Hi all, and thank you (again) for all your detailed replies! I am pleased to report renting a cargo van from Uhaul was reasonably priced (no mileage!) and it had PLENTY of space for the machine. The floor even had this sorta rubber-y coating on it so I didn't have to worry about anything getting scuffed in transit.
As far as the machine goes... she's a little rough around the edges, but still got it where it counts. I found the seller neglected to mention it needed a new lockdown bar, but by the time I got to his place and saw, I was already in it for 4 hours of driving and the cost of the rental van, so wasn't a whole lot I could have done at that point (grr, there went another $75 for a replacement).
At the top of my "fix list" now is definitely the playfield. It's a bit more weathered than I expected (you can see more if you zoom in on the pic here), with some noticeable cupping and planking, and some spots of paint seemingly wearing away more with each game I play. I know a full playfield swap is pretty complicated, but is it something an inexperienced (yet determined) greenhorn might be able to accomplish solo? I've looked into options, and was wondering what you all might recommend- just sticking on an overlay, or should I wait and drop the coin for the next restock of a CPR Repro? A hardtop overlay unfortunately isn't an option for Paragon (yet), or else I'd likely go that route.
Last question (for now) is what kind of wax/playfield cleaner should I use? Would a cleaning/waxing help reduce cupping/planking effects and paint getting worn away so quickly? I see options from GameRoomGuys and Mill Wax, while other threads mention Novus 1... don't know if there's any "preferred" type?
I'm also hoping to rehab the upper pop bumpers and kickouts too, but I'll save those questions for another time. For now, here she is all set up with my Big Ben and Stop-N-Go.
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