Now in the restoration queue is Gottlieb’s
Sunshine from September 1958, production run 1100. She joins
Thoro-Bred and
Bowling Queen who are also being rebuilt at the same time. The game was designed by Wayne Neyens and artwork done by Roy Parker. The game was in fairly good original condition for a game of this vintage. The first thing you will notice looking at the backglass is there are no score reels and has an animation unit. This game was made 11 months before Gottlieb produced single player games with reels.
The score is totalled by lights behind the backglass which is simply stunning to watch in a dark room. The smallest amount of points available to score on the playfield is 10,000. So the score is made up of the far right there is a column for 10,000 points, the far left there is a column for millions and on the inside of that are scores for 100,000. You will notice inside of the head there are large stepper units – this is how the score is kept.
Another thing to notice on the backglass is in the top right there is a ranking system, this was the first game to feature this. So as the game and score progresses so does the rating. Gottlieb used this rating system during the late 1950s and phased it out towards the end of the production of woodrail pinballs.
This backglass is average but a reproduction has been bought and being shipped from the Shay Arcade Group. One of the woodrails was missing as was the lockdown bar. Bought new reproduction rails from PBR and had a new lockdown bar made.
All the playfield plastics are in excellent condition and even tracked down a NOS score and instruction card for it. Have just submitted an order for a stack of parts from PBR that will hopefully arrive next week. The legs have been resprayed and new leg bolts and levellers have been added.
So what to do next? Game is now fully working so will need to wait for the PBR parts before going any further on the playfield. The rails and lockdown bar will be fitted this weekend. There is a photo below showing the game next to Universe which is from 1959 showing the rails and lockdown bar on that game. Also have a Gottlieb
Criss Cross from 1958 that will be next being restored and will sit next to
Sunshine and
Criss Cross.
How does the game play? For the guys into ‘newer’ pins this will seem really simple but nothing could be further from the truth. The player needs to complete the red odd numbers (1,3,5,7,9,11 and 13) and/or complete the white even numbers (2,4,6,8,10,12 and 14). If either is completed the player gets a free game. Complete all the numbers 1 to 15 and every rollover is lit for special. This is very tough to achieve but when you do it’s just jackpot time! Scores also award free games.
She will be complete and ready for the pinball meet in October
