Star Wreck TNG: The Mother Of All Restorations!

Hi Pinheads!

So i used to operate Pins back in the late 90's/Early 2k's renting them to pubs but got fed up with them always breaking down and sold the lot! I always regretted that as I really loved pinball machines so I recently decided to start a home collection. I already own a twilight zone but i just purchased my favourite game of all Star Trek: TNG for 600 euro, a bargain? Absolutely not, this could be the dumbest thing I ever bought!

The machine itself was caught in a fire and has suffered severe fire damage as the images attached show.

Damage List:-
Cabinet - charred and will need heavy reconstruction.
Playfield - Severe melting of certain inserts and decals. Burning or artwork at places.
Playfield ramps and toys - most completely melted.
Glass - Smashed (as my bloodied hands discovered pretty soon!)
Launch Gun - Burnt on the left and needs replacing (how hot was this fire to burn the metal!)
Back Box - All boards missing, speaker assembly and translites missing. Cables cut and missing connectors. Light box burnt and bayonets melted.
And I haven't even begun to talk about the bottom of the playfield yet!

Note: The ash you see everywhere is the ceiling of the arcade which caved in and no doubt went straight through the glass.

As you can see this machine will need a hell of a lot of work to restore and considering I have never done this before.... it will need a miracle!
But... I have time... I have a fantastic forum full of helpful individuals (I hope) and I have a vision to fully resurrect, restore and upgrade this machine so it can take pride of place in my living room.

I'm glad and would be honoured to share this journey with you...

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#2 6 years ago

ERC

Ericc123

Inactive member

Pittsburgh, PA

7y 96,800 1,143 20

I’m going to watch your thread intently to see how this goes. Is it even possible to bring something this far gone back from the dead? Good luck my friend.

#3 6 years ago

F W

AUKraut

600 Euro??? That's seems about 599 too high....Wow!

#4 6 years ago

MAZ

mazzaneo

Inactive member

Here is where the boards should have been!

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#5 6 years ago

KEN

radium

Pinside+ Frequent

Covington, LA

10y 93,550 4,153 12 2

Make it so.

#6 6 years ago

WOT

Atari_Daze

Spd

Houston, TX

7y 141K 10,053 7

Wow, I'm willing to undertake almost any project pin, but think I would have passed on that one, your a better man than I.
In the words of Gene Kranz (Apollo 13 movie) what do we have on the spacecraft that's Good?
That list of damaged parts is almost everything!
GL with your ambitious restore!

Post last edited 6 years ago: “Damn auto correct ”

#7 6 years ago

AAA

pintechev

Inactive member

11y 91,300 4,437

Oh my goodness.

#8 6 years ago

MAZ

mazzaneo

Inactive member

Quoted from AUKraut:
600 Euro??? That's seems about 599 too high....Wow!

You are 100% right but to be honest with you, i'm looking forward to this

#9 6 years ago

PPD

Boat

CPRepair

Calgary, AB

7y 107K 1,473 4 92 1

Salvage what you can from parts and move on, you are crazy taking this on.

#10 6 years ago

F W

AUKraut

Quoted from Boat:
Salvage what you can from parts and move on, you are crazy taking this on.

Seriously.......this!! From what I can see the ONLY thing that may be salvageable are the metal ramps, and even that is questionable.

#11 6 years ago

ABC

arakissun

Pinside member

Varna

12y 63,650 1,995

This machine must be free not even and one Euro.How the price was calculate?

#12 6 years ago

jake35

Pinside member

7y 114K 2,552 25 9 5

600 Euro? that is ridiculous. Nothing in that can be salvaged from what I can see, not even good for parts. Would have been better off buying every part and assembling one from scratch, since you're basically starting with a blank pallete.

#13 6 years ago

MAZ

mazzaneo

Inactive member

Quoted from Boat:
Salvage what you can from parts and move on, you are crazy taking this on.

Where's the fun in that! Worst case scenario you will find a load of Star Trek TNG parts for sale here in 6 months, but I have to try!

#14 6 years ago

KEN

radium

Pinside+ Frequent

Covington, LA

10y 93,550 4,153 12 2

Well, your cannon covers still look better than mine.

#15 6 years ago

MAZ

mazzaneo

Inactive member

Guys you are all correct, 600 was too much, the only things i can see that are salvageable are at the bottom of the playfield which survived the fire (I will post pics of these over the next few days).
This is more of a hobby for me at this point, think Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. (although if this flies it will be straight into the skip... lol)

#16 6 years ago

HEP

High_End_Pins

HEP

Matthews, NC

12y 142K 12,529

Very ambitious project but I really think you will be in it so much more in parts and frustration than it will be worth compared to just finding a less needy candidate.

#17 6 years ago

---

ForceFlow

Pinside Moderator

9y 238K 31,360 268 14

Wow, that is one gnarly looking pin

#18 6 years ago

TUX

Tucks

Inactive member

London

7y 17,400 70

I have some burnt wood you can have for €400?

Good luck!

#19 6 years ago

AAA

pintechev

Inactive member

11y 91,300 4,437

It just needs a couple of fuses. It’ll be fine.

#20 6 years ago

DAV

dsmoke1986

Pinside member

Royersford, PA

10y 67,050 1,784 3 22 1

Good luck and Godspeed...It's an amazing pin and will be worth it if you can make the resto happen.

#21 6 years ago

JAH

heni1977

Pinside member

Decatur, IL

11y 89,800 2,529 4 6

Wowsers!

#22 6 years ago

KEN

radium

Pinside+ Frequent

Covington, LA

10y 93,550 4,153 12 2

image.gif

#23 6 years ago

COW

smiley

Pinside+ Frequent

Edmonton, AB

15y 78,650 343 22 8

Wow! I dont see much that can be salvaged. Good luck with this project.

#24 6 years ago

MAZ

mazzaneo

Inactive member

Shots of the top of the machine

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#25 6 years ago

RUM

Rum-Z

Pinside member

Adrian, MI

13y 150K 3,972 29

I hate to mix-up Star Trek series and I do wish you luck, but...

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#26 6 years ago

NJM

NeilMcRae

Pinside+ Pro!

London

12y 147K 4,494 70 20

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#27 6 years ago

F W

AUKraut

Actually McCoy was on STTNG as well, and even he was in better shape & with more life in him than this pin....

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#28 6 years ago

BIL

dothedoo

Pinside member

12y 106K 7,265

#29 6 years ago

DAN

gunstarhero

Pinside member

15y 104K 3,440

Pin market in California sez $4000 and its gone in a day.

#30 6 years ago

MGP

mgpasman

Pinside member

8y 51,400 558

Ho Lee Sh*t. God bless you for trying to resurrect it. Find the topics about the burnt ToM and Playboy for inspiration!

#31 6 years ago

PLD

johnjones

Inactive member

Kitchener, ON

11y 22,400 84 11

Wow thats like 10,300 Rupee for that!

Good luck and I will be watching to see how its done.

#32 6 years ago

???

BallyWilliams

Inactive member

Devon

6y 23,300 117 2

OMG !!! I must turn away...but I can't stop watching.. ...:-O

#33 6 years ago

???

BallyWilliams

Inactive member

Devon

6y 23,300 117 2

This was the worst to best I've seen but if you can do anything to improve that 'thing which once was pinball'...I think you'll be the new benchmark haha

#34 6 years ago

SMK

TheLaw

Pinside+ Addict

Ann Arbor, MI

12y 162K 48,064 19 30 1

Quoted from BallyWilliams:
» YouTube video
This was the worst to best I've seen but if you can do anything to improve that 'thing which once was pinball'...I think you'll be the new benchmark haha

Uff in some ways it looked better before

#35 6 years ago

F W

AUKraut

Quoted from BallyWilliams:
» YouTube video
This was the worst to best I've seen but if you can do anything to improve that 'thing which once was pinball'...I think you'll be the new benchmark haha

That TZ is a cakewalk compared to that STTNG

#36 6 years ago

SMK

TheLaw

Pinside+ Addict

Ann Arbor, MI

12y 162K 48,064 19 30 1

Quoted from AUKraut:
That TZ is a cakewalk compared to that STTNG

Yeah when you're reading words like "Charred,"Melted," & "Ash" that's a tuffy.

#37 6 years ago

ALC

comment23

Pinball Workshop

8y 67,550 595 1 9

I wish you all the luck and following closely, but man that is ONE LARGE PROJECT.

#38 6 years ago

RAC

Gunnut40

Pinside+ Frequent

Spottsville, KY

6y 75,800 1,442 8

Man who ever sold you this thing....needs a salesman of the year award!

#39 6 years ago

PAZ

tktlwyr

Pinside member

Pembroke Pines, FL

15y 104K 1,163 14 28

I just finished restoring mine so my curiosity got me...WOOF!

Mine was rough...this thing is mangled!

Good luck!

#40 6 years ago

JON

Schwaggs

Gameroom Mods

10y 105K 4,760 10

WOW, that is incredible.

#41 6 years ago

???

BallyWilliams

Inactive member

Devon

6y 23,300 117 2

Quoted from AUKraut:
That TZ is a cakewalk compared to that STTNG

No-one will argue that haha

I literally want to fast forward to see the result now ....

#42 6 years ago

OOD

spidey

Pinside+ Frequent

Plano, TX

12y 92,300 2,025 9

Quoted from pintechev:
It just needs a couple of fuses. It’ll be fine.

Optos could be flaky, too. Literally.

#43 6 years ago

TOM

PBFan

Pinside member

10y 60,300 673

Yup, there is literally nothing left to restore (maybe a few useful nuts and bolts) . You are effectively going to have to build a complete new machine from the parts list. Good luck though!

#44 6 years ago

TWB

Djshakes

Pinside member

San Diego, CA

7y 70,550 1,666 2

I want you to get a refund immediately and then offer the seller you'll take it to the dump for a fee. Stop this nonsense right now. I'm serious. Just stop it. This makes me want to slam my fist down on the table in protest.

#45 6 years ago

MAZ

mazzaneo

Inactive member

Not on my Star Trek table, you’ll damage the paint work!

Quoted from Djshakes:I want you to get a refund immediately and then offer the seller you'll take it to the dump for a fee. Stop this nonsense right now. I'm serious. Just stop it. This makes me want to slam my fist down on the table in protest.

#46 6 years ago

DAN

gunstarhero

Pinside member

15y 104K 3,440

This makes me think...

At the point that you replace the cab, PF, plastics, boards, legs, translite, glass, mechs, posts and toys with new parts, what exactly did you "restore"?

#47 6 years ago

COS

cosmokramer

Pinside member

11y 120K 8,462

This reminds me of my termite eaten FT resto...I am almost done and the only original parts are the transformer, harness and items on the top and bottom of playfield...everything else (boards included) had to be made or sourced.
Good luck

#48 6 years ago

TOM

tomtest

Tom

Hagerstown, MD

11y 79,050 1,374 7 8

Blessed are the piece makers!

#49 6 years ago

JIM

PNBLWZD

Pinside+ Frequent

12y 71,400 1,275

At least the back is partially wiped off already, you can check that off the to-do list.

#50 6 years ago

MAZ

mazzaneo

Inactive member