Do what you enjoy in this hobby
I've brought many to life that others would have chopped up and sold their parts. Only exception for me on a restore is termites.

With rusty parts, you can clean or replace. I don't really see that as a huge deal. It just takes some extra time to go through the game.

Thank you for saving it.

LTG : )

It is admirable that you are saving it. Realistically, it all boils down to time vs. Money. If you aren't worried about either...go for it. If you are looking to turn a profit...it won't be worth your time.

I took on Flicker because only the first four inches or so are corroded. The rest looks real good. The whole lockdown frame and assembly will have to be replaced, but with patience and my Dremel, the lockdown bar itself was saved.
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Once the corroded metal is out, I hope the mouse piss smell will be out with it.

Actually, I was going to let a friend have it, but my wife likes the theme and the bg and pf are nice.

The question is, do you enjoy the restoration work?

If restoring is a fun hobby, you are getting enjoyment and a good pin at the end. If you just want to play, or sell, this level of work isn’t going to pan out. You’ll either quit before it’s done or sell at a loss.

I’m just getting into the hobby and would be intimidated by this work. But I have enjoyed the minor work I’ve done and could see working my way up.

I enjoy crusty games. It’s pretty satisfying resurrecting them.

That being said anything here on the East coast of Canada that is considered a “project” is going to have rust on it somewhere. Some better than others. I find Gottliebs seem to withstand it better than any crusty game I’ve come across.

I probably overpaid for my Capt Fantastic that has a beat cabinet, blown out playfield and literally anything that moves is covered in wd40….but the backglass is mint. So that’s a bonus I guess…lol

I into it so I can have a decent looking playable toy at an affordable price. Flicker is the most project of a game I’ve gotten so far. It is fun bringing a game to life, but the point is to end up with a game I like.

So grateful you started this thread. I’m in the middle of two similar (but probably not as bad, LOL) repairs. For me, it is a challenge of perspective all the time, but I know this: I am having fun, and I’m not encumbered by business decisions.

So: you pick your passion projects, and you get them working, and you have fun or you don’t.

Ultimately, if you read enough threads, you’ll be convinced you’re a fool for buying it, or you didn’t go far enough on the restore, or you’ve overspent or underspent, or you’re overpriced or underpriced.

Are you having fun? Are you learning? Are you looking forward to the moment when you get to plunge Ball 1?

Depends what the game is and how much I got it for. If you really want a Lost World there is probably a more cost and time effective way to get one. If the project brings you satisfaction then it's worth it.

You can always throw the rusty parts to a tumbler and get new lamp sockets/switches if that doesn't help. If the playfield is in decent shape and all plastics intact, I'd say go for it!

the underside looks worse than the top, but parts can be replated to look like new, and almost every part on this game has been reproduced
buy the end of the project it still will have been cheaper than buying an original

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Usually the problem with lamp sockets is the rivet getting loose. That can be fixed by soldering parts together.

Rust removing chemicals do not hurt either, but clean thoroughly after using those.

Also spray some clear coat on the metal parts after Evaporust and cleaning them. It will prevent/slow down rust from returning. You can buy cans of clear at your local hardware store and probably Amazon.

I don’t think it is crazy. The one I just finished was worse than the pictures you shared.

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Going through this right now with LE-3 . I got the game for free. It must have had 2 pounds of mouse and rat shit inside. I use Dollar Store Totally Awesome cleaner. Cheap and strong. Caustic, so it does a good job on poop, and other oils. Just be careful with painted surfaces. Then I douched the cabinet with enzymatic cleaner to help rid the urine and poop smell. Even after that, the urine smell persists on plastic parts, wiring, wood. I discovered that putting the items directly in the sunlight destroys the lingering odor. Completely. Obviously, you have to be careful with plastic parts, as they can warp. But after a couple weeks in the California Sun the wiring harness and cabinet no longer stink like piss