Ok, this post is bragging a bit so sorry in advance but what a Great day. My wife and I are celebrating 25 years this year (she must be nuts) with 16 of those years living this crazy addiction known as Pinball! With the anniversary coming up my wife asks "what do you want for our 25 year anniversary?" I say anything?? "Sure" My shot for the moon was "I have Always wanted a museum quality HEP masterpiece in our collection!" Of coarse she says sure but I need to further explain what that actually means lol. With her blessing we decided to get our First (DMD) and to this day Favorite pin restored which is Twilight Zone! A few wonderful communications with the man himself Chris H and Bam my bucket list dream pin restoration will soon become a reality!! Not a big deal to most I'm sure but after Many years of hard work and I can't say how many machines we have hauled into and out of this house we finally will have the centerpiece I always dreamed of having. Plus for me, I inherited this TZ from a Very close family member that passed so seeing his machine hit the stars with the hand of HEP is icing on the cake for me. Hope my wife understands I will be spending more time with the pin now but that May have been her motive......

Thanks #Beebl! Yeah time fly's by, kids grow up, but we try to enjoy the fun of today. Tomorrow may be a different story...

She doesn't rock as much as she used to but she can still haul a pinball machine up the basement with me like we're still 20! lol Never gets easier. Maybe for our 50th we will get an Escalara!

All he can of coarse provide are estimates but it looks like 4-6 months. Granted Chris may view my TZ as a basket case! After 25 years I can wait that long. I will Certainly post pics though in typical HEP fashion he documents the entire rebirth on his album. We are probably most excited to see the Playfield in all its glossy HEP goodness.

Our dirty girl is all wrapped up for her make over. As long as my check clears she is staged for her trip to the HEP beauty salon! We will miss you!! The goal is for her to return a Black Beauty!

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Ok that even made my wife laugh! She envisioned explaining to the paramedics why here husband is under a pinball machine in his boxers Crushed! Yes some day unless I can make something similar on my own. It's on my todo page. Having worked in the elevator industry for 10 previous years I think I can come up with something or just bite the bullet and drop a call to Flippin out Larry. Odd the things I show my cheapness....

Not a major update but a start to our journey. Our dirty but cherished TZ finished her journey to #HEP for her arrival at Chris's house of Magic! Where pinball dreams come true. Or in this case Anniversary dreams. lol Might I also say, I have done business over 18 years in the pinball hobby with many but the feedback, followup, and communication from Chris is as premium as his service! Now our game will rest from her journey in slumber till her number is called to the front line for a complete make over to shed her years of dirt.

OK something just Way Cool that my wife and I just observed as if this was Destiny! This game and our decision made this trip to #HEP for our 25th anniversary as a gift to us. Our game was Built on 6/17/93 which would make it 25 years old and match our anniversary. What are the odds? Destiny I say! lol

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No, I must be truthful as I hate to temp fate. Our Actual anniversary date is 1 week later then the TZ birth date but Hey, close enough! lol

Lol. I so love that idea but as I wouldn't change my kids birthdate we feel the same about the TZ's birthday. That is her day so it is what it is. Maybe I can convince my wife to move our anniversary! lol Not!

I SO like that Idea and Thank you for sharing it. It's not always easy to find a hobby let alone common interests in marriage so its awesome to me that my wife not only joins in my madness but also enjoys it with me. Heck, shes in the other room right now packing and assembling Mods as I type. I Will do your idea and be proud its there. Heck, shes probably going to bury me in that TZ box so I doubt the value would change much anyway. lol

Wow thats a tough question for me. This game came from my uncle who for the better part of my entire life was basically my best friend and brother as we pretty much spent every day together from playing as kids to working together later in life. Wont use names but he was "Pindog" on RGP some 25 years ago prior to Pinside. About 25 years ago he said he always wanted a pinball machine. At the time I thought he was crazy but I knew a guy that knew a guy and found an Alien Poker and bought it with him for 100$ which I thought was crazy at the time. From that day forward he slowing moving me into the crazy hobby to never escape. Fast forward, he found this Basket case TZ from a Germany container and asked me to get it with him. Crap she was ugly and abused. No challenge he wouldnt take. He cleaned her up to a really nice (not collector) game with what parts were available 20 years ago. (none) Fast forward again, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor blastoma and I lost my best friend at the not so old age of 49. To this day I still have that amazing Alien Poker still worth hardly anything in my collection but priceless to me and the TZ, well you see what I am willing to do to see his dream completed. Way more to say but that is a true very shortened history of my start and why certain games mean more to me. Add the anniversary and even birthday to the mix and I can promise I will probably die with this #HEP TZ.

Well, as we are The Mod Couple you can bet we are heavily in favor of Mods especially with TZ. lol The game already has several personal choice mods including the TZ Slot machine and TZ lamp which were the first mods we ever made some 15 plus years ago. Did send him that new LCD display and new style rocket which look amazing. Black out and completely new cabinet is the major change as Years of German bar use did its toll on this machine. We feel confident we are in good hands with HEP.

Just talking out loud but as much as I love the gloss jet black look on all the armor I have seen some Amazing powder coat options where they lightly dust in some blue flake to give it almost TZ twinkling star effect. Wonder if that would look better or make it unique and stand out.... Granted I don't want to do Anything to bump #HEP progress or make him cringe at my concept direction. Don't mess with the artist! lol