pinball machines
 

Anyone into pinball machines? Just picked up a "South Park" machine. Looking for a "High Speed"

What do you have?

I have a Williams Comet. Have had it for about 20 years. Don't really use that much anymore. It has become more of an end table than a pinball machine.

I have a 1978 Bally Playboy Machine. In collector car lingo I would say it's in strong #2 condition. I keep it in pretty good shape and play it at least a couple times a month. Had for 20+ years. There is good support for those early Bally electronic games. Just recently rebuilt the power supply board. Lots of parts available on E-bay. Even found an NOS playfield for the game. Couldn't afford it though. They are fun.

I still enjoy them although I don't own one. I do have a friend looking for an Eight Ball Deluxe if you happen to know where one is.

My 15 year old son is playing my Meteor machine I've had since '89 as I type. Had a Star Trek machine that I traded for a bottle Coke machine that still keeps my beer cold!

We have a little chief (or big chief?) in the garage- kids love it.

COOL!

Bunnies from the 70's..... Is there anything better?

(hint: no)

It's a really cool machine and a time capsule like our beloved cars. Think about the size of the Bally manufacturing facility that made that machine for a moment. In 1978 they made 20,000 of just that one machine. They made 5 other machines that year with the same electronics and wiring systems. The Playboy machine was the most popular but the KISS machine and Evil Kneivel were also popular. So lets round the numbers to 75,000 pinball machines total in 12 months of production. Think of the amount of plywood, the paint shop, the miles of wires, solenoids, transformers, packing and shipping all over the world. It was BIG business, all done in Chicago, USA. Now Bally only makes gambling machines and I have no idea where. This machine is early computer controlled technology. It has diagnostic codes and internal test modes very much like GM CCC systems of 1980-81. (CCC=computer controlled carburetors) Playboy was hot at that time, Hugh Hefner was a big celebrity, had his own 737, and clubs all over the world. Fun times.

I spent many hours playing the machines as a kid. We had a big arcade not far from me. Like the cars, a lot of good memories with friends and my brothers.

I've got an old Bally's Evel Knievel machine from '77. Its been powered down for 20 years though so I'll have to get it reworked before pluggin it back in.
I believe those models had batteries on the board, and they'd leak and fail, guaranteed that's happened with mine. lol. Glass it perfect but paint could use some touch up.

My Great uncle had a coin op business and he willed a machine to me when he passed.

I've got a Gor Gar, the first talking pinball.

The ball-eject died, and I haven't bothered to try to fix it.

As mentioned, there is allot of support for those machines. Almost all the boards can be purchased refurbished. There is at least one battery as you mentioned that will need to be de soldered and replaced. There are also come caps you would want to replace as well as clean up lots of contacts and terminals. If you spent a couple hundred dollars and 20-30 hours cleaning everything up you would have a fun machine again. Many up-dates are available if you want to go crazy, from full LED light conversion, to major sound up grades, to an entire new CPU if you want. I left mine fully functional and stock appearing, kind of like my cars. Enjoy. Those vintage Bally machines from that era are worth from a low of $1500.00 in more or less working condition to 6-7K in beautiful original or restored condition.

One of my absolute favorites! Our bowling alley had one when I was in my teens, it got a lot of $ out of me.

Me too!

My dad has this one:

http://ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=824

In the early 80's I worked for a guy who had one of these in the break room. I played it so much I eventually rolled the score board over.

I bought a fully restored Pin-Bot last year!

LOL! Our bowling alley had one, too!

The alley was actually right across the street from our high school, and we had an open campus. My buddies and I would walk across for lunch nearly every day. Buy a burger, fries and a Coke, and play Gor Gar, Space Invaders, Missile Attack,...

Pin-Bot was also at our bowling alley, loved it as well.

And Missle Command took quite a few dollars from me too

I've been in touch with a company that does restorations in my area. I'm looking for a new house right now, once that search is over I'm going to send may machine over to be refurbished and I'll set it up. I don't really have a good place for it in my current home so I don't want to have it all redone only to tear it down and move it after a short time.
I'd like to keep it as original as parts permit. I just think it's cool.

Another one that I spent good money on.

I played a lot of pinball machines but a pinball wizard I wasn't. Just average with a lucky streak once in a very great while.

What I do miss and would love to have is an old shuffleboard machine. Now that takes skill.... got lucky sometimes and had great fun with them.

about 15 years ago I had a "Caprice shuffle bowling machine" took up a lot of space.

Used to have 3 of them and one I was building into a coffee table. Then the garage fire that nuked my black 68 wiped those out too.

I really want a Fire Power machine but a cheap one is about $2500.

Back in the day I won a tournament on one of those. Played one game for and hour and 45 minutes getting the high score and racking it up to 20 games. This first place prize was $100, in quarters! Try carrying a $100 dollars worth of quarters home on a Honda trail 90. Had to go to a near by store and beg for a bag to put them in.

We have a KISS, ADDAMS FAMILY & THE GETAWAY machine.
Hands down the ADDAMS FAMILY is the best machine to play, Great sound bites from the movie.

Finally found a HUO high speed machine! A lot of memories coming back as I play. Fun.

There was a killer Indiana Jones machine too . An old timer bar I used to go into in Lima Ohio called the Cameo had one of those ancient shuffle board set ups that u put a bit of sand on . It was a blast & hard !

I've got a 1974 Bally Bow & Arrow.... works well but needs the playfield restored.

There is a place in Eugene Oregon that is full of vintage games we went there a few times last summer and it was a blast. Oh yeah they serve beer!

Do not own one, but have always really enjoyed Pinball. My favorite of the newer ones is 'Family Guy'. Small ball & flipper board in the upper left. Favorite of the older is 'Haunted House'. Reverse board in the cellar is always fun.

Local pub has a 'Game of Thrones' pinball machine. Have not tried it yet.

The mini golf place nearby has an arcade with 'Junk Yard' pinball machine - one with the wrecking ball. Was playing it one day a few months back when a couple young buys started watching after finishing their game of Super Turbo Turkey Puncher, or whatever it was. They were quite startled by the loud POP. Thought it was really cool when I explained it meant I scored a free game. Possible new recruits.

I have a 1979 Williams Laser Ball wide body. Family bought it for my 50th birthday. My son, son-in-law, and me used to play it a lot. Then as I got grandkids, they all started playing it, standing on a chair, before they could reach the flipper buttons. Have had it for over 25 years ago, and the kids and grandkids still play it when they come over.

It's taken quite a bit of maintenance. I've had to rebuild flipper circuits, solenoids, make contacts that are not available, etc. There has been more repro stuff available recently. such as target decals, plastic parts, etc.

Still enjoy playing it.

They are like old cars but much cheaper and take up a lot less space than a car. I wouldn't want to give up my cars for them though. Fun to have both.

Really enjoyed the robot-voice machines: GorGar, FirePower, Black/Dark Night. Even The Simpsons voice machine was fun. No gots.

I worked in a Bowling Alley...just sayin.

My wife bought me an Ironman pinball for my birthday a number of years ago. Aside from the '69 Firebird she bought me previously for a birthday, it's been the best gift I've ever received.

That deaf dumb and blind kid.....

I have two Gottlieb machines that I got from my parents. My sibling and I played the heck out of them growing up. Lucky Hand and Ship Ahoy are the two I have. Sent both out for refurbishing as they sat for many years and no longer functioned as they were supposed to. Both are in very good condition otherwise.

Addams Family for the win!!! Such a great machine from my teen years in the 90s! Can I come over?

"Get away" (high speed 2) is one I look for now. Seems appropriate to have with the cars.

Never had a pinball machine but I have several vintage arcade games: Asteroids, donkey kong, dig dug & space invaders.
Would still like to find a galaga someday.

Ponchjoe, missile command brings me right back to a Super America gas station in town. Used to play missile command & tempest there. The gas station is long gone. Cool times.

Addams family was great!!!! Terminator was good too!!!! All time favorites are CYCLONE and EARTHSHAKER!!! I wish I had the space...I sure would have a couple.