Silverball Mania
Bally, 1980I have a silverball mania and it needs a restore. I have many parts already and I plan on repainting the cabinet. The playfield has factory mylar which protected most of the art but there is still much wear everywhere there is not mylar. Also most of the inserts are sunk under the mylar. So I am debating on whether this machine is really worth another $600-$700 for a new playfield or if I should just live with what I have.
SBM has the best art of any pinball machine ever, and was Ballys' first "fast" pinball machine.
Certainly worth a new playfield, and you should get the ROM that does not grant a letter through the Horseshoe - makes it a really challenging game.
if you like the game and you plan on keeping it, then yes, do a full restoration on the game
if you plan on selling it after the restoration, then I would say no, you will not get your money back
The CPR playfields look amazing. I put one in mine last spring. I will say that if you do the playfield, do the plastics and bumper caps too. They may not look bad now but against the new playfield they will look like crap.
Since the author didn't mention "it's about the money"
maybe "worth" is not about resale ?
Silverball is a true classic. Everyone rants about the artwork.
Those sounds are truly unique. Honestly one of the bedrock
games that sucked so many impressionable teens in to a truly
passionate hobby.
If you like the game, do it. You probably won't find one as nice
as when you get done for any less money.
If it's a hobby, enjoy it.
If it's a job, flip it and move on.
If you do the playfield swap you won't be sorry or disappointed....
If you are looking for a point of reference on what it will look like take a look at mine after the restoration:
http://s498.photobucket.com/user/iko3185/library/SBM%20Playfield%20Swap?sort=6&page=1
Quoted from vid1900:SBM has the best art of any pinball machine ever, and was Ballys' first "fast" pinball machine.
Certainly worth a new playfield, and you should get the ROM that does not grant a letter through the Horseshoe - makes it a really challenging game.
Where can you order such a ROM? We are forced to play SBM in league quite often and it just sucks shooting that horseshoe over, and over, and over............ and over, and over........ and then one more time. 
Looks great vid. That ball guide is beautiful and those Titan rubbers were a perfect fit. What a gorgeous playfield. It's an orgasm of colors. 
Quoted from Skins:What a gorgeous playfield. It's an orgasm of colors.
Indeed.
Titan rubbers:
https://www.titanpinball.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=52
New Horseshoe:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/making-new-ball-guides-from-scratch-vids-guide
New target faces:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/replacing-stand-up-target-faces-vids-guide
Vid I saw the page where you made the new horseshoe, it looks great. If I do go for a new playfield would you sell me a horseshoe?
I already have many parts to restore this such as stencils, pop bumper caps, ring kit, plastic set, flipper buttons, legs, shooter rod, coin door skin, etc etc.
My issue is that I already have a bunch of money in this and I am not sure if it will be a keeper. Im at the point now that I can fix it up without a new playfield and still make a little money if I decide to sell. Once I buy a playfield I would loose loads of money if i were to sell it.
I dont know, gameplay is not very exciting to me so far. Maybe with a fresh playfield and rebuilt pops, slings, etc my opinion will change.
Here are a few pics so you can see what I am working with. The cabinet is in bad shape, someone put angle brackets on the bottom because the bottom panel was broken. Easy enough to fix since I will be stripping and repainting anyways.
The playfield is not that bad because it has factory mylar. However, under the mylar all of the inserts have sunk and there is a lot of wear everywhere there is not mylar. Backglass is perfect.
Financially worth it, no it almost never is. If you like the game go ahead and sink more into it than it's worth and enjoy it. I've done it several timesand don't regret it at all. But I'd be upside down on several if I sold them.
There are only about 12 games that you can spend 200 hours on and still get your money out of.
The other 6,853 titles will lose you a ton of money and time when you restore them.
You just have to do it because you love it, cuz you ain't gonna make any money when it comes time to sell.
I'm not sure I would bother with a replacement playfield. It looks fairly decent.
Can you show a close up of some of the wear you're talking about?
You can tap the inserts up to level them, and most insert wear is just the black ring around the insert--that can be addressed with decals or paint.
Quoted from vid1900:You just have to do it because you love it, cuz you ain't gonna make any money when it comes time to sell.
What I should have said is I would rather not loose a bunch of money if I decide to sell it. I fix these games up because I enjoy doing it.
I will get some pics of the wear tomorrow and post them. Its mostly at the top arch and around the horseshoe. It also has heavy planking on the lower area around the apron. The inserts are not so much sunk as they are cupped. Warped from the heat of the lamps.
I just bought a SBM that came with a new CPR playfield, back glass and plastic set. I will be restoring it completely at some point. It is one of the most beautiful Classic Bally games and I will be super happy once completed! The restore is for my pleasure only.
Where do I find a copy of the reworked software?
Rob Bell
Robsgameroom.com
When you repaint the cab, buy your stencils from Pinball Pimp. His are top quality and work very well.
I already have a set of stencil I got from Marco. Not sure of the quality but they have to be better than the Kiss ones I got from Arcade Adventures. They did not line up well at all. I had to cut out and apply each individual face then mask them together. Worked out well in the end but damn it was a lot of extra work. The proportions are off on some of the flames too. The one where the ball shooter is almost completely covered where the original just slightly went under the shooter bezel. The quality of the materials were great, they just need to tweak their files some to make it right.
I will try pinball pimp stencils next go around. Anyone know who makes them for Marco?
I think it is a really beautiful game. Here is what mine looked like. I did not restore it myself but when the LEDs were added it looked dynamite!
4f19f75151de687c9376cbe3bc8ec42f13089048.jpg68be1eea26bc77b3524d26cfcd7bfcd26d33da4c.jpg14870bde2a3f9107a0fa252ed94b0b35134ec7ae.jpgd710c4b27dab549dd432c025ca5cfc69689d7f6e.jpgf297532b01ddb17d355696db2e52af01734ef10a.jpg
Since you going through all the trouble and expense of restoring the cab and bb, the bg is beautiful and you have all those new parts why stop there? Sure it's more money but the game would only be half finished without the new pf and another thing, this will probably be your only chance to get a new pf so you better just pony up the extra cash needed for it. The game will truly be restored then and when you look at that beautiful game you'll thank your lucky stars you went all out on the restore. Tell you what, WHEN you buy the new pf I'll buy your old one, if it's not to much that is.
Only you can answer weather any game is worth restoring.
A lot of the CPR playfields alone are worth more than the average cost of a beater Silverball Mania and the majority of Bally SS titles from the era. But that never stopped me if I plan to keep the machine.
If you are simply planning to flip it then who cares? Put as little as possible into it and dump it.
Im not really a flipper but I do sell games occasionally when I get bored with them. This usually takes several years. The thing is im really not getting into the gameplay on this one.
I have almost ordered the playfield several times and backed out. I guess I should buy it and if I dont use it I can always sell later.
Right now I have a xenon machine that has my attention. Would love to find a new playfield for it.
Riptor!!!! Hey, remember me from Klov?? Tim and I were talking about you a few weeks ago and he mentioned that you were into pins now. I too own a SBM and am in the restoration process. I just cleared my PF this morning. I got my machine for a song, fully functional and with mint BG. I too contemplated the PF swap but the one that I have was so nice and had so little wear that I just touched everything up and cleared it. It needed all new rubbers which strangely there was a new full set in the cabinet, yet no one installed them and over time they all yellowed, needs all seven bumper caps and bodies replaced due to yellowing. I'll pick up a new horseshoe from Vid eventually when it goes back together. You mentioned that you have full factory Mylar? My machine only has it in front of the slings
Quoted from sohchx:Riptor!!!! Hey, remember me from Klov?? Tim and I were talking about you a few weeks ago and he mentioned that you were into pins now.
Hey man how's it going. I have always had a pin or two, I just beefed up the collection recently and I am thinning out the arcades. I now have seven pins plus bably pac and ice cold beer.
Vid, where can I get the "new SB roms? What is the difference in the two?
Quoted from Riptor:Vid, where can I get the "new SB roms? What is the difference in the two?
Email or PM Seymore Shadow on here and ask for the SBM ROMs.
The new ROMs does NOT score a letter every time the ball goes through the Horseshoe, making a whole new game when you have to collect each letter (like the outlane/ upper lanes) and it allows you to set the game to free play.
Quoted from Riptor:Hey man how's it going. I have always had a pin or two, I just beefed up the collection recently and I am thinning out the arcades. I now have seven pins plus bably pac and ice cold beer.
Vid, where can I get the "new SB roms? What is the difference in the two?
What!!?? You actually parted with all those rare Pacs that you had?? No way
Thanks Vid, will do.
Quoted from sohchx:What!!?? You actually parted with all those rare Pacs that you had?? No way
Not yet but sold about 6 other games. Im selling pacman, pac plus and super pac. Keeping baby pac, jr pac, pacmania, professor pac, pacland, mspac. Selling burgertime and operation wolf too. I never play them anymore so decided to let them go. The games I do play im keeping. May sell more later or just put them out in storage for a while.
Not including the pinballs I am down to just 18 machines. I had over 30 not too long ago.
Quoted from sohchx:Riptor!!!! Hey, remember me from Klov?? Tim and I were talking about you a few weeks ago and he mentioned that you were into pins now. I too own a SBM and am in the restoration process. I just cleared my PF this morning. I got my machine for a song, fully functional and with mint BG. I too contemplated the PF swap but the one that I have was so nice and had so little wear that I just touched everything up and cleared it. It needed all new rubbers which strangely there was a new full set in the cabinet, yet no one installed them and over time they all yellowed, needs all seven bumper caps and bodies replaced due to yellowing. I'll pick up a new horseshoe from Vid eventually when it goes back together. You mentioned that you have full factory Mylar? My machine only has it in front of the slings
Picture is pre-restoration
IMG_20150823_170043.jpg
It has mylar from the flippers up to the horseshoe but it does not go up inside the horseshoe. Then there is a second piece that butts up against the seam of the first piece and that one extends up to the lanes. So basically the art is in good shape everywhere except inside the horseshoe, next to the right flipper and above the lanes at the arch. There is planking on the lower portion below the flippers.
The biggest issue I can see is ALL of the inserts are really cupped.
Im still undecided on what to do with the playfield. I know this one can be touched up and repaired. Here are a few wear pics. Yeah I know, its actually not too bad. If the inserts were not cupped I could live with it after some touch ups.
Sohchx, let me know if you need any plastics. I have a new set for mine so these will be up for grabs. Its missing one small piece and the two top pieces have the typical warping. I think there is a small crack on one of the slings but the rest are presentable.
I also have new pops and caps but mine are burnt and yellowed too.
Quoted from CNKay:PM sent on plastics. I will be posting what not to do to cure warped plastics. But sad story short I lost ink on many pieces. I am still sick about it as they were all warped but all beautiful. Were being the key word.
It never hurts to wax the 2 sheets of glass when you are putting plastics out in the sun to flatten.
Quoted from Riptor:The biggest issue I can see is ALL of the inserts are really cupped.
You can fill them with clear if you want them flat again.
Quoted from Riptor:Im still undecided on what to do with the playfield.
It looks pretty good. Three cheers for Mylar.
Sochx, the clear job looks great. Very nice looking PF on that one. I see you have mylar on there, is it over the clear or did you clear over it?
Vid, yes I have used clear to fill low spots before. What is your opinion on clearing over mylar? So long as the mylar still has good adhesion?
I'm good on plastics.
Quoted from Riptor:Sochx, the clear job looks great. Very nice looking PF on that one. I see you have mylar on there, is it over the clear or did you clear over it?
Vid, yes I have used clear to fill low spots before. What is your opinion on clearing over mylar? So long as the mylar still has good adhesion?
I masked the mylar with Friskit, then I cleared over top of it. I then pulled the frisket and feathered the edges of the mylar to blend them into the clear and eliminate the surrounding raised edges. In the photo that you saw the Frisket was not pulled off yet.
Got this in the mail today. Cant say im real happy with it, the quality of the finish is crap. Check out the second pic and you can see how bad it is. Its much worse in person, it took a dozen pics to be able to capture it in the pic. It looks like the wood was not sealed in any way prior to the art application or was not sanded very smooth. It almost looks like planking to me. Other small (mostly un-noticable once installed) issues are a bug in the clearcoat and some specs of missing color in various places. Also the white where the horseshoe goes is really thin and I can actually see the wood peeking through.
I guess now I need to know what kind of finish they use and if I can spray automotive clear over it.
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Leonardtown, MD
Maple Ridge, BC
Sana'a