Bulls eye targets GTB Aquarius

[bossninja17]

What follows is pretty minor compared to most of the resto posts, but to me this is important for two reasons that I hope become evident to anyone who reads it.
Back in 1981 at the Sydney Luna Park auction, I bought a GTB Aquarius - first pin I ever owned.
At the end of the auction, here was I with my prized pin and a 1968 VW bug - no way I was going to get it home. I found a phone box (remeber, this is pre-mobile phones) and phoned my father... "Dad, I need a favour ... can you come to Luna Park, and hook the trailer up and bring it with you..."
My father turns up about an hour later. His reaction "What did you buy that thing for? How much did you pay? ($150) What a waste, what are you going to do with it?, etc".
Anyway, we load it up, it was pi**ing down raining and got it home (in a box trailer, standing on its legs as I had no idea that the legs bolted off).
See Sunday Questionnaire Number 22 ( http://aussiepinball.com/index.php?topic=1359.0 ) for the story about my life with Aquarius.

Fast forward to a month ago. I ordered from PBR 10 new bullseye targets, 33 new 1" posts, new 2" flippers and 4 lane guides/islands which go between the kickout holes. My aim was to give the old girl a bit of a makeover.

Last week the box arrived with the parts and I replaced the flippers and islands one night. Yesterday (Saturday), I began the posts then thought "How am I going to do the bullseye targets?" They are rivetted onto the switch. So I ring my father ... "Dad, can you bring around a small drill...".

Step one was removing the bullseye target switch from under the playfield. The soldering iron and screwdriver did their bit.

Pictures below show the worn bulleye targets and yellowed posts.

[bossninja17]

So my father arrives with the drill and reminisces about when we picked the pin up from Luna Park 29 years ago, that he is amazed that it still works and how I seem to know something about them. I removed the first target and held it whilst he carefully drilled out the rivet.

[bossninja17]

Next step was to attach the new bullseye target to the switch. We didn't have any rivet press, so improvised with a punch.

[bossninja17]

We did 3 of the 10 targets and gave it a rest. I thought my father would say to me "You can finish them off yourself", but instead, said "I'll be back tomorrow morning and we can finish the job". It was the first time he and I had worked on a pin together.
By morning tea time Sunday we had finished. Both he and I were pretty proud of what we had done.

[bossninja17]

Finished the job, put it all back together, and kicked it over. Kept scoring 50 points - one of the bullseye targets must be making contact somewhere. Check them all - no.
Lift up the playfield. I knew I re-soldered the wires correctly as I took pics before I de-soldered the wires for reference.

[bossninja17]

Checking each switch I find one that I had not re-soldered back on. One wire was touching and making contact. A quick bit of soldering and presto!.
The old man and I were pretty proud of what we had done. He has come to appreciate what pins mean to me and I have come to appreciate that has always been there to help out.
Aquarius works beautifully but could do with a far more intensive resto, along with a better backglass. However, to me it has a special meaning that just got more special.

[ddstoys]

Great story and great work a few new parts make the world of difference

[shansta]

Great story and great work a few new parts make the world of difference

Yep agree - not many guys keep their "first" - good on you! 

Nice job on the rivets - not many of the worlds problems can't be solved with a hammer... 

[Retropin]

Great read.....

.. When my old man visits from UK, i make sure we have a project to work on together... hes an old computer engineer from the days when boards etc were fixed not just replaced.

Fixing pinnies with my dad is something i really look forward to and i know he gets a real buzz from it also

[Strangeways]

Great Story, Mark. It is moments and memories like this that make the hobby so important. Glad you father has a steady hand with the drill !

[SPURR]

All my Bank a Ball targets are in the same condition was it expensive to replace the bulls eyes?
Aquarius is one game I wouldnt sell ! Looks to be very well designed, A real shooters pin.

[bossninja17]

All my Bank a Ball targets are in the same condition was it expensive to replace the bulls eyes?
Aquarius is one game I wouldnt sell ! Looks to be very well designed, A real shooters pin.

I bought the bullseye targets from Pinball Resource. $US4 each with the rivet. Cost me $US40 for the 10 so they are not cheap when you have to get that many. I contacted Mark C to see if he had any, but because I was getting a big order from PBR, I ended up adding the bullseye targets to it. Would be interesting what price they sell for locally.

[bossninja17]

Great Story, Mark. It is moments and memories like this that make the hobby so important. Glad you father has a steady hand with the drill !

Thankfully, his hand is pretty steady with the drill, otherwise could have been like this:

[Mr Pinbologist]

Great Story, Mark. It is moments and memories like this that make the hobby so important. Glad you father has a steady hand with the drill !

Thankfully, his hand is pretty steady with the drill, otherwise could have been like this:

WOW i can almost feel that looking at that pic.. OUCH!!! i did that with a flat bladed screwdriver at work one, straight through my ring finger on my left hand!! at the time i thought "thats the end of my guitar playing"  

healed up with no ill effects luckily.. hardly even any scars now!!

[pinnies4me]

Thanks for sharing, and I don't mind saying that the talk about your father brought a bit of a tear to my eye, thanks for sharing.