Arcade Time Machine - Canada

We haven't restored one this ancient in a while! 1969 full electromechanical.

When the switches weren't shorting, they weren't making contact. Back box filled with soot from catastrophic failures decades ago 🔥. The plunger had ripped itself apart because somebody 3x'd the springs in it. Wrong coils on the score reels because they were out of date even 20 years ago.

I could go on listing all the interesting challenges... But when everything lights up and it operates just as it did 60 years ago, that's the 😙👌🏼 moment! And it's all worth it

With all the 2005, 2006 era arcade ribbon cable hard drives failing all at once this spring, it's nice to work on a pinball here and there to mix things up 😅

TALES FROM ARCADE TECH SUPPORT

This 1968 Bally Branded Bandit lived its early years in Vegas. With simple enough (by today's standards) logic to calculate payouts with just bundles of wires, relays, and electromagnetic coils. All done without a single IC or PCB, although you can see the ancestor of one on the coin hopper (pic 5).

When it came to us, none of the electricity was going down the right channels anymore. We fixed the busted antique 24-pin jack (1 of 3) cleaned the contacts up, and replaced bulbs. The fire hazard cord completely swapped out for one with an intact ground pin.

Now almost 60 years after she ran off Bally's assembly line, she's spitting out piles of nickels again!

Another Arcade1up mod wrapped up shiny for delivery ➡️🚪. We have a special on N64 upgrades right now. Get em while they're hot! 🎮