I don't see how it would be cost saving. Have you ever priced trying to replace that assembly?

It's just the way the did it, I guess.

Personally I didn't care much for those corner pieces where you put your hands, but it is what is was.

I have the entire assembly with playfield glass for sale if anyone at the Ohio or PATZ show needs it, sorry no shipping.
$100

John

I wish every game had them

Yeah, it would probably be a lot of hassle and money just to ship that thing.

Some guy around here was looking for one a few years back, and it was like a needle in a haystack.

They eliminated it as a cost savings. Without looking it up, IIRC, Champ was the last game to have it while Sky Kings, the single player version of Champ, has the slide out glass.

That makes sense.

It was kind of a luxury feature (except those darn corners), and from what I have seen Bally was building some of the most solid, well built machines of their time.

My odds and evens has it. I think that was 73. Not sure where that was in the history of this glass type.

I love them on my EMs, it's the easiest way to pop the hood during a crowded party and and show the crazy nuclear core of these things to unsuspecting non-pinheads.

My Twin Win has it. IPDB says it was designed in 71 and built in 74.

I just ordered a new piece of glass and was surprised to see it was a couple of inches shorter than regular glass.

I once owned a Maresa machine that also had this type of arrangement. When I first acquired the game, the glass was missing, and I thought I could pop a regular pinball glass in, but noooo.

Just for another data point, my 1969 On Beam has it.

Can confirm, my Sky Kings has slide-out glass.

Haha, I hadn't considered this, as I often have friends over who would like to see inside. Might use On Beam next time!

Heighway machines have/had this configuration.

Had a Hi-Lo Ace with it. When I got it, there was all kind of crap built up around the edges of the the glass and was a PITA to clean.

Most Bally one-balls have this type of glass. They are quite heavy.

Same for my Monte Carlo its 4-player brother. Also 73.

I've had three games that have it. Surfers, Odds & Evens, and Time Zone. Odds & Evens I sold a few years ago, the other two I still own.

I love them because it's way easier to open things up, especially if you have games in close quarters. If you need to raise the playfield up and lean it against the head, they lift right off although they are heavier. The glass is 1.5 inches shorter than a standard glass. The main issue restoring a game that has one is finding the U channel that goes around all the edges of the glass. It's usually really yellowed and all gunked up. I got a replacement from a glass shop that I trimmed down and it works fine.

When I restored the O&E, when I was disassembling the frame, there was a wrapper from a Hershey's chocolate bar with almonds wedged under the lockdown bar segment. From the price on the wrapper, I figured out it had been there since around 1975. I restored that game about 5 years ago now or so.

The only negative I can think of is, be careful when you prop that frame up. It's heavy and once the prop stick got loose and the frame came down and got me on the melon. That will hurt and it definitely leaves a bump.

I wish more games had done that frame. Although it would have been impossible on wedgeheads, I also like the Bally/Williams backglass removal system. Way easier than trying to tilt that lightboard back and getting the glass out from the inside of the head.

Many folks don't realize that there are two prop rods; one on each side.

I love, on a 4 player Wiggler, the way the motor board can be raised up to sit on top of the front of the cabinet so as to provide easy servicing. Much less back ache!

Wiggler may have been the first game to promote the lift up top glass frame feature on the flyer Aug 1967
http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2777&picno=3921

Though there is a photo on ipdb that shows RocketIII (previous game released prior to Wiggler)
with the lift up top glass frame; it is not mentioned on the flyer
nor does the photo of game in flyer show it having that frame;
and if my memory serves me, my Rocket III pin (at PPM now) had lift top glass.

Me thinks Rocket III pin was a transition pin when change was made on assembly line.

My Surfers has that. I've only used it a couple of times but it is pretty nice.

I've used both on occasion, the only issue with both of them up is it can get in the way if you're working from the side of the game.

Great thing about that Bally era lift up top glass frame, is for gamerooms with very confined space
thus allowing one to work on a game, without needing that 50 inches of space
in front of game to remove playfield glass.

To confirm, my '67 Rocket III has the canopy glass and hinged lift-out motor board. Imho these features just ooze quality.

Agreed this is a great feature, on Rocket III the coin door can be re-plugged in at the raised position and a full game started.

Me included, owned mine for about a year before I noticed the props.

I think this is correct, I have the later production '67 Rocket III (has the left outlane kicker) which has the canopy glass, according to ipdb the early ones had regular sliding glass.

dunno why, but I'd never thought of propping the glass, playfield and control board to work on game - doh!

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