out of 10. The cab is dinged and badly faded. I actually plan on doing vinyl sides and having custom art adorn the sides that will further enhance the Ray Harryhausen-ness of the pin.
The person also put a white sox sticker on the spinner which I removed, but sadly it removed a lot of the remaining paint. But, it spins better now... So I am either going to paint a custom sword on it, or I will paint a cyclops face. I haven't decided yet. A custom sword fits more in the motif of the game. But, I figured a cyclopes face with one being normal and the other side being a roar, could be a cool effect that adds to the whole Ray Harryhausen-ness I am striving for.
The legs will need to be replaced as they have rollers, and I just rather buy a complete new set of legs. As these are also badly beaten. I might want to consider drilling new holes in the cab for the legs, as these are a bit wobbly from the neglect from the previous owners.
Mechanically this game is really sound. The only switches that don't work are actually the two switches on the drop target bank with 2 drops... Not a big deal, but I can't get to them because they are inside the drop target mech. Otherwise everything works great, and these two switches not working don't really matter. If you hit them an they are triggered you'd get 10 points per hit... Not going to impact the game really at all.
So... This is my first attempt at a restoration. I kind of need guidance. I don't know if I want to do a full playfield swap. I might just want to do a partial restoration, and shop of this pin. But, since I am planning on making a custom topper and custom cab art. I might want to go the whole 9 yards...
Really my thought was not to go too crazy at first and just start slow. Just start with the goal of making the game better. So I figure first up is the playfield. It is battered and worn to all heck... But, really not too bad. My issue is. If I try to touch up the paint. Its going to be apparent where I did and where I left it alone. Okay, but it will still look better, then if just left alone.
I don't think I have the skill to really repaint the whole thing, as the paint job is way to complex. And I do think replacing the playfield could always be an option down the road if I find one, so taking the time to repair what I have, I don't think I will regret.
What are your thoughts on how I should handle the playfield. I figure. This will be my first task with the restoration.