I may have a manual for this game. I have a manual of almost every sega game so I cannot imagine that im missing this one. While I would not send you an original, I could always see if I can photo copy it and send you over a PDF. Unfortunately right now my manuals are all sitting in storage so I have no idea where they are. When I find them, I will contact you.

Yeah I am sure they did. A lot of the time people removed the warmers since they are an electrical hazard, and also constantly being on, it dries out the nuts.

I HATE when that happens.
Although I do like warm nuts.

That would be awesome and most appreciated, TY

Philadelphia toboggan co skeeball

20160820_213941_(resized).jpg

Great, neat thread. I wouldn't mind picking up a ball bowler but I'd prefer one already restored and near Knoxville so I can have some help setting it up and showing me the ins/outs of ownership. This would be my first EM game of any sort. I think I'd want one at least 15-16'. If you have something which might fit this or know of one let me know.

Thanks.

Theres a really nice bowler in college grove. I know the guy personally and have played his bowler. Its a very very cool machine. Hes only selling it because he picked up an MBA Bowlerama. Either way its a contact bowler. Its up here on ebay.

ebay.com link: 1969 Super Bally Contact Big Ball Bowler Bowling Machine 21 EM Arcade

$10,500 ? Crikes, it better be nice!!

Thats a Really hard to find Contact Bowler, and at that length even harder to find. The Ball actually has to hit the pins like real bowling.

looks really nice but my price point would be somewhat less but the real killer is my max current space is 16'.

I'm happy to finally join this thread. I picked up a couple of games this past week. The first is a 1977 United shuffle bowler called, "Thunderbird."

image (resized).jpg

Game is a project and non-working but I look forward to digging into it after tackling a couple of other EM projects.

image (resized).jpgimage (resized).jpg

There are a few missing items I'm searching for:

A) a pin

image (resized).jpg

B) a score reel

image (resized).jpg

C) and both side frame pieces around the backglass

image (resized).jpg

I'm open to any suggestions.

Love this thread,
Ryan "No longer a lurker" Claytor

That looks awesome ryan!

The second game I picked up last week is somewhat of a grail of mine.

image (resized).jpg

The only place I've seen one is at Clay's VFW Museum in Ann Arbor and I've been pining after one since the first time I played it. Well, last week I brought a fully-functional, good-condition, Penny Pitch into my basement.

image (resized).jpg

I thought I'd never see the day.

Here's looking forward to some more EM & M pieces of interest from everyone here.

image (resized).jpg

- Ryan

Sweet.

Is it the same gameplay as Ringer? It appears to have the same cabinet artwork.

It's pretty much exactly like Ringer, just with different artwork. Here's a quick video I shot a couple VFW shows ago:

Yup! Every Penny Pitch I've seen, either in person (2) or online documentation (more) seem to have the Ringer cabinet artwork. From what I gather, Penny Pitch, while essentially the same game, was produced in far less numbers than Ringer. Not sure where official production numbers exist, though (if any).

Genuine "Barn Find" that I just picked up today. United shuffle alley, 1963 "Skippy". It's all there, but has been in storage for 20 years. It's getting taken apart this weekend. Pretty decent shape overall, loaded with steppers and, oddly, a "digital" display. I will probably convert all of the lamps over to LED's.

skippy01-2000 (resized).jpg
img04 (resized).jpg
img12 (resized).jpg
img02 (resized).jpg
img23 (resized).jpg

Cool!
Wish I had the room for something like that. LED's look out of place in these.

This is my United 1962 Tropics 16ft ball bowler-fully operational, incl coin mech, but I need to do some touch up work on the cab sections. Machine is always a favourite with visitors. I find the engineering on these bowlers absolutely incredible.

canon2508161 001 (resized).JPG

canon2508161 002 (resized).JPG

Curious to see this when operational!

I have a 99% working Skippy! The only problem mine has is some times when going from the last player to the first a point gets added to the other players scores. The Digtal display is neat for flash. I put all LEDS in mine and it looks fine. Used warm frosted everywhere and the green super brights in the Digital display. Looks great to me. Ill have to take some pictures when I get back home and finally post in this thread.

Will be soon. I have restored and oiled all of the electrical components in the upper box, and started replacing the lamps with LED's...then ran out! That digital display is drinking up my LED supply in a hurry. Repainted the pins as they were yellow-ish and needed a cleanup.

I am going to add a touch of color to bezels around the upper door and the lower portion, and will be powder-coating some of the parts. Waiting on rubber rebound strips and a few other items. I also added an IEC receptacle to the back door so I can use a standard computer cord - did this on every machine I have.

Project coming along nicely.

I find that interesting. Not to be a dope but what is the advantage ?
It would make storage of a game somewhat easier. What else?

I usually by the black 3 prong 25 ft extension cord from Walmart and cut off the gang plug before I install it in a game. $9 or $10.

I can put my slot machines, arcades and pins (I have a huge game room) anywhere without moving cords since they all use a standard cordset. And, those computer power cords are dime-a-dozen, and come in many different lengths. When I built my game room, I put outlets at 4 ft. off the ground, so the cords are hidden behind the machines and aren't visible from the floor. Then, I typically use 2 ft. or 3 ft. cordsets which clean the backs up nicely. Those connectors are extremely reliable and have become the industry standard.

Also, without a cord hanging, it makes moving the machines easier, so you don't need to deal with cords dragging and getting hung up on the cart, under the machine, and so on.

Brilliant!

I had a request to add some pics for the inside workings of the Night Rider machine, easier to add in here

DSC02511 (resized).JPG

DSC02512 (resized).JPG

DSC02513 (resized).JPG

DSC02514 (resized).JPG

DSC02515 (resized).JPG

DSC02516 (resized).JPG

It all makes sense now !
Great idea.
Do you cut in the receiver into the back of the game that is not already equipped?

I am guessing that the gambling machines already have that set up as I have a poker machine and a megatouch that are set up that way already.

I thought I would post this here and see the reaction. This is a game that Dan from MSA in Lafayette found in Indy. He said he didn't do anything at all to get it operational. Just plugged it in.

Chicago Coin Bulls-Eye Drop Ball

When you insert a coin, there is a conveyor on the right side of the back box that brings a ball up to the slanted track. One of the three bulls eyes below the track will be lit. The object is to slide the puck towards the bulls eye that is lit. This makes a corresponding section of the track retract and the ball will drop into one of the slots below. Points are based on which slot the ball falls into. I'm not sure how many balls you get. There's a zone shot counter in the backglass. This goes down when a ball falls into the slots not when you slide the puck. Where the life preserver is on the back glass there's a window with a little ball inside. We're not sure what that does.

Anyone remember playing this game? Anyone have any info on it? Dan's looking for a schematic.pasted_image (resized).png14556714_1259506464086212_7459106244983993208_o (resized).jpg

This will help some:

http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=5976

The IPDB might appreciate some pictures of that version.

I have schematics for this game. Please PM me and I will send copies.

I found this in an antique store, unused and still in it's original shipping crate from Pace Manufacturing.
Anyone know what game it is from?
Guy wants $225 for it, if anyone needs it.

IMG_20161107_162356 (resized).jpg

IMG_20161107_162632 (resized).jpg

IMG_20161107_162640 (resized).jpg

IMG_20161107_162726 (resized).jpg

Wow, that is super cool. I couldn't find anything regarding a Pace bowling game. Finding a guy that has one may be a challenge, but if you needed it, $225 is a steal.

Yeah I tried to research it but couldn't find anything either. Could be another manufacturer in the Pace box?
But probably pre WW2.
Help please

Yeah, that is a possibility as well. Makes it even harder to research. The design looks similar to the glass on Bally Alley but that doesn't really help much. Could be almost anything from the 30s-40s.

Found this license tag inside my Bally ABC bowler. The original mayor Richard J Daley was collecting.
bally_license (resized).jpg

Yep close to a '39 Bally Alley, but no cigar.

Pace manufacturing built mostly slot machines, so there is a chance that it just got shipped in a Pace box, or Pace made it for another manufacturer.

There's also a chance that it's not a game back glass at all. For instance, it might be a part of display for a pin setter that shows which pins are still standing between the first and second ball.

Same guys were in office 9 years later.

(1964 Southland Little Pro)

*Maybe the tags were good for a couple few years??

IMG_2006 (resized).JPG

The story the guy told me that sold me your Little Pro said it was only on route for a couple years. His uncle bought it from an operator and his house was apparently quite the bachelor pad. He had it up until a few years ago. Not sure I ever told you or not. I thought that tag was super cool.

Good story Alex. It's condition backs that up I think. '66 my bday year, I like it too!

Couple more tags found on another bowler. The yellow one is a decal on the glass of a 1953 United puck bowler, and the black paper was inside, stapled to the inside of my Bally ABC ball bowler. Looks like they mistakenly identified it as a United. The license number matches the green tag previously posted.
tag-united (resized).jpg

license_receipt_1957 (resized).jpg

I have a couple of 'flaunt my ignorance' questions regarding bowlers. When a bowler is a 16[footer, I assume that is just the length of the alley and not the full length of the machine. Is that correct? And, if so, how many additional feet do you figure the actual length of a bowler is? Second, how do they disassemble for moving? Specifically, into how many pieces would a 16' bowler break into?

I have a Chicago Coin Super Sonic, it's advertised as a 17 footer. It measures about 17 1/2 feet from end to end. It breaks apart into 4 pieces.

A length of a bowler is the total length of the game (not just the lane section length), so a 16' bowler is the entire length from the front of the game to the back of the cabinet. United 16' bowlers break down into 3 sections (cabinet, pindeck section, and front lane section where the coin box is located). There are some Chicago Coin games with 2-pc cabinets, so those would break down into 4 pieces.

Lane sections are typically connected by long threaded rods and bolts and also wood blocks (underneath the center sections of the lanes). The pindeck section sits on a wood "shelf" that is built onto the lower bottom face of the cabinet and then gets secured to the cabinet by bolts.

Wiring harness runs from the cabinet to the coin box under the ball return section and connects/plugs together where the lane sections join together.

Thanks, so the longest section on a 16 footer would be less than 8 feet, correct?

Correct, longest section should be over 7 ft, but less than 8 ft.

Is there a standard width?

Damn I want a ball bowler. No room!!

there is the small ball bowler, and the shuffle puck "bowler" theu take up less space.

I have a United puck bowler, 9 ft. long, and it's all one section. The back box and the pin assembly sits on top of the machine, but it's the longest machine I have.

Also have a Bally ball bowler, 14 ft. in two sections, and it's a bit easier to manage.

Still have this for sale in Tampa for cheap!!!