hi all - although i wasn't planning on it .. .. .. i just couldn't resist picking up yet another wedge head to add to my group

this time a '74 Top Card - and met another great local pinballer in the process

anyone want to see some pictures ?

cheers, Ron

ok here we go

all in all a great day ... stumbling across this and playing some games on it while watching PAPA TV - Pinburgh and our local lad Robert G. make it to the final four!! Way to go Robert!!

i know many think Top Card too easy - and it certainly isn't as challenging as some of the others but i had played it in the past and found it very enjoyable in its own manner

of all the Gottlieb card themed wedges i liked its playfield art the best and so when the opportunity presented ... !! every collection needs a card themed game ...

this is the first of my pin purchases that was pretty much pristine when purchased (as seller described it) - needing no shopping and playing beautifully - so an easy set up once i got back home -its previous care takers treated it very well - it even had all the posts at the tougher 'con' positions, where i always move mine to anyhow

approx 42,300 plays if i recall

and some pictures ...

top card 1.jpg

top card cab.jpg

top card full.jpg

top card upper.jpg

top card lower.jpg

top card inside.jpg

top card head.jpg

another nice clean machine that will live happily amongst the others ...

this is the first machine i have seen with the odd 'borg ship' metal cube protector around the transformer too ... curious!

cheers, Ron

hi guys, thanks - yes a very nice example

i particularly like the plastics on this one .. maybe hold the record as some of the largerst playfield plastics!! but i like the classic card look and the king and queen look great when lit up

i will eventually put nice new clear mylars under the bumpers as well ... and i need to get one more proper red flipper bumper eventually too .. or i may leave mismatched ...

Boiler - i have seen these in several mid seventies pins and would love to know the story myself?? it is very heavy gauge and looks like a factory install?

i need to go check ... but am wondering ... as you play a game and the rollovers value cycles from 10, 100, 1000 ... it may carry over wherever it was when game ends, for next game? (likely not, it likely resets but i will check)

if it does carry over that would be incentive to pay attention and try for the rollover right off the plunger shot ... i guess that is the intent regardless of its value ..

great fun playing it - lots of variations to the other wedges and it plays very fast with the four slingshots and excellent bumper spacing too (and i think these bumpers are all independently wired too, not in pairs or groups like many of the gb games)

off to play a bit more

cheers, Ron

Hi Tom ... not sure i could ever part with my wedges .. !!

I have a small place right now so will rotate through setting them up every couple of months

Non of my other machines have the guard and i am sure at least some of them are also canadian production

i will take a closer look at the cage later, there may have been a tag stapled near by it too

btw ... rollover value resets and starts at the 1000 value each game -

actually, playing a bit more it seems like the roll over value might cycle from game to game

it appears that it starts at whatever value it was on at end of last game ... i think!

Cactus, thanks - yes that is what i was figuring after a few more plays

Darcy - i'm trying to get some history on this one - by the way hope all is well - i may be in your neck of the woods tomorrow eve on a layover for work -

cheers, Ron

hi guys, playing around a bit more with my top card ...

tonight i might put some nice shiny new mylars under the pop bumpers

noticed that the lamp under the ace plastic at the top (the 'top card') has a 'sleeve' over it

is this correct ... do others top card machines have a colored sleeve for that lamp???

curious, mine is so faded but i am wondering if it was the typ red colored tube to give a red glow?

regards, Ron

thanks as usual guys ... when i pulled the insert, it looked like maybe a home job (bottom edge was all rough or melted or poorly 'cut' / 'torn' so not sure it was factory

but when i stood back as if to play, with it off, the bulb was glaring right into my eyes ...

i tried a red bulb which just didn't look 'right' so put the sleeve back on for now - i think cactus had it right - it was likely there to soften the glare

as for color i will take another look to see if there is a hint of what it had been ...

i don't think the specials needed the red sleeve in this case, as those are all under the typ red inserts on this game

cheers, Ron

just showing off a pic with mylars replaced with nice new ones (likely doesn't look like much but really makes a difference to get the older cloudy ones off of there)

6.JPG

i forgot to take more pics of the internals etc. and have now dropped Top Card down to make room to put C37 back up to allow another local pin guy a chance to have fun as he has never played it and is curious

next time its up i'll snap a few more shots

slowly, i am getting the hang of pop bumper removal and resolder ... a very simple task for most of you i'm sure, but my soldering skills are still 'just adequate' at best .. but improving!

cheers, Ron

thanks Mike, i agree

i wasn't looking for a Top Card right now, but just couldn't resist when i saw the condition - the backglass had been touched up but was also pretty nice ... but i knew of an nos glass locally as well - it is much better but did have a couple little blemishes from being rubbed in storage over the years

all in all a great game

the larger yellow areas were a bit dirty and whites had a wee bit of ball swirl

with some care i got out my magic eraser and rubbing alc and gave a very gently go ... not expecting much, but the marks came right off too

although serial numbers match on cab and head, head is tinged yellow and cab is not ...

cheers, Ron