Hope you get it back since it has so much history with you.

Good luck on the 300 man it's come a long way.
Big Brave is a fantastic game had a Big Indian a year ago

I just got a Top Score not to long ago and am working on restoring it. I know where another one is if you end up not being able to get yours back. (That's the 2-player version of "300")

Edit: here's a first look at the game I picked up: http://pinballhelp.com/first-look-gottlieb-top-score-300-em-pinball/

Good luck getting your old friend back!

If you can't get it back...there's always this one.

greensboro.craigslist.org link

Good luck, I hope you can convince them of the sentiments the machine holds for you.

Good luck on getting your old pin back!

My 1st pin I bought back in 2004 was a "300" and I've bought over 70 games since - kept around 20. I played that a lot before I sold it. I miss it - fun game.

Congrats!

Very cool to bring it full circle! 300 and Big Indian/Brave are fun EMs.

congrats! Be sure to update with pics.

Very cool!

I'm glad it worked out for you.

W()()T!! Congrats!

Fantastic news!

Very nice - best of luck

Great news, post pics of the current condition.

Dude! Awesome! Be sure to share pics of it's condition. Talk about a labor of love.

Good that you got it back. If no one ever bought it from you, then it was always "yours"! Have fun bringing up to speed with your big brave.

Congrats. Looks really good. Have fun!

Congrats! I also hope things move forward nicely for you and your dad! It's never to late for family!

Congrats on getting your old friend back to a loving home,I see good times ahead for both of you.

awesome news! glad to hear you got it home where it belongs.

It looks like none of the weathering on the outside made it inside. nice find and it looks good next to Big Brave. Does it have all the balls?

congrats!!!

Hey,

Congrats; I bought one last year, and have it torn down at the moment. Then the pesky task of refinishing an entire basement cropped up, but I look forward to it being done (both the game and the basement).

Luke

will look good next to the 'Brave' when up and running

Congrats man and thanks for sharing the story. Very happy for you - you deserve to enjoy it. Now task #2, invite your Dad over to play it with you. You can have your cake and eat it too.

I'm assuming some polishing compound and a buff pad on my grinder for getting the rust offa the coin door/ legs?

If you have $50 laying around buy a gallon of Lightning Rust Remover: http://lightningstrip.us/rust.htm What's nice is you can re-use it and it takes very little. You can get your legs, coin door, strike plate, coin entrance housing, and ball shooter trim to look almost brand new when you're done. Find a Rubbermaid or similar flat tub for you legs (Home Depot, etc.) or cut 3" pvc 3 ft. in length and make a tube by gluing on a cap on one end. This is Phosphoric acid so you have to be careful using it - follow the directions on the label. Wear rubber gloves (or medical), goggles, and a long sleeve shirt, and pour the solution in to cover the legs completely. I leave the leg levelers on and remove them when I'm done after they soak. Let soak for one hour and remove and let the remaining solution drip back into the container so you save as much as you can. I use a scotch brite pad to remove any remaining rust. Hose off with a garden hose and dry. Wax with a couple coats of Mothers mag and aluminum polissh or a similar metal polish. Your coin door can be done with a plastic tub. You want to find one that is as close to the dimensions of your coin door so you can use the smallest amount of LRR. I just fill it up about 1" or so just enough to submerse it. Turn down your water-stream when rinsing the coin door. Be careful not to get your switchstack or cloth wiring wet when you hose off. Dry and wax the same as the legs. I have been using LRR for about 5 years now and it works great as long as you follow the safety precautions. There are other methods for removing rust that others use - this is just my personal preference and it works great!

Dave

btw...search the groups for coke on legs. I've never done it myself but I recall a post awhile back where coke (yes, the drink) and tin foil used to apply and scrape will clean up legs on a pin without using the more toxic chemicals. Good luck.

Just to clarify, the Lightning Rust Remover isn't 100% Phosphoric acid that's going to burn holes in your skin. This product only contains a percentage of Phosphoric acid. Also, people tend to get this confused with Muratic acid which is a harsher chemical, and no, you don't want to use that on your metal parts. If you get some LRR on you just wash off with water right away and you'll be fine. I think goggles are critical though because you don't want the product to splash in your eyes. If you don't feel comfortable using goggles, gloves and long sleeve shirts, then this product is not for you. If you search the rec.games.pinball archives, you'll see lots of ideas on removing rust.

Dave

Just to clarify, the Lightning Rust Remover isn't 100% Phosphoric acid that's going to burn holes in your skin. This product only contains a percentage of Phosphoric acid. Also, people tend to get this confused with Muratic acid which is a harsher chemical, and no, you don't want to use that on your metal parts. If you get some LRR on you just wash off with water right away and you'll be fine. I think goggles are critical though because you don't want the product to splash in your eyes. If you don't feel comfortable using goggles, gloves and long sleeve shirts, then this product is not for you. If you search the rec.games.pinball archives, you'll see lots of ideas on removing rust.

Dave

next question, working on the playfield seems the more I clean it & buff with novus 2, the more fine cracks & swirls fill in with crud... I was considering trying the "Magic Eraser & alcohol" method.. (spot tested a few areas and it works great!) everything I have researched says if you do the magic eraser method you need to re clear coat. Can "clear coating" at home with a brush? or does it need to be completely depopulated, removed and taken some place to be sprayed? or won't it matter with a few good coats of wax?
thanks in advance for any info!

I use Magic Eraser and alcohol but you have to be careful and not overdo it. You did the right thing testing a spot on the playfield. The trick is to do just enough to get the dirt up and clean the playfield and remove ball swirls - don't overdo it because you could remove paint in the process. I wax my playfield after with 3 coats of 100% Carnuba (Mothers gold). Some like to clear coat when they're done - your preference.

Dave

Oh, forgot to mention - use 91% - 95% alcohol (the higher the better). Also, after you're done with the ME and alcohol, I use Novus 2 before the wax.

Dave

That's normal to see the dull areas. It all depended on how much the game was played on route, and how the playfield was maintained by the op. Also the paint process from the factory could have been sub-standard. Remember, these games were put out on route to earn money, not to be judged as to how perfect they were. I've used ME and alcohol on some games and when I was done the playfield looked brand-new. On several others though, I've had that dull look in some areas that you can't do anything about. Now, if you're unhappy with the game and want that like new look, why don't you remove everything off of the playfield, do your paint touch-up's if you haven't already, and then clear coat it. You want to mask the cut-outs in the playfield -
don't have any tape on top. Some guys buy their own spraying equipment, others take it to the local body shop so they can use automotive clear. Some guys spray varathane, others use a foam brush. I've even heard guys say they used a rattle can. So, it's all up to you. Personally, I haven't cleared any pf's yet - maybe some day.........Dave

Very cool man, I've read the whole story and been following along and I'm really glad that things are working out, in spite of the shitty family experiences that you've had to endure.

About the multi player issues I would 1st look at the player unit in the back box
on my soccer & super soccer the player units needed much time to go over before it would work right, you need a strong light to watch every switch bank as you operate it by hand with power off.

With the lights burning out try this easy trick - remove the pop bumper lamps and see if the other lights now dim while playing a game ?
Good luck - HDC

glad you got your pin back, and i hope you can continue to resolve your family issues

Looking GOOD!!! ...and a great back story as well. Glad to hear you and your dad are getting along. Congrats~!