Just got mine last week and finally joined the club. I think it's one of the most beautiful games out there. Regarding air balls; yes! I had that happen when I first got the game. The Ringmaster assembly needs to be flush with the play field. There is good instruction in the manual about this, but the lid of his hat needs to be perfectly flush, otherwise it will ski jump and launch balls up and over him. Once I adjusted this, it hasn't happened again.

I have a few tweaks left to do to my game, but it's playing 100% and looking great!

Green neon over here and a yellow menagerie ball

Marc

It's one of two games I regretted selling the most (the other was Super Mario Bros). Traded my Spiderman last year for a near mint CV. I really wish more games had the DMD mounted lower on the playfield like CV

It is also important to adjust the height of the boom balloon bumper. Sometimes the adjustment screw can loosen up and cause the bumper to sit too low which in turn causes air balls.

There is a set screw at the bottom of the mechanism, under the PF. It's easy to adjust. You loosen four screws that allow it to move around and then set the height properly. It's well documented in the manual. Should take you only a few minutes.

Marc

I have had one for a couple of years and added a chrome door, mirror blades and leds including some purple GI's and that really added to the wow factor. Also get a chrome deskbell and replace that plastic junk one in the backbox.

Lets see some pics

I love seeing how people color LED their games

I'm in the club. Prototype model. Looking forward to seeing some LED pics. I've been thinking about getting one of the complete kits (the ones that were 20% off after Thanksgiving)

Kits are not the way to go....great for using as a guide, but you should always hand pick your colors

I don't know about led kits but this is one of my favorite under-cab kits. http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=c4-feed-u&v=fsr3teGOB8c

Pinballbulbs led and light strips kit

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Thats the one I was thinking of, it looks awesome!

Mine s/b here in about a week. From Atlanta to Canada, NAVL has been good(if slow) of late, so I'm 99% sure it'll be in one piece on arrival.

Had mine for 3 years , the perfect machine as far as art and gameplay . Mine was on location so not perfect, but who cares?

I'll check in as a charter member--still have the CV I bought NIB back in '98. Really like the home ROM too.

Some tips and Qs:

I added some colored bulbs to mine--prefer the mellow look of incandescents. This includes some red GI to match a few red plastics, blue under the slingshots, and alternating purple and green for the 9 marvel inserts above the flippers. You can get lots of colored bulbs cheap at pinball life!

Put a plastic protector over the skillshot target plastic (under the center ramp). It WILL break.

Take a few minutes and tweak the horseshoe around the RM. I adjusted the lane guides so that neither slow nor fast shots will result in a SDTM drain. Also tweak the right orbit guide so the returning ball just misses the slingshot. Make the pops sensitive y adjusting the contact switches. These little things really make this game flow.

As mentioned above, make sure the RM top plate is flush with the pf. Buy some spare top plates and decals. They get beat up. Also make sure the boom balloon plastic top is perfectly flush with the pf. There's a screw at the bottom of the bracket (below the pf) to adjust overall height . Adjust this so the lower edge of the plastic is flush. Then adjust the screw holding the upper edge of the plastic down. It should have a small o-ring below it so this upper edge can be raised or lowered.

Some people replace the clear 'bell' disk in the backbox with a real metal bell. You can also get spare menagerie balls in different colors for variety. They're cheap!

Strategy-wise, it's best to AVOID the acrobat ramp and not complete the acrobat marvel. This way, you can defeat 4 ringmasters and then play the lucrative RM Battle mode. Stacking MBs is easy too. You can try to hit 2 non-locking center ramp shots before lighting all locks, so that the high wire and strike an arc MBs start together. And get the RM up before starting any other MB so you can stack the RM MB with it. Once you start a RM MB, you can't start another MB until the RM MB ends, so no stacking that way. It's advisable to stack a MB (juggler, high wire) with the RM Special MB. Otherwise, you have to score several hits on the RM for Special to get the RM up. If started during another MB, the RM Special starts with the RM all the way up.

Oh yeah. And I have JPOP's original proto 'rules' card in my apron.

I don't want to be prez--just rattling off some thoughts I've gathered over the years...

(And for $2100, how could one resist a NIB CV? )

Just had an amazing 58 million point game after adjusting and lubricating the ringmaster. If he is loud or otherwise not going up smoothly, it's time to lube the mechanisms and tracks. Can't believe how much better it is now.

Plastic protectors are on the way, along with a new skill
Shot plastic as mine is indeed broken

How do you adjust the horseshoe? A slow shot around the back of the RM will go STDM. I would love to fix this! Maybe send some pics if you have them.

Marc

Marc

This pin is like a femme fatale.

It looks breath taking but once you fall in the trap and push start you get fucked in the ass by numerous unfair drains.

The playfield is a collection of ballhating features with 2 vacuumcleaners on each side.

Never liked her, cant resist to play again and again and again....

I consider STDM from botched u-turn shots to be part of the game. I don't have my tilt super tight in CV and I can usually recover from it. Most of my drains are in the right outlane.

I also have a lot of trouble if I don't make it up the high wire ramp, but that's my own fault.

I'm rocking the HC rom in mine, because I couldn't stand the "FREE ONLY" - I don't like being told what to do with my own machine. I wish it also had an option to turn off copy cat, though...

My CV all leds in backboxIMG_0076.JPG and chrome door
IMG_0074.JPGIMG_0079.JPG the neighbors beside

What is the furthest step any ones gotten to?

To adjust the horseshoe, just bend the end of the ball guide slightly, inward or outward. You can gently/carefully lever it with a thin screwdriver, grab it with needlenose pliers, etc. I really prefer NOT having unsaveable SDTM drains on a legit shot! It's good to tweak the orbit exit as well. When the ball comes down the orbit, it should not hit the slingshot, but run along the front of it to the flipper with little or no contact. That's how the games are designed.

Are you guys nudging? The flippers on the machine are close enough that you can nudge a flipper into the path of the STDM drain and flail the ball out of the drain. CV is very forgiving compared to a CFTBL or FT.

I've never thought that harshly about my CV

Picked up the one Jeffspinballpalace had for sale on here, has the artwork matching coin door w/o slots.

Awesome!

it's still my favorite game. Don't own one anymore But I will once I have the space again.

Any chance you can share some pics? I'd love to see how you have your setup.

When I purchased this CV the original coin door and shooter rod got damaged in shipping so when I replaced those I went for the Chrome and the flashing shooter rod. That chrome door is relatively expensive from Pinball decals.
I also have a LOTR and I put a Brass door on it.

new cirqus in home! looks like my trouble and 95% not working!
but i will restore it like new!! and built a lot of mods and crazy topper!
someone know where is the neon transformer?!
thanks

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Transformer is in the rear of the plastic housing for the neon ramp, to the right of the DMD. I had to replace mine.

Lots of voltage in that!

Interested to see what you come up with.

Such a beautiful machine!
Congrats to all you owners

"DO YOUR WORST!"...still is my favorite insult.

What is the laser mod?

I have a lot of missing and broken parts on my cv. Who can help me please? Or maybe send me pics or speak on skype? I will give him new mods or 50% off from my new cv crazy tooper (coming soon)
Thanks

Love my CV!

i have a lot of missing parts. who can tell me which? and the ball is prototype! hahahahahahahahhahaahh

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Dbuam88, who did you buy your CV from, someone local?

I sold mine back in 2007, big mistake, and wondered if is was the one I had. I can't think of who bought it, buy it was someone from the Atlanta area.

Mine had a purple neon, when I sold it. I just saw your photos, so it most likely wasn't the same one, unless the neon was changed.

I got mine a couple years ago. Undocumented HUO, and the price was right. $6700 hand delivered to my home! My favorite quote is still "You'd be cranky too, if you had a spring for a neck".

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