DMC, BTTF and Pinball!

[wrkey]

Thought this topic deserved a thread of it's own.

As a DeLorean owner and a Pinball/Arcade enthusiest I spent some time looking for a BTTF pinball machines within driving range. Last weekend (2/15/14) I drove to a little place north of Dallas and back again to pick one up. It was an 8 hour round trip with about an hour examining and insuring the machine was as advertised. It was and I am thrilled to have one. I am also a co-owner ofa pinball / Video arcade located in Spring, Texas called The Game Preserve. When I got it back I post on our facebook page and our website that I have a BTTF machine for those who might be interested to come play it. The next day two DMC owner/drivers showed up in a couple of cars to play the game. I couldn't resist getting the attached photo.

For those of you close to Dallas or planning a trip out that way, during the weekend of March 28th, I will be at the Texas Pinball Festival with my BTTF and my car inside the convention area. This is going to be a great addition to the show this year.

Who else has a BTTF pinball? Or looking to acquire one? I was actually contacted through this forum and given the chance to purchase mine.

[Roman Legion]

Thought this topic deserved a thread of it's own.

As a DeLorean owner and a Pinball/Arcade enthusiest I spent some time looking for a BTTF pinball machines within driving range. Last weekend (2/15/14) I drove to a little place north of Dallas and back again to pick one up. It was an 8 hour round trip with about an hour examining and insuring the machine was as advertised. It was and I am thrilled to have one. I am also a co-owner ofa pinball / Video arcade located in Spring, Texas called The Game Preserve. When I got it back I post on our facebook page and our website that I have a BTTF machine for those who might be interested to come play it. The next day two DMC owner/drivers showed up in a couple of cars to play the game. I couldn't resist getting the attached photo.

For those of you close to Dallas or planning a trip out that way, during the weekend of March 28th, I will be at the Texas Pinball Festival with my BTTF and my car inside the convention area. This is going to be a great addition to the show this year.

Who else has a BTTF pinball? Or looking to acquire one? I was actually contacted through this forum and given the chance to purchase mine.

I never got into pinball, but there is a pinball hall of fame I stop at here in Las Vegas because it's an Ingress portal..lol I find no interest in pinball, but it's still a cool theme you have going on. :)

[FABombjoy]

Seems like quite a few of us have a similar hobby convergence :D Congrats on the BTTF pickup!

I have 3 pins, 2 arcade cabinets, and a Baby Pac-Man both-in-one. No BTTF machine, not yet anyway. I'd probably have more but I exclusively buy broken pins and space is a limiting factor.

[Timebender]

I'd love to have a BTTF pinball machine. Also would be looking for an Asteroids as well as Battlezone (the cool standup version). Star Wars was a great arcade machine as well. I actually worked at an arcade attached to the Huish Family Fun Center back in the early 80's as a tech - fixing games, unjamming tokens - it was a pretty awesome job for a high-schooler and into college.

[wrkey]

I'd love to have a BTTF pinball machine. Also would be looking for an Asteroids as well as Battlezone (the cool standup version). Star Wars was a great arcade machine as well. I actually worked at an arcade attached to the Huish Family Fun Center back in the early 80's as a tech - fixing games, unjamming tokens - it was a pretty awesome job for a high-schooler and into college.

We have an Asteroids Deluxe (Asteriods but with a 3D background), a original Battlezone tall peek through and a Star War stand up. If you are ever in Texas you should swing by relive that bit of history.

[David T]

We have an Asteroids Deluxe (Asteriods but with a 3D background), a original Battlezone tall peek through and a Star War stand up. If you are ever in Texas you should swing by relive that bit of history.

I also have a BTTF The Pinball. I buy, sell, and repair them. I can sell you the latest firmware or any special parts. I can assist you in programing, repair, and refurbishment. Be sure you change those 3 AA batteries annually. If they leak they can damage the board and that is an expensive fix. You replace them with the power ON or you lose your custom programming. Do NOT leave the machine out in the sun. Because of the glass, the playfield becomes a greenhouse and you will melt all of the plexi parts. Use a surge suppressor for the power. Make sure all of the fuses are the correct size. All too often a machine will have problems blowing fuses and to prevent them from blowing it is easier to oversize the fuse than to find and fix the problem. Happens because someone put the wrong bulbs in or you are burning up the connectors on the power board. Get some playfield polish and replace the balls. If the rubber parts are cracking or flaking replace it all. You can get a whole kit from Pinball Palace in Poukeepsie (sp) NY. If anyone needs a machine let me know. Right now they are going for around $2K plus around $450 shipping. Depends on condition and location. They make a great addition to any den or playroom. Even the kids still love them.

[Ikeaboy1]

I have a collection of pinball machines, including BTTF. I'm afraid that it's my least favorite table in terms of game play, but it would be one of the last I'd sell. My two favorites at the moment: Simpsons Pinball Party and Jurassic Park. Most beautiful and most difficult(IMO): Cirqus Voltaire. Just like Deloreans, they're fun to own, but can be frustrating and expensive when something goes wrong.

[Jonathan]

I have LOVED pinball since I was a kid!

I can't say that the BTTF one is on my favorites list though, as I don't know that I've even played it before.

Many of us when we were kids in my hometown spent a lot of our free time in the pool hall/arcade. This place had tons of 12 foot snooker tables, 7 or 8 foot 8-ball tables, all kinds of stand up arcade cabinets and a bunch of pinball machines. This is late 80s or early 90s so what got me hooked were a lot of the Williams brand pinball machines at that time.

The hands down, no contest favorite for me is and was High Speed 2 The Getaway by Williams. Man was that thing fun. The owners used to cycle machines in and out from time to time and we would see Funhouse, Party Zone, Terminator 2 and some others. The arcade cabinets I remember best were Shinobi, Kung Fu, Double Dragon, Smash TV, Ghosts and Goblins and a bunch of others.

I think like Ikeaboy said, I never pulled the trigger on getting my own and it might have been the price but also the fear of fixing it if it breaks. I have had a pool table in my home for years now but there is a lot less to go wrong on that than the pinball machines!

I keep my eye out for pinball games if I see them but mostly in places I can go spend a bunch of quarters on them and let someone else spend the $2k type price tag to keep and maintain them. I'd love to get one but sometimes it's okay to have access to one, pay to use it while you're there and then come back another time when you need your fix. I think that's the beauty of the Game Preserve place described in Texas. Wow would a place like that around here ever be sweet!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT4WouknHsQ

[David T]

I have a collection of pinball machines, including BTTF. I'm afraid that it's my least favorite table in terms of game play, but it would be one of the last I'd sell. My two favorites at the moment: Simpsons Pinball Party and Jurassic Park. Most beautiful and most difficult(IMO): Cirqus Voltaire. Just like Deloreans, they're fun to own, but can be frustrating and expensive when something goes wrong.

Circus Voltaire is a GREAT machine. The most popular are Monopoly, Playboy, Harley D and Adams Family (not necessarily in that order). Unfortunately BTTF is not high on most pinball collector lists. It is not the newest generation with video technology. Pinballs can be expensive to fix. Especially if they were hacked up. All too often when they were out on routes to make money (and a broken machine doesn't make money) they got jury-rigged to keep them running. The other way they got ruined is after they got unpopular on domestic routes they were exported overseas. They rewired them for foreign voltages and when they broke they didn't have the parts to fix them so they hacked them up any way they could. When that got tired they reimported them back to the States. That is where most of them come from now and they can be a mess. Besides having to rewire them back to 120 all of the rubber has to be replaced, missing parts located and purchased, wiring repaired and programing reset back to English. Coin mechs reset to American money, etc. Some machines are so bad all they an be used for is parts.

[DavidProehl]

I bought a BTTF pinball machine about a year prior to buying my car. I found it because I was regularly searching my local Craigslist for the word "DeLorean" when looking for the right car, and the pinball machine came up. It was for sale less than 5 miles from my house, and was in solid condition, so I had to jump on it. While it isn't the best pinball machine I've ever played (Champion Pub is my current favorite), I would have never thought of buying a different machine.

Maintenance on it hasn't been bad at all, regular cleanings, light bulbs, and that is it. There is a minor buzzing noise from the speaker that comes one when the lights flash that I've had trouble getting rid of. Sounds like interference on the wire. From what I've read that is common on BTTF machines, but haven't been able to compare to another one. If anyone has resolved that issue, I'd like to hear how!

[Spittybug]

I was always partial to Xenon. The moaning noises were quite erotic! :giggle:

[mluder]

I skipped many a college chemistry class stuck in front of a Star Trek The Next Generation machine in the student union.

Cheers
Steven

[wrkey]

I was always partial to Xenon. The moaning noises were quite erotic! :giggle:

Yeah.. we have one of those too. She is a great game!

www.gamepreservehouston.com

[yellowmxwheels23]

I'd love to have a BTTF pinball machine. Also would be looking for an Asteroids as well as Battlezone (the cool standup version). Star Wars was a great arcade machine as well. I actually worked at an arcade attached to the Huish Family Fun Center back in the early 80's as a tech - fixing games, unjamming tokens - it was a pretty awesome job for a high-schooler and into college.
The one that was in La Mesa? That was an awesome FFC. Slick track karting, water slides etc..

[Nicholas R]

Circus Voltaire is a GREAT machine. The most popular are Monopoly, Playboy, Harley D and Adams Family (not necessarily in that order).

I assume this is your top 4? Because aside from Addams, I don't know anyone into pinball that would agree with you... Medieval madness? Attack from Mars? Twilight Zone? Monster Bash? Those are the A-list titles. Unfortunately, their prices reflect that.

My current line up of machines is a home use only BTTF, Twilight Zone, The Addams Family, Star Trek The Next Generation, and High Speed II: the Getaway.

[Nicholas R]

Heres what the internet pinball database has as the top machines right now. I find this to be pretty accurate; the majority of machines have several hundred ratings from adamant pinball fans.
http://i.imgur.com/i4nGKPV.jpg

Other sites tend to fluctuate based on whatever is popular right now, ie whatever games just came on the market and that new owners are posting reviews about. This list maintains a LOT more history.
http://ipdb.org

Personally I swear by converting all machines to full LEDs. Lower energy draw, lower heat, and they look WAY better. To me there is nothing classic about incandescent bulbs that run to hot, burn out, put out low light, and cause molex connectors to fry.

Heres a video of my BTTF with full LEDs. It is really damn intense. This video is taken in total darkness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emsReYrsaFk

25549255542554625551255472555225548255532555025555

Come on folks! Post some photos! I want to see what you're playing!! :thumbup: :D

(DeLorean03 I'm talking to you! :biggrin: :wink:)

[Ikeaboy1]

Id love to have an Attack from Mars and Monster Bash. I love the themes of both. MB, however, is kinda a shallow game rules wise. On the other hand, my Simpsons pinball party is insane. The rules are incredibly deep, and I've had a game last 40 minutes before and still haven't seen everything.

I love Jurassic Park because it's like a poor mans Addams Family. Plus, Jurassic Park. Awesome.

Another weird one I eventually want is Return from Mars. What a strange machine, but neat. Again, the campy alien theme is a winner with me.

I've never had the pleasure of playing Twilight Zone.

[Nicholas R]

Id love to have an Attack from Mars and Monster Bash. I love the themes of both. MB, however, is kinda a shallow game rules wise. On the other hand, my Simpsons pinball party is insane. The rules are incredibly deep, and I've had a game last 40 minutes before and still haven't seen everything.

I love Jurassic Park because it's like a poor mans Addams Family. Plus, Jurassic Park. Awesome.

Another weird one I eventually want is Return from Mars. What a strange machine, but neat. Again, the campy alien theme is a winner with me.

I've never had the pleasure of playing Twilight Zone.

I LOVE the Simpsons Pinball Party. By far Sterns best game (and I'm not a very big fan of stern machines). A friend of mine bought one new in the box. Once ever I've gotten to the alien invasion; the flipper reverse totally threw me for a loop. Had to cross my arms to stay in the game.

My school had a monster bash in the on campus bar. I played the hell out of it in the several years it was there. Many times I carried the grand champ score. I had a couple games where I got to the concert twice in one game. The hard part was never collecting the band members, it's collecting their instruments. When you do that the points really add up.

Ive had 2 different Jurassic parks in the past. Loved them both. Data East games don't quite hold my attention the way Bally/Williams games do so I let them both go, still love the game. The "system failure" is still one of the coolest lead ins to a wizard mode.

I love Revenge from Mars. I know DeLorean03 is considering one :wink: my favorite part by far is when aliens are attacking the White House and you hear "Bill Clinton" yell: "save the interns!!" Haha, such a blast.

[DeLorean03]

Come on folks! Post some photos! I want to see what you're playing!! :thumbup: :D

(DeLorean03 I'm talking to you! :biggrin: :wink:)

Well, with that much of an invite ...;).. here is my T3 I've had for about 3 weeks.

25558

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Custom apron card I made to the right.
25556


Here is the Getaway I just purchased tonight. It is being shipped from Boston:

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And here's some of my pins that have "come and gone":

25577

Only one left here is TFTC. I'll take some good pictures soon, as I am looking at selling it to pick up a RFM (as Nick stated ;)), a Bram Stoker's Dracula or a Metallica Pro.
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[DMCVegas]

http://cuteoverload.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/threadlovercat_disclaimer.jpg

I'm going to see when I can make it up to The Game Preserve to play a few rounds of pinball!

[cyberflexx]

Great thread...

Here is my home game room. I got rid of my pinball machines over the years.

This is an older video, games have been moved around, Gyruss has been added and Frogger removed to the garage for repair, a new sound system has been added too.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhWgR0EaH6g

[David T]

I bought a BTTF pinball machine about a year prior to buying my car. I found it because I was regularly searching my local Craigslist for the word "DeLorean" when looking for the right car, and the pinball machine came up. It was for sale less than 5 miles from my house, and was in solid condition, so I had to jump on it. While it isn't the best pinball machine I've ever played (Champion Pub is my current favorite), I would have never thought of buying a different machine.

Maintenance on it hasn't been bad at all, regular cleanings, light bulbs, and that is it. There is a minor buzzing noise from the speaker that comes one when the lights flash that I've had trouble getting rid of. Sounds like interference on the wire. From what I've read that is common on BTTF machines, but haven't been able to compare to another one. If anyone has resolved that issue, I'd like to hear how!

Check the molex plugs on the power board. If you see any discoloration from heat you need to replace the connectors and resolder the board.

[DavidProehl]

Check the molex plugs on the power board. If you see any discoloration from heat you need to replace the connectors and resolder the board.

Thanks for the tip! I haven't looked at any of those connectors, that could certainly be the problem.

[wrkey]

While The Game Preserve has over 75 different video games and pinballs and other arcade games, here is what I currently own

Pins: BTTF, Pot 'O Gold, Blue Chip, Spectra IV (extremely rare cocktail), Pennent Fever (PinBat), Paradise, Twin Win, Honey, Beat Time, Coney Island, Xenon
Videos: Galaga, MS PacMan, Dig Dug, Cobra Command (scroller), Top Gun, Turbo, Outrun, Outrunners 2, Play Choice 10, Zombie Raid, Centipede,
Other: Skee Ball (13ft), Rock Ola 450 Jukebox, 15 Pachinko machines, Alladin Pachislo, 5 Slot Machines, 2 coke machines, 8 neon signs, Air Hokey, Snack Attack candy crane, Weight/Fortune

Been collecting since 2010 so it has taken me a while to accumulate all of these. This quantity is also why my other buddies and I created The Game Preserve. You can visit TGP website to see the collection. You can also visit my 'Project' page on my website where I have repair logs on some of my machines. www.rustykey.com

Love the arcade stuff. Still a big kids. And yes, if you live anywhere close to south east Texas/Houston you need to stop by and say hey!

[DMCVegas]

I'm just over in Willowbrook. I will be there!

[Ikeaboy1]

http://ohiopinballshow.com/

The Ohio Pinball show is next weekend, and is conveniently located about 10 minutes from DPI! I sure wish Josh and the Ohio show would move down to NOVA.

[wrkey]

http://ohiopinballshow.com/

The Ohio Pinball show is next weekend, and is conveniently located about 10 minutes from DPI! I sure wish Josh and the Ohio show would move down to NOVA.

The Texas Pinball Festival is schedule for March the 28th. TGP will be there and will have booth inside the convention center where I will have my DeLorean Parked next to my BTTF pinball for all to see and play. Should get some good press for TGP, BTTF and DMC!

I need to attend Acronym Anonymous.

[Nicholas R]

There is a minor buzzing noise from the speaker that comes one when the lights flash that I've had trouble getting rid of. Sounds like interference on the wire. From what I've read that is common on BTTF machines, but haven't been able to compare to another one. If anyone has resolved that issue, I'd like to hear how!


Check the molex plugs on the power board. If you see any discoloration from heat you need to replace the connectors and resolder the board.

That's not the problem. All BTTFs have this; it's common on a lot of Data East games and even some Stern games.

I had this buzzing since the beginning. It's just interference from poor isolation of the lamp matrix from the rest of the wiring. When I converted the game to full LEDs the buzzing went away completely. It's been REALLY nice to no longer have that every time the lights cascade in the attract mode. The lower draw just completely eliminates the noise and interference.:thumbup:

As long as you have even 1 incandescent bulb, you'll hear it. When I was swapping out bulbs, you could notice how during the attract mode, the buzz wouldn't be there until the moment the remaining incandescents were lit.

[DavidProehl]

That's not the problem. All BTTFs have this; it's common on a lot of Data East games and even some Stern games.

I had this buzzing since the beginning. It's just interference from poor isolation of the lamp matrix from the rest of the wiring. When I converted the game to full LEDs the buzzing went away completely. It's been REALLY nice to no longer have that every time the lights cascade in the attract mode. The lower draw just completely eliminates the noise and interference.:thumbup:

As long as you have even 1 incandescent bulb, you'll hear it. When I was swapping out bulbs, you could notice how during the attract mode, the buzz wouldn't be there until the moment the remaining incandescents were lit.

I wouldn't have expected an LED conversion to make the difference, but it makes sense. I've wanted to do a conversion for a while, but just have had a hard time justifying the cost. All those LED bulbs don't come cheap. Was just looking at a LED kit for the machine on ebay for about $250. I'll probably live with the noise for now. I'd rather throw the money at parts for the car at this point. Still, good to know for the future. In 5 years when the bulbs are maybe half price I'll convert it over.

[DeLorean03]

Hand select your LEDs for pinball. DO NOT buy the kits. You are paying insane markups. Just letting everyone know....

[DMCVegas]

Hand select your LEDs for pinball. DO NOT buy the kits. You are paying insane markups. Just letting everyone know....

Not just for Pinball machines, but any LED conversion, what's the best method for hand-picking replacements?

[DeLorean03]

There's no "short" answer to that question. For me with pinball, I count the number of 44 and 555 bulbs I need, order with I need plus 3-5 extra of each just to be safe, and try it out.

For the DeLorean, do my homework and see what the power draw is for the LEDs I'm thinking about using versus standard incads, order them, try them out in both day and night conditions in my neighborhood, and then take the car out and see if I am happy with the performance of the LEDs or not.

[Notifier]

I picked up my BTTF pinball machine over the summer. Haven't played it too much the last couple of months - it resides in my garage, and with the cold weather, I've been a little nervous about running the various components out of fear something breaking. I also hear the buzzing noise when the lights start sequencing but for some reason doesn't bother me. I find it kind of charming in an odd way.

I do have two issues with the machine that maybe someone can give me some input on. First, and more recently, I've noticed an issue with the bottom scrolling display. Hard to describe so here is a picture:
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The second issue is that it seems like the backbox glass does not seem to drop far enough for me to properly engage the lock to secure it. And if you look at the display in the picture, doesn't look like it is centered properly. Everything is tight and lined up that I can see, the speaker box is all the way down, and nothing in the channel. I had to reverse the latch on the lock to get it to close all the way to remove the key. The glass is secure, don't think it will go anywhere, just don't like the fact that it's not in there the way it was designed.

[David T]

I picked up my BTTF pinball machine over the summer. Haven't played it too much the last couple of months - it resides in my garage, and with the cold weather, I've been a little nervous about running the various components out of fear something breaking. I also hear the buzzing noise when the lights start sequencing but for some reason doesn't bother me. I find it kind of charming in an odd way.

I do have two issues with the machine that maybe someone can give me some input on. First, and more recently, I've noticed an issue with the bottom scrolling display. Hard to describe so here is a picture:
25643

The second issue is that it seems like the backbox glass does not seem to drop far enough for me to properly engage the lock to secure it. And if you look at the display in the picture, doesn't look like it is centered properly. Everything is tight and lined up that I can see, the speaker box is all the way down, and nothing in the channel. I had to reverse the latch on the lock to get it to close all the way to remove the key. The glass is secure, don't think it will go anywhere, just don't like the fact that it's not in there the way it was designed.

Make sure the glass is all the way evenly into the plastic bottom channel before installing it. Make sure there is nothing in the channel where the glass fits into. The display is held on with double-stick tape and may not be positioned properly behind the glass. It tends to droop and be a little bit too low. Make sure the metal part with the speakers is fully inserted into the back panel.

[Lou and "Boo"]

I never got into pinball, but there is a pinball hall of fame I stop at here in Las Vegas because it's an Ingress portal..lol I find no interest in pinball, but it's still a cool theme you have going on. :)

What's an ingress portal?

[Kane]

What's an ingress portal?

It's part of a stupid ass game that hipsters play on Android phones.

[ccurzio]

It's part of a stupid ass game that hipsters play on Android phones.

Wow. That's pretty inflammatory right there. Why the hate?

(I don't and have never played Ingress.)

[DMCVegas]

Wow. That's pretty inflammatory right there. Why the hate?

(I don't and have never played Ingress.)

http://l1.yimg.com/os/en-US/video/video.snl.com/SNL_1584_04_What_Up_With_That.png

[Nicholas R]

I do have two issues with the machine that maybe someone can give me some input on. First, and more recently, I've noticed an issue with the bottom scrolling display. Hard to describe so here is a picture:
25643


Honestly these games can be really finicky. I would start by just unplugging the connectors, clean the terminals, and putting everything back in. You be surprised how much that tends to fix. Also look for any broken solder joints on the connector pins that are mounted to the boards. Every now and then I have an extra line or two show up in the display kind of like what you were seeing. Usually reseating all of the connectors tends to take care of it.

[Notifier]

Make sure the glass is all the way evenly into the plastic bottom channel before installing it. Make sure there is nothing in the channel where the glass fits into. The display is held on with double-stick tape and may not be positioned properly behind the glass. It tends to droop and be a little bit too low. Make sure the metal part with the speakers is fully inserted into the back panel.

It looks like everything is down as far as it will possibly go. There is nothing in the metal channel the glass fits in, the glass is fully in plastic trim at the bottom of the glass, the box with the two speakers is all the way to the bottom of the upper cabinet, everything looks tight:
25693

It just seems like if the glass would drop another 1/2" the display would be centered, the upper lock would engage properly, and it would be easier to remove the glass - right now I have to play around with it to get the bottom out, there is like no clearance to get it out. When this first happened, the clasp on the lock was hitting the glass, that's why I reversed it, so it would clear the top.


Honestly these games can be really finicky. I would start by just unplugging the connectors, clean the terminals, and putting everything back in. You be surprised how much that tends to fix. Also look for any broken solder joints on the connector pins that are mounted to the boards. Every now and then I have an extra line or two show up in the display kind of like what you were seeing. Usually reseating all of the connectors tends to take care of it.

I'll have to try that when things warm up. Looked at it last night and it was a little too cold for my liking. Felt like I was going to break something. I'm even wondering if that it part of the problem. I know electronics can act funny when cold and only noticed this recently. Never had a problem with it over the summer.

[David T]

It just seems like if the glass would drop another 1/2" the display would be centered, the upper lock would engage properly, and it would be easier to remove the glass - right now I have to play around with it to get the bottom out, there is like no clearance to get it out. When this first happened, the clasp on the lock was hitting the glass, that's why I reversed it, so it would clear the top.


Remove and replace the speaker panel. Once installed it should drop down a little, enough to make everything fit. Even when it all fits together the display does not line up exactly right behind the backglass. You should not have had to mess with the latch though.

[wrkey]

My BTTF is the same on the display and Backglass has trouble fitting as well. What I've discovered is that when I turn the key if I put a small screwdriver up inside and push up on the key lock it will slip over the top of the translite and I can lock it. Here's my thoughts on it.

I have a Rotendog display and not the original so it may be that the mounting is not perfect. Mine is off less than a 1/4 inch and you can see everything okay (just not perfect) so I'm kinda okay with that. As for the glass and speaker box set up... tight is a good thing (heh... yeah I just said that). Since I move my machines periodically (shows, home, arcade, etc.) and have to 'fold down the back box' it helps prevent the two pieces from opening up during transit. So I am kinda okay with that too.

Notice I said 'kinda' both times. I have already fought with it for a little while. Got ALL the dirt and grime and pieces of wire/insulation from under the speaker box, cleaned the channel where the the backglass sits and made sure the lock is screwed in tight. I think I convinced myself that it is okay and perhaps good that it fits like it does.

I think for the final resolution of the backglass lock I will put a small washer between the lock arm the cylinder to give me the 1/16th of an inch I need.

Oh.. btw... Paul Farris will be at the Texas Pinball Festival this year (at least he is planning on it) so I am going to do my best to have him sign my backglass. If he happens to bring his son I'll have him sign it as well. My Xenon too.

[Nicholas R]

I agree with Dave T. If your back glass isn't dropping down into place, you need to adjust the speaker panel. You should NOT have to force the glass downward. I would certainly not risk trying to turn the lock if there is any resistance against the glass. This is a printed glass back glass; not a plastic sheet back glass like modern games. No way would I risk cracking or chipping it.

There are several screws that hold the speaker panel in place. Event the speaker panel has to fit down in the slot in the back box. Just loosen the screws and move the panel forward and backward. Eventually you'll find the sweet spot where everything lines up. They left the factory locked and fitting together. If it's not now, it's misaligned now it's just from moving or handling.

[Notifier]

Remove and replace the speaker panel. Once installed it should drop down a little, enough to make everything fit. Even when it all fits together the display does not line up exactly right behind the backglass. You should not have had to mess with the latch though.


I agree with Dave T. If your back glass isn't dropping down into place, you need to adjust the speaker panel. You should NOT have to force the glass downward. I would certainly not risk trying to turn the lock if there is any resistance against the glass. This is a printed glass back glass; not a plastic sheet back glass like modern games. No way would I risk cracking or chipping it.

There are several screws that hold the speaker panel in place. Event the speaker panel has to fit down in the slot in the back box. Just loosen the screws and move the panel forward and backward. Eventually you'll find the sweet spot where everything lines up. They left the factory locked and fitting together. If it's not now, it's misaligned now it's just from moving or handling.

Just did that with no difference in how the glass fits. It appears the speaker panel is as far down as it will go. It is fitting in the grove in the bottom of the upper cabinet. The gap between the bottom of the speaker panel and cabinet is tight, I can only fit a piece of paper in it. A couple more pictures below in case there seems to be anything obvious I'm missing. But oh yeah, as soon as I started having a problem with it I backed off - I was really afraid of damaging the glass.

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I see the grove where the speaker box fits, don't seen any problems there.

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There is a gap where that L piece is, but the bottom of the speaker box is tight. And this is the only screw I found keeping the speaker box in place.

[David T]

Just did that with no difference in how the glass fits. It appears the speaker panel is as far down as it will go. It is fitting in the grove in the bottom of the upper cabinet. The gap between the bottom of the speaker panel and cabinet is tight, I can only fit a piece of paper in it. A couple more pictures below in case there seems to be anything obvious I'm missing. But oh yeah, as soon as I started having a problem with it I backed off - I was really afraid of damaging the glass.

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I see the grove where the speaker box fits, don't seen any problems there.

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There is a gap where that L piece is, but the bottom of the speaker box is tight. And this is the only screw I found keeping the speaker box in place.

It may be that someone replaced the lock for the backglass and the latch was never right. If the speaker panel and the backglass is where it should be then you must adjust the latch on the lock. Do not make it too tight, it should not rub on the glass, ie, the glass should be able to move maybe 1/16" up and down after you lock the lock. The display never lined up exactly behind the backglass anyway so do not try to. Be REALLY careful with that display. They are hard to get and expensive and they are fragile. If the speaker panel is held in place with those screws it is probably where it should be or you would not be able to get those screws in. It could also be someone replaced the plastic strips on the backglass and they are slightly bigger. In any case you probably need to adjust the latch now. Be careful with that backglass too. They are also hard to get and if you can find one they are worth over $300.

[Notifier]

Thanks David. That's exactly what I did, adjust the latch. I also got a thick piece of double sided foam tape and use it as a spacer between the top of the glass and latch, this way it doesn't move as much. I can live with that because you still need to unlock it to get the glass out. Didn't want to mess with the glass too much because I know how valuable that piece is. The top plastic strip on the glass is deformed a little, looks like someone got it caught on the latch at some point, so maybe there is some truth to your theory. I was more concerned that something shifted in the overall frame of the machine that caused this misalignment but I don't see anything.

[wrkey]

Not the best photo.. but this is from the Texas Pinball Festival where I had Della and my BTTF game setup. Along with 400+ other pinball machines. The Game Preserve brought out 12 games including my BTTF. It was fun to watch the camera phones come out when people saw the car on the floor with all the games.

While I was there I had the artist that did the BTTF game (Paul Faris) sign my back glass. Good times.


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[DeLorean03]

I love Revenge from Mars. I know DeLorean03 is considering one :wink:


It happened.

http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg607/delorean03/Facebook/Pinball/1012889_10152140413208710_796617666_n.jpg (http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/delorean03/media/Facebook/Pinball/1012889_10152140413208710_796617666_n.jpg.html)


Here is the current pin setup:

http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg607/delorean03/Facebook/Pinball/1606299_10152145030163710_707919424_o.jpg (http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/delorean03/media/Facebook/Pinball/1606299_10152145030163710_707919424_o.jpg.html)

And here is the rest of the gameroom:

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I did install the video amp in RFM, and man, does that make a WORLD of difference. LEDs in all 3 machines. Flipper button protectors on all 3 as well.

Someday, I'll get a 4th one - someday....