The Aussie Pinball Arcade
Aussie Pinball Forums => General Discussion => Your Collection => Topic started by: Strangeways on June 29, 2014, 12:32:48 PM
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Now that 99% of the games are out of storage, I can FINALLY view some of the machines that are part of my Personal Collection. This is a Gottlieb SKY JUMP, which is my favorite Wedgehead. The story behind this game is that Dad operated this game from New In Box and it sat in the larger storage building from the mid 80's until the early 90's, where it was moved to the smaller storage building (where the games where stored up until this year). When Dad gave me the keys to the smaller building, there were two wedgeheads - a "King Pin" and this "Sky Jump". I reconditioned both in around 1999 - 2001 ish. The "King Pin" was sold for $2500 and I kept the Sky Jump for my collection, due to the history and also it is a great playing game. So this game was one of the first I "seriously" reconditioned 14 - 15 years ago. So I set it up yesterday, and as per usual, it worked perfectly. So I've been playing it "non stop" and enjoying the magic of an EM.
I thought I'd share some pictures. The plan for this machine is to "wait and see" if I want to fully restore it. I am thinking of touching up the playfield and giving it a clearcoat. The cabinet is VERY yellowed over time and I've tried to clean it a few times and ended up cleaning the paint off the timber !!
(http://australianpinballrestorations.com.au/pictures/misc/Sky%20Jump%20006.JPG)
(http://australianpinballrestorations.com.au/pictures/misc/Sky%20Jump%20004.JPG)
(http://australianpinballrestorations.com.au/pictures/misc/Sky%20Jump%20007.JPG)
(http://australianpinballrestorations.com.au/pictures/misc/Sky%20Jump%20008.JPG)
(http://australianpinballrestorations.com.au/pictures/misc/Sky%20Jump%20009.JPG)
It still has original 10cents and 20cents coin acceptors and coin entrance plates. I'm thrilled to be finally playing some of my own games and this title is awesome.
Members are welcome to come around and play the game, but it will never be for sale.
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Great to see dome of these great games with very personal history coming out!
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never really looked at this game much
seems like a fun game
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I can see she's had a lot of love... all great games to play get lots of attention and judging by the wear on the inserts id say its seen a few games!
Playfield I would touch up and CC.. its surprising just how well these games play with a CC.
Cabinet??? Id be leaving it original... unless shot id always recommend leaving as is. I like the yellowing that occurs over time. The patina on old games is something that just cannot be replicated and its all part of how these machines slowly transform themselves over the years.
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Trying to pick a favourite Ed Krynski wedgehead is like trying to pick a favourite Beatles or Zeppelin track, good luck. I agree with Retropin about the restoration, keep some aged element in there on the cabinet, that is the character of a 40 year old pin and hard to reproduce. Nice machine!
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Very cool you know the complete history of these particular machines, look forward to the resto *%*
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I am lucky to have played this game and it is an oldskool blast! Have to agree with Gav, leaving cabinet original as all the nicks and scratches and engravings tell a wonderful story.
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Must be really satisfying to finally have the liberty to set up your own machines and enjoy them/ display them
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Dang! Thanks for sharing- Sky Jump was the first pinball I played when I was about 9 or 10
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Interesting comments regarding the cabinet, and I think I will leave it "as is". Playfield will be restored in time. For the moment, I will enjoy playing it as time permits.
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Wow it does look like a good player with same good challenging shots and nudges
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Just picked one up on Ebay......I missed out on a local wreck here a couple of years ago....this one looks like a good start....good playfield and really strong reds in the backglass.
I clearly remember this title coming out in late '74, there was one sited at a milk bar in North Manly along with an old ball lift GTB with a horrifying gobble hole.
A top shelf wedgehead
.
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I had a Sky Jump for many years. .... I restored the p'field, the cabinet, repro backglass and repro p'field plastics etc etc. In my case I had to as the machine as I bought it was really a 'wreck'. .... It scrubbed up really well, and I kept it for about 15 years, and only sold it last year. .... This is a great wedgehead with lots of great shots to be had..... There's the shot from the left hand flipper which can go all the way up the p'field and straight through the number 6. ..... I've also read comments to the effect that there are no shots from the left hand flipper, and that all the action is from the right hand flipper, shooting for the targets. I'd like to correct this mis-information. There are lots of shots to be had from the left hand flipper. As well as the #6 shot, you can also backflip from the LHS to get the targets 3-7. .... I think you can also drop at least the #2 target, and possibly the #1 target from the left hand flipper.
After a few years I changed the play from 5 ball to 3 ball. ..... This makes 2 distinct changes to game play. ... First, you then get 2 pink lights on the targets (instead of 1) for higher score and then 'Specials'). Also, the centre pop bumper then scores 1000 points instead of the 100 it scores on 5 ball play. ... This makes the centre pop bumper something to really aim for to get your score up. ... and the centre pop bumper can be hit from both left and right flippers. I'm not usually a 3 ball fan, but in this case it made the game more interesting to me, as well as a whole lot 'faster' in game play. As you only have 3 balls to accomplish something, then every ball is important, and there's a lot of 'tension' in trying to get score and/or Specials.
Sky Jump is a real winner of a game, and remains a great example of why wedgeheads are among the very best pinballs ever made. ..... Happy flippin'.
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Interesting comments regarding the cabinet, and I think I will leave it "as is". Playfield will be restored in time. For the moment, I will enjoy playing it as time permits.
I'd leave it alone too. Here in the UK, most people have restored cabs because so many were repainted in different colours to match their then surroundings in arcades so not many have survived. Most of my machines sport their original art and it's taken me years to find decent examples. Unless a restored cabinet is absolutely essential, I'd leave well alone.
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Those 3 ball rule changes are cool...going to check this out. Just another reason that makes this title so great.
Also agree on the left flipper shots...plenty there to do and besides, a one flipper wedgehead would look weird.
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Great pics
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Good and sad memories,
Good, it was the third machine I ever bought ($50). Sad, I sold it and a Pioneer to a second hand furniture dealer for $150 in about 1985 when I moved out of home. Like so many things, if I only knew then...
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Currently waiting on the completion of the repro playfield by Wade Krauss.
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Currently waiting on the completion of the repro playfield by Wade Krauss.
Me too, cannot wait to see the finished product from Wade.