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[Brushpopper]

I know this is way off topic for this site, so I won't be upset if it is removed.  I'm thinking about rebuilding our pinball machine and wonder if anyone here has some words of wisdom?  It's an early 1991 Bally/Midway Bugs Bunny Birthday Bash.  PM me if want to share any.  Thanks!!!

Brushpopper

[LowSlowJoe]

I started my career as a pin ball repair man, about 4 months ago.   I bought a 70s vintage Gottleib "King Pin".     I still haven't gotten it completely working, but  I have found it enjoyable.


  I hate to give any advice on this...  since I really don't know much.    But...   I think by the 80s , they were using more solid state components,  which may or may not be harder to work on, than the 70s and earlier ones, where everything is mechanical/electrical.   

  I've heard that  you should buy a fully functional machine as your first... I didn't heed that advice, and I'm sitting with a machine that I can't play...   I could not afford a machine that was working, at least not one that I liked the theme of, etc...  I hope to get back to working on mine this winter... but first I need to get it out of my garage, and down into my basement where it will be warm. ( need to do that, like soon too ). 

   Oh, one last bit of advice...   Make sure the play field is in really good shape... it's very hard to fix if it's not.      The back glass is also something you want to pay a lot of attention too, as this is also a item that's very hard to fix , and for value... the back glass is one of the most important things.      Also... don't be in too much of a hurry to buy your first, do your home work ( again, I didn't follow this advice , and I'm a tiny bit sorry ).

   Anyway...    good luck.   

[Brushpopper]

I bought it in 2005 and we've enjoyed it all this time, but one flipper is getting sluggish and all the rubber needs to be replaced.  The play field is still in great shape except one spot where the ball curves around a turn.  The more I mess with it, the more fun I'm having.  I just can't decide how far to go with what needs to be replaced.  Guess it'll be fun journey!

[LowSlowJoe]

Apparently it's pretty easy to get flipper rebuild kits.   Could be the solenoid just needs replaced, but there's also typically a few other mechanical parts that all connect together... these things all can wear out and if you really want it working extremely well, you probably should go through everything that's connected...   

 

[CaptJerry]

Gottleib "King Pin", just brought back memories.
Drive in restaurant I worked at while in high school, had an arcade attached to it.
King Pin was the only pinball machine I could regularly run up the free games.
Loved that game 

[Ralphie]

I’m no help with repair questions but this brings back great memories. My dad worked for a shopping mall developer in the 70’s & 80’s. An arcade in the local mall closed down and liquidated in 1980ish. So for essentially the price of moving them out of there (nearly free), I got to grow up with an awesome Incredible Hulk pinball machine and a cool jukebox that played 45’s.
His record collection from the 60s/70s/80s was killer. And my brothers and I had absolute wars on that pinball machine.

[LowSlowJoe]

It's crazy how much some of the machines are worth these days.    Anything with a really well known title , is going to be expensive... but there are also older games that are rare and/or really fun to play that are worth a lot of money too. 

There's a guy in New York, that has bought nearly everything there was left of Gottleib's machinery and such, he sells spare parts , and such...  you can't get every single part on the old machines new, but it's actually amazing how much of the stuff is still available to buy...   ( I'm talking electro-mechanical machine parts ).

[Brushpopper]

I've ordered new rubber and the three flipper rebuild kits along with the points sets for both sides which activate the flippers.  All of the points are badly pitted, which I'm sure slowed things down.  Haven't checked the gap on a set of points since my old race car days.  I'll update this as it goes along if y'all are interested.