So, I finally got around to removing the Kaiju over the lifters. It didn't make much difference as these big pink and blue plastics still covered them:
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But!! As wolftownjeff mentioned, you can also remove these as there are translucent orange plastic protectors underneath:
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And just like that, I can now see the ball exiting the lifter on both sides. It's such a neat effect to actually see and you can locate the ball so much faster without needing the sound cue. It's really increased my enjoyment and I honestly have a higher percentage of shots made because it's easier to time the ball.
The biggest downside is that the yellow lights under the ball guide are now a little too bright - but they can be covered or disconnected.
Now we just need to convince Spooky to make alternate slingshot/ball guide plastics that DONT cover the lifter/inlane. But really, it's so much better that mine are staying off permanently regardless if that can happen or not. Huge upgrade!