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Bally Bow And Arrow Restoration

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Strangeways:
Disclaimer - contrary to popular opinion, I m still restoring pinball machines. I'm just 6 months behind work and updates..  @@^

Bally EMs are my favorite. Everyone LOVES Gottlieb - and so do I, but Bally 4 Player EMs are undiscovered gems - this game included. Playfield layout clearly suggests it looks nothing like a Gottlieb - where are the Drop Targets ? Well, unlike some other EM manufacturer's EMs - this title does not need Drop Targets to be a Great player.

Objective

The game will be restored mechanically - as these EMs need a lot of work to restore. The cabinet will not be repainted. The backglass is excellent. We will restore and clearcoat the playfield.

Condition Report

Cabinet - 8/10 - Context - for it's age - it is VERY good. Will not require repairs or a repaint.

Playfield - 8/10 - I target EMs that are good to start with. This playfield is excellent, other than the non factory Slingshot plastics.

Electrical 7/10 - Steppers, relays, srore reels, score motor - all really good. Lamp sockets - not so good.


BEFORE pictures

This game was imported in 2008 ish from a collection in Germany (a genuine collection, not the eBay variety, nor from a "museum"  %.%). The game was in very good cosmetic condition - a fantastic base for a restoration.














There is surface rust on many components of the game - but not as bad as I usually see on games of this vintage. I guess you will always find some rust or corrosion.





Playfield is great for it's age - No contact or mylar ! So it has not been played to death. Wear is minimal - but common with Bally games - ALL the inserts have dropped into the playfield.








Some close ups of playfield detail that will be addressed during the restoration.





Those slingshot plastics ! Will need some originals at some point.





Close up photos demonstrate some of the aging process - more likely most of this process was from storage rather than play !








On all EMs, the real challenge is the condition of the internal mechanisms - steppers, relays and score motor. But under the playfield is often something bypassed. This game was very good - with the exception of the globe sockets.











Globe sockets will be replaced. Leaving them in this condition only introduces issues in the future.









As mentioned earlier, the playfield will be touched up and clearcoated. The inserts have dropped, and as a result, the insert circles will need to be repainted. The playfield is in VERY good shape, but for this game, we (the customer input was very important) decided to clearcoat the playfield. This would also bring out the brilliant artwork and colors of this playfield.

Before doing this - we need to map out the wiring. This was also assist with the installation of new lamp sockets and returns.





First pass - clean with magic eraser and commence touch up of inserts (lower LHS of playfield - as viewed by the player).





More ;





Inserts repainted ;





Ready for clearcoat





Here's the result of the playfield restoration. not much in the way of artwork restoration. It is currently having the clearcoat applied.

 :D

oldskool1969:
I love it when people leave the cabinet alone so it looks its age  ^^^
Only 6 months behind though Nino? In spite of all recent events I would have thought 2 years.
BTW I played a 1958 GTB sunshine game today and all I can say is "old school is best school"
This game looks like fun too. Lucky owner.

Strangeways:

--- Quote from: oldskool1969 on November 19, 2015, 12:01:12 AM ---I love it when people leave the cabinet alone so it looks its age  ^^^
Only 6 months behind though Nino? In spite of all recent events I would have thought 2 years.
BTW I played a 1958 GTB sunshine game today and all I can say is "old school is best school"
This game looks like fun too. Lucky owner.


--- End quote ---

In terms of restoration updates - 6 months.

Workload - 2-3 years. Collectors have obtained the same patience level as I have - which I thought was not possible.  ()

I would LOVE a "Sunshine" - beautiful machine. My "Miss Annabelle" will do for now.

In terms of Bally games from this era - Bow and Arrow is a VERY good player. Similar to Aladdin's Castle - Gameplay is excellent. Not in the sane league as Wizard or Captain Fantastic - but just as much FUN.

howzat:
I have this game on my hyperpin --- superpin    Ok I know its not the real thing but it always brings me back for a couple of games

Classic old school  #*# i luv it

I will keep watching your post        Howzat

Strangeways:
Long overdue Update ;

The playfield has been cleared and the objective of having the finished "toned down" to look original has worked out very well. The playfield is not polished to look like a 90's clearcoat, rather, it is dulled down to look like a varnish. The reason for the clear is because so many inserts had dropped, and cupped. I did refresh the white areas and finish off with some rough linework. The intention was to solve the issue with the dropped inserts.









The underside of the playfield was stripped and documented ;











Moving on to the cabinet ..





The Door ;








The door was stripped, and some parts were repainted. No replating this time. Parts were cleaned with the Ultrasonic, then the tumblers ;








Side of the cabinet - looks much better. I use "simple Green" for these jobs as it does the same cleaning as Nifti, but it is not as aggressive.





End of the first update..

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