Gottlieb Arena resurrection

[Azatotht]

Back in the days, there were almost no restoration projects. We worked on games to make them work, played them till bored and sold them.

Here's an old school project, it is NOT a restoration project, the goal is the get this machine playable.

This is my summer garage pin project, it's been sitting there for a few months but I've finally got to it with my son.

This is the mother of all projects, this game was (is) bad. Paint came right off with the mylar, no shooter rod, no glass, missing a coil, display not lighting, no sound, no flashers BUT it was booting

Prepare to be shocked, here's what I started with. Again, the goal is the get it playable, this game will never be restored, too far gone cosmetically.

Here's we go, as it was sitting day one in the garage:

[Azatotht]

This thing was dirty as hell.

A16 boards needed a few resistances fixed for the flashers and light tubes:

[Azatotht]

Spent 3 hours putting it back togheter with my son yesterday.

Here's how it looks like now (remember, it was never going to be a restoration):

[Azatotht]

It is playing very well already, needs some work still.

- Some switches needs adjustments (ramp shot for example, switch works with finger but not with ball).
- Speaker in the backbox have to be reconnected.
- Initials buttons does not work.
- Credit switch is flaky.
- Cant enter the menu.

All in all I'm pretty surprised of the results. Still looks like shit but plays just fine

Gameplay video (with the non working switches pretty obvious to locate).

[Mrhide]

10000.... errr ok 5000$ a nowel !!!



hey ca marche!! nice job1

[Mindstorm88]

Cool,j ai l impression quelle a voyagé avec ma Stargate , beau projet de réparation.

[Azatotht]

Adjusted (sanded ) switches and game plays as it should now.

Got some flaky light sockets (rusted, dirty). They are intermittent. Other than changing them, how do you guys clean them dirty sockets ?

[cap]

You can buy a socket cleaning tool, it feels like a sturdy ink eraser.
https://www.marcospecialties.com/contro ... et+cleaner
Your machine is so beaten, I would suggest you replace the socket.

[Azatotht]

I have one of those somewhere in my stash actually, forgot about it

Merci !

[semicolin]

I used to chuck one of those eraser sticks into a drill and spin it, and then I'd shine up the underside of the socket with a wire brush, apply flux, and solder the button to the tab.

It works decently well, but I find it takes much longer and never holds as well as just changing the socket.

I bought a hundred of them at a bulk discount from Marco (About $1 when you buy more than 10) and now I don't screw around. Lamp flickering? Yeet the socket.

[mad]

un beau projet ,elle à beaucoup besoin d'amour .
félicitation pour lavoir fait fonctionné, beau travail,elle vien de loin.
une rare pinball que je nais pas u la chance de jour.
lâche pas Sylvain.

[Azatotht]

So I've found my socket cleaning tool as suggested by Cap earlier.

Cleaned all the intermittent bulb sockets with it and they are all nice and bright now. Worked perfectly !