Bally please

Finally brought the cabinet home to match up with the head for my 1964 Bally 2 in 1.

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58,700 ?? !!!!

Had to be "playing" with the glass off

Looks great.

My latest addition from late February is a 1968 Bally Rockmakers. I always start with cabinet work and this one is now 99% complete. At first glance, the cabinet appeared to be in very good original condition. Knowing this is nearly impossible on Bally's from '66 through '68, closer inspection revealed that the cabinet was actually repainted. A good cleaning with Krud Kutter and minor touch-ups with matching paints was quick work. Next came removal of all metal hardware for cleaning and polishing. Coin door was torn down, repainted and metal parts polished. Top glass frame was taken apart, cleaned (these things are always a gross mess), polished and new glass installed. New chrome legs and coin lock from PBR and flipper buttons from Marco finished the exterior.

Here is the before coin door picture
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Here are the after pictures
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My refinishing process for the top frame side rails and lockdown bar starts with a palm sander and 150 to 220 grit paper to remove scratches. Then step through 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000 and 3000 grits. A quick cleanup and then to the buffing wheel with green compound. The final step is to hand buffing with 0000 steel wool with Mothers Mag polish. This last step is very messy so wear gloves. The result is a near mirror finish.

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I plan to order a new backglass from BGResto and add pincab protectors once I decide on color. The Nickel and Quarter coin plates are missing their entry chutes so I will eventually replace them once I source donor parts.

Thanks. Yes, that is funny that every frame I have restored had matchsticks mingled in with all the beer / pop caked dirt. It takes a while, but those once-clear vinyl glass gaskets do clean up to a nice amber color.

The inserts came with the game but if you look at the before picture, you will see they were turned inside-out.

Yes, I know chrome legs are not correct but I prefer the look and Steve gets the new order as chrome rather than gray... it’s all good. I actually have a crap load of old legs, free for the taking.

Just like some have powder coated metal on this era of games. To each his own and do what makes you happy.

Looks sharp as hell and colors spot on. Keep us posted with progress and completion.

So what is the reason than chip board was used for the ends ??? Cost savings for 4 SF x 13,000 machines a year and / or a sinister planned obsolescence time bomb designed to be triggered once the game was shoved into the warehouse on its end?

Let's see the after pics too.

No stopping now...

1965 Bally Band Wagon was made during my birth month and year and is getting a full tear down. Dropped off the backglass last week to BGResto and will eventually do a cabinet repaint.

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Looks great and although not a die hard Gottlieb fan, I really dig Pat Travers "Gettin' Betta".

You need to get aggressive and sand out the scratches. Depending on how deep they are, I would start with 80 grit sandpaper mounted on a palm sander and sand the entire area of each rail. Then move up to 120, 150, 220, 320, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000 and THEN you can go to the buffing wheel or just hand polish with 0000 steel wool with Mothers Mag polish. The rails will come out to a near-mirror finish.

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The left lane kickback is more fun than winning a game.

Yes, you are.

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Do yourself a favor...take that PIECE OF SHIT tumbler back to Harbor Freight and buy a REAL tumbler made by Berry.

The HF Chinese junk motor will self destruct or the bowl will crack from a sharp part or the top nut will strip out the threads on the post. Plus they are noisy AF.

RETURN IT NOW EVEN IF YOU HAVE OPENED THE BOX !! You will thank me later.

Yes sir.. a Full House.

Super rare 1971 Bally Round Up. 70 produced, never mass produced and probably only a dozen are known to exist. Design credit goes to Ted Zale but this *could* have been a Harry Williams design since it re-uses the Skill Spin Mystery Stop Bonus mechanism that Harry included in his Feb 1971 Bally Firecracker.

Restoration almost complete and Round Up will be in the Free Play area at Allentown 2022 on Friday May 6th only.
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You realize THIS is the rare middle pop bumper version ? Great score !