This will be the next featured HEP restoration.
It is a true prototype Addams Family and the goal will be to keep it as close to original as possible but also correct some of the rougher details.
There will be little to no plating done at all.All the rust and corrosion will be dealt with in a way that maintains a more original look for this type of game and restoration.
The playfield is full Mylar so that is going to be a pain to remove with the hand made inserts underneath.
Anyway I thought it might be worth throwing up here since it is a change of pace from the regular TAFs and over the top style of restoration so often done.Here is a link that will probably be more informative than this post overall because of the way I document things there but I will try to keep this post close to on par with it.

http://christopherhutchins.com/gallery/album582

Christopher Hutchins

Here are some preliminary pictures and differences.
First the left side lower cabinet is simply a reverse image of the right side.

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The topper has a different color decal set.

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The apron is different as well.Missing some of the trademark stuff and the Bally script is in a different location.

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The playfield is different in many ways most of which are coloring and inserts.
The lenses themselves are different colors as well as the lettering.Some is very roughly changed which has created damage and that was then Mylared over.

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Inside is rough.Not beat from use but poorly stored I would say.
The rust and corrosion to deal with without the benefit of plating is most likely going to mean replacing the more generic metal parts and manually reworking everything else.
Of course this is a true proto not a sample because of the X serial number and red boards.

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Yes it isn't worn out nor too bad except for the fact that they cut the screening and inserts right off the finished playfield,hand labeled them then covered them with Mylar.That is my biggest concern on the playfield.It is fully Mylar with some sections that are doubled up.
What will happen to those cut inserts when the Mylar comes off ?We will see.
Looks to be the mechanical engineering departments game .

Starting to make some progress here.
First when gutting the head I found a strange RCA type cable soldered to the sound board.Not sure what they were experimenting with there.
Next
The metal is in horrible condition under the plastics and apron.Most of the parts are handmade so that will need some clean up.
The best thing right now is I have removed the Mylar.
It went well.
I needed to get that out of the way before getting too deep into it.

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The few hand printed inserts will not survive the process but I will put something more correct and better in place.
I could easily just print something like what was on there back out but it just doesn't make sense even considering the prototype aspect.I need a little more of a finished product when it comes to inserts.Blank or closer to final production will be the choice.

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The argument is understandable but I have done other true proto TAFs none were this rough or unfinished. For reference I have done a true proto playfield direct from John Youssi and fully know what a screen printed proto playfield should look like. This is a design team butcher job done on the floor to that play field.
I am not interested in preserving history if it means creating a turd and sealing sub par work under clearcoat.
Should I keep the rust too?

Well if you read the initial post then you would know there will be no chrome or bling.
Not sure if you realize this but I am very accustomed to restoring one of a kind games and what that takes.Look through my gallery.

The only thing in question is 4 inserts that were butchered and will be made to look correct.
GAP sold the game and sent it here. If they knew so much they could have done it themselves.

BTW
Here is a true NOS prototype playfield I will be modeling the reworks to the 4 inserts after.
http://christopherhutchins.com/gallery/album281

That is very generous of you
I think what some people don't get about this is that while prototypes are great and rare the type of person that sends one here is looking to have the rough spots corrected when and where possible. If they wanted it as is it would not have been sent here.The Mylar and rust would stay also.
You can't have your cake and eat it too. Restore it or don't and if you do make the most you can out of it is the way I see it.

The playfield is being stripped.
I am replacing most brackets where possible since plating is not desirable on this particular restore.

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The rest of the coil assemblies and mechs will have to wait while I gather the rest of the hardware and brackets I need so I will get the playfield going.

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As far as the playfield goes.I will be going with a more finished look on the inserts as noted.There are 3 on the Mansion that will be made to match the rest of the mansion inserts.It is not a stretch at all it just seems like the best thing to do cosmetically so all the fonts and lettering styles match.
If it were not being cleared then I wouldn't go that route but trapping the handmade labels under clear would be an issue .
For comparison only I have a mansion overlay to highlight what I am talking about.As can be seen the mansion is about the same on the production as far as lettering and fonts with the major difference being the Millions inserts on the left.Where the proto differs a bit more is in the insert lens colors.

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For the cousin it insert I am going to match the Flyer and the previous proto playfield I have done and leave that blank along with the small orange arrows..
Obviously it has a generic label and in production has the cousin it art.

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Playfield is cleaned of the glue left over from the Mylar removal.
The cut inserts are cleaned and smoothed up.Most of the razorblade marks are going to go away up once cleared.

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The first clear is applied.
The inserts that were untouched look great the ones that were cut at the factory are clear and do not have damage but are lower as a result.That is the difference shown in picture 2 ,3,4,and 5.
After this is dry and sanded it should all level out.

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The upper inserts do not have the low spots because the labels were placed on top of blank inserts not cut ones.

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Playfield is now sanded being reworked and readied to clear once more.

The three insert that were debated have been changed and while I understand that it does eliminate some of the history it honestly just looks correct and feels better for me as the person doing the work to make the best looking product I can.This was the plan going into the restore after working with the owner.

The playfield is now cleared again.

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There are way more differences than an insert or two that keep this from being "just another TAF"
The majority of them can't or wont be changed but again no one sends a game here wanting to get back hand labeled inserts and Mylared playfields.This isn't just a rust removal service.
The Flyer shows a blank Cousin it insert as well as the previous proto I have done.
Here is the model for this playfield.It is a NOS proto direct from the artist himself. Not exactly the same because of software changes and how that effects insert lighting sequences but in the same style.

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Seriously it isn't that big of a deal or I would be the first to resist.
I have a Michaels down the street and know of a perfect match for those insert letters in the scratch off section so a match would be a breeze.I wasn't interested in it because regardless of the history it is ugly and rough.

What is the first thing anyone asks for when they are buying a pin?....Pictures!
No matter what anyone says cosmetics are king at face value.
Pinball restoration is largely about that and that is what I do.This person doesn't just want a prototype Addams but an HEP prototype Addams so here we are.

The final on the playfield is done.
When sanding these types of repairs and leveling them it often means reworking the higher insert borders.
That is the black work pictured.
The last picture highlights the level of the inserts once repaired.

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