Every time I pick up a classic Stern, it really pulls me in and I'm shocked how much I prefer them in the era. I just resurrected a mouse house Big Game and am shocked how quick that game plays. It had a few wear spots and plenty of damage in the bingo card area so I went real heavy on the wax to protect what is there and it flies. Those inlanes having metal instead of rubber just keeps everything moooovin!

Sorry - back on topic, agree with what everyone else was saying. If it's those three specifically, Seawitch is the easiest to find but all of these are painful on the pocket. I'd argue for Quicksilver as my favorite of the three, but I've only been able to play stargazer a few times. $ is my area is similar to the above quoted - I'd say always keep an eye out for a deal but these titles just don't pop up. Seawitch is the only one I've seen pop up in and around a decent radius.

So... As a guy who is currently babysitting a Trident for a friend - Can you clue me in on the Home ROM?

BBAAAAAOOOOOOO

<Now back to your regularly scheduled Classic Stern Programming>

*ahem* - to the dude that just bought with a rough PF - Seawitch playfields just went up to CPR for preorder. It's in the measuring interest/boutique area - but I'm sure a +1 wouldn't hurt it

https://classicplayfields.com/preorders/

hey so since this is an all Stern club now - Any more information on those updated Trident ROMs?

I mean - you can try to swap them with the machine on... but you're probably going to have a pretty bad day.

Of all the times I've screwed around with PAPA's Split Second I never figured out the multi ball. New goal for the PPO in two weeks.

wolffcub - Nice job on that restore, but WTF happened to that original playfield? Yikes!

Well my buddy bought a house and he'll be taking his Trident that I've been housekeeping for years pretty shortly. I figured it was time to snag another to fill the spot. Always happy to get one you don't see too often (though no official production numbers on IPDB).

Also as noted above with the strange harnesses, when I was unplugging the rectifier I saw the coin door harness is for a Lightning... It must have been total grab whatever works.

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Hey all - Quick question on this Split Second I'm working on. So the good news is - It was up and working when I got it so now I'm just cleaning it up and working out the kinks. One thing I'm trying to confirm - when I have 2 balls locked up top, and I hit one of the 5 target bank the speech board starts saying 'Hurry, Hurry, Hurry' over and over again. I just wanted to know if that's correct, cause then getting additional (all 5? I swear I had a ball kick with only 4 down...) unlocks one for 2 ball multi ball so it makes sense - but the way it says it over and over makes it sound like a glitch. (then again, it's early 80s speech, so). The only one I'd played before was at Papa, and I don't think it has a working speech board - so I was hoping to make sure that sound was correct.

MB rules for this game are nuts, BTW... either hit the loop for top speed to light inlanes to release balls, complete the 5 bank 4 times to light the lights, make the top targets fast releases one ball, etc... and I may be missing a scenario there. Also - I didn't see anything in the manual - any scoring bonus to having 2-3 balls in play?

Picture included for the hell of it - someone asked to see progress, but it went from just in to up and running, so here it is. Next up is a full tear down/clean and wax, re-rubber, and touch up along the bottom of the glass. There's more paint loss on the playfield than I'd like to see, but I should at least be able to protect it and keep it in mind for a touch up/clear somewhere down the line.

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+1 to everyone who pointed me in the direction for board replacements in Big Game. These we're pretty easy to install and light years easier than trying to rejigger the original metal brackets with new sockets. Plus, easy access going forward

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The guy that makes them is a friend of mine and his direct website is below. it was funny - I posted here for a solution, someone said "hey go here" and as soon as I saw the site I had a real "hey, I know that guy" moment.

Anyway... there are a number of boards to help alleviate the old and failing stern bulb holders. He mentioned he may do Split Second if the demand is there (and since I have one he can do the measurements and prototyping on). Not sure it makes sense since they are just individual sockets and can easily be replaced.

https://pinballreplacementparts.com/collections/all?page=3

cottonm4 Next time I talk to him, I'll mention it. He's a pretty busy guy and does this in his spare time, I'm not sure what he has next in his tinkering queue. I would have guessed finding a Catacomb to measure, fit, test, and futz with would be an issue - but PAPA has one and I'm assuming their Cheetah and Nine Ball were measured for those boards. (not like these titles are like an F2K or a WMS Flash, right?).

Tsskinne - I'll let him know there's at least one person that wants a split second board. I haven't gotten too much time to dig under mine due to time constraints and it's about 95% on the money as purchases (just a few lamps and 2-3 dirty switches), but I'm guessing it would be two boards, 1 for 'Split Second' and 1 for the bonus area.

Update... I just got home, fired up a game, and ball one my middle drop target snapped. Guessing I'm digging into the playfield sooner than I thought

I ran into that trouble shooting an original MPU-200 with Split Second... Was switching the Altek in from a strikes n spares to test some functionality.

Also made the move to Weebly. Great product, better price, and great support. I had some weird sound issues with his MPU that he helped me shoot through

tl;dr - I originally ordered it for a Big Game, but ended up testing it in F2K... there was a trace that wasn't populated that is needed for voice on MPU-200 games, and he offered me full shipping costs to return the board for a new one or to help me do the trace. I said board work was no issue and he returned with detailed pictures/instructions anyone could have followed. Highly recommended, solid dude.

From talking to him, it was an older revision MPU board. I guess someone else had the same issue and he had already fixed it in his latest revisions. When he designed the board, he looked at the schematic and didn't see any use for the trace, so it was left off the original design. Since I was getting it for a Big Game that didn't have speech, he sent one of the older boards.

I didn't save the Email off hand and it was a few months ago, so I don't remember which trace it is - but if anyone ever runs into the issue and needs, I can pull my board and look at my trace.

Just to really prove they did it totally at random...

My Big Game and F2K do not have the side supports
My Trident and Split Second both have side supports.

So - my coin doors are in generally OK shape given the player condition of the games - but I bought new front decals for the whopping 3 or 4 bucks they are. Problem is - the original paint is still on there and smudged to hell. Any recommendation of something to pull that off - but not the original door paint?

There's a Cheetah for sale in Cleveland on FB Marketplace - Playfield is a little planked, but $2,500. Throwing it here cause I know a few people were talking about trying to find one.

Holy crap I can't find it either. I saw it across three groups this morning when I was getting ready for work - it must have been snatched up that quick.

Two part epoxy, brush it on religiously from the backside. I had an F14 with 'very' moved inserts... over a year later and they're still mostly flat after a solid wood block/clamp with epoxy from the back. I'll get around to restoring it further down the line, but for a players machine it's worked great.

If you have a good control game - right spinner all day (if it's properly spinning). a perfect spinner shot that hits the 3 bank through the orbit is one of the most satisfying classic Stern shots out there and adds 500/spin each completion.

I am 98% sure the F2k at PAPA has the posts removed as well... I'm trying to remember if the ones above the red circle are removed as well to make it borderline psychotic, or just rubber removed to make it generally unhinged...

I'll take a look next time I'm there if I remember. (and because I want to confirm mine is set the same - Posts removed, above red circles at conservative)

In 24 hours? Maybe I'm just used to the hyper-competitive Pittsburgh market but anything at a decent price in gone in minutes if not hours. A full day is unheard of!

TSS - What's the skinny on your Big Game PF?

Exactly - Start setting up the next MB and work those spinners. Like I noted earlier - if you're in MB - get that multiplier up and especially get that right spinner juiced to 2,500 and go crazy.

Also... I wasn't complaining about availability or prices in PA. I know we're lucky to have plenty of games come up within a few hour (or less) distance. But because of the groups and number of people here collecting - anything decently priced is literally gone in minutes. Case in point - a guy put up 3 System 3s for $800 - routed, but working and decent shape. Not bargain basement, but certainly a buyer friendly nice price similar to Brenna's. I called 22 minutes after posting and 2 of the 3 were already spoken for.

Hell, (and I say this as a proud owner) even the $1,000 Street Fighter was gone in under a day.

Could be standard flippers instead of Stern flippers with the little collar - that'll cause the displaced metal to kind of mushroom out and hold the stupid thing in place...

Like Thrillhouse said - I usually hold underneath on the pawl with one hand, then pull while twisting back and forth above... When it doubt, just smack it from underneath. You'd be hard pressed to do any real damage to a flipper pawl (and if you do, they're like ten bucks to replace).

Same - If it's your game, to each their own... but I really, really like the feel of the old Stern flippers. I like the size that's smaller than a Bally but not a skinny as a WMS. I like the function and they seem to last just fine in a home setting once properly rebuilt. And competitively I feel it's important to be able to play a full range of manufacturer/hardware and know those nuances.

That said - Flipping my old Gorgar mechs for Fliptronics only cost me like $30 extra (full mech and coil from PBL vs expensive rebuild kit for that existing garbage design) and is a complete game changer. I'd recommend doing that on any of the older WMS machines that can support it.

I have never driven so far, so fast, so nervously. Add another to the classic Stern line up.

This guy bought this thirty years ago and has never opened it. Absolutely shocked to report the original battery was in tact and STILL WORKING.

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Jeez that belongs in the worst repairs thread. Woof.

Just a quick update - torn down, wiped down, LED boards installed, and freshly waxed... Playoff hockey and some repair calls will delay the finish a few days, but it's almost there. A few nicks in the paint, but no significant wear areas... I'm not pushing on the ball swirls cause I'm guessing there isn't much original finish left and I don't want to risk it. Still, it's looking really nice for 39 years young and all original.

Only issues with the game - Two lamp board SCRs I need to investigate (5,000 won't light, bottom right loop light is locked in), a display to repair/replace, one insert to expoy, and the coin door service switch was bad. I still can't believe the original battery was attached and not leaking.

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Ok, any recommendations to fix drop targets issues?

Long story short, I got Seawitch all nicely cleaned, waxed, etc... And in my third game I snapped a target in half. That's fine, I probably should replace them anyway with fresh new ones.

So - I did that, and now some of the targets aren't resetting properly. They will all pop up, but some don't always hang on the ledge. I swear the mech is back together exactly as found and the springs looked to be in ok shape when I checked it.

Is it springs? Is the mech not tight enough? Is it a slight difference between original and PBR remade targets? Any tips on how to fight this?

Green is primary in light, yellow in paint, but it would be chronologically correct that way!

I still haven't played a Pinball, but I snagged a Hot Hand a few weeks ago and have really enjoyed it.

Throwing it out there cause I didn't see it confirmed, but I own a Split Second and the 5 bank there is not memory enabled. (Neither is Hot Hand, but Cotton mentioned that already)

Anyone out there happen to have a 3d print file for a classic Stern start button? Working on bringing a Lectronamo that had some type of resto started on it by someone who has no business doing work on pins. I didn't see them at PBL or PBR, and just bought a printer I'm itching to try out on pin parts.

Ugh... I was hoping that wouldn't be the case. They sent a defective start button last time I ordered from them, and instead of make a $10 part right on a good sized order; they blamed it on 'shipping issues' and sent me instructions on how to disassemble and flip their crappily printed insert around. That experience on top of their general mark up tends to keep me away unless required. This might be one of those cases though.

To the above - I played a Viper once. Not the best of games, but for rarity and artwork I'd snag one if given the chance. Then again I have like 4-5 classic Sterns on hand most days cause I'm addicted

Anyone happen to have this plastic laying around? <EDIT - Nevermind - got one on the way in 6 whole minutes. thanks all! Leaving the post cause, well... Not often you see one that looks quite like this mess>

I'm working on a poor Meteor that was rescued from a guy getting divorced and had to move the project along. Per him, the whole front was 'bad', so he hacked it off and replaced it. He also had a Bally MPU converted to run Meteor, but the guy he paid didn't do the whole job. (Pic attached for posterity back on legs but roughly as found)

Good news is, I fixed the MPU. I remounted the coin door and the guy's cutout is shockingly accurate (at least accurate enough for this player's condition PF and faded glass I'm saving from becoming a parts machine)

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+1 please. I love my Big Game but the playfield is garbage. I'm all over a new PF.

Z connectors for the win. I doubt I'll ever get through the stock of molex block connectors I bought when I first started out

Well, it certainly isn't my first classic Stern by a long shot... But I have a new nicest/rarest in the mix for a steal of a deal.

(Already fixed the BG lighting too... Now just to replace that one LED board and the right pop bumper light...)

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Does anyone know the best nail to use to nail guides into the siderail?

Looking at my Big Game, it looks like they used (or it was replaced with) a cheap finishing nail... But looking at other games of the time, and Big Game on the rivets where it attaches to metal, they look a little rounder. What do others use to replace siderail nails like this?

2 Big Game pics for reference - as well as a Viking I'm working on that needs completely reattached

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Yep - I tried the .15" x 1/2" spiral nails on Marco I figured were for this cause they were the 1/2" length, but that still seems a bit too thick. Was hoping someone had a size or link

That drive screw looks exactly like what's there - I'm going to go with these. Thanks!!

As a quick FYI for others in the group - this was far too small (on a Bally, in fairness). I tried #00 x 1/4 and the head was smaller than the hole in the guides. I'm going to order the next 2 sizes up and see what works out.