Bally Fathom Restoration

[Strangeways]

An absolutely amazing title. I searched for over 15 years for this title locally, and I had to import mine from Germany 7 years ago. Since then, I've had four more. I've restored two in the last 3 years, and I will be restoring my own personal game next year. Two weeks ago I helped a member sell his Fathom to a local collector, and that game is in my workshop with some minor issues I've sorted out.

Each and every person who has never seen or played the game, absolutely love the machine once they have seen and played it. I'd say I get asked for this game once a month.

The 2013 CPR run should be exactly the same as the 2009 run. The reason CPR made a run of 20 was to test some of their new equipment. I have mine on display, and I'll pull out my original 2009 as a comparison. The other difference between the 2004 and 2009 is that the 2004 run was a thinner timber. This caused MASSIVE problems with rollovers being too high above the level of the playfield.

I'm glad this title is getting the pinball love it deserves !

[pinball god]

Will probably never own this title but love the look and what I have seen of game play. I am confident Adam's games will turn out fantastic and hope the have the opportunity to play a game. Btw is fathom a better player than paragon or are the two incomparable? One thing is for sure, they both look fantastic. 

[riverinapinball]

Adam, Fathom is a title well worth a complete restore/refurb. Great choice.
You are clearly very dedicated and have an eye for detail. Should be another great restore thread to track.
Will look sweet next to your Flash Gordon.

[Crashramp]

Thanks for all of the kind words again guys and if you're thinking about undertaking a restoration of your own but are hesitant to start, just go for it. I'm certainly no expert and generally just bumble my way through it and learn as I go. As long as your patient the results will come. You just have to enjoy it and take lots and lots of photos.
Thanks to the people on this forum sharing their knowledge anyone can have a crack at it.

[morgo]

Cant recall this game from years past , but I need to add to my wish list. Fantastic artwork, right era , plus I`m a lifelong diver.
Have read through a couple of resto`s of this game so far on this forum. All mindblowing work.
Problem is every game I lust after is near impossible to get hold of.  Centaur and now Fathom.

[pinball god]

Cant recall this game from years past , but I need to add to my wish list. Fantastic artwork, right era , plus I`m a lifelong diver.
Have read through a couple of resto`s of this game so far on this forum. All mindblowing work.
Problem is every game I lust after is near impossible to get hold of.  Centaur and now Fathom.

get in the queue for all of the above.   

[Crashramp]

Pictures pretty much speak for themselves here. Over the weekend I picked up my cabinet from Tim and Stuart at Hot Rodded Pins. What can I say, the results are outstanding, my only issue was trying to find photos to do it justice because it looks even better in the flesh. The head box was reused with a bit of a structural tidy up before it went down to HRP and the cabinet is brand new supplied by HRP. I was going to reuse my old cabinet but the more I went over it the more issues I found so in the end I'm very happy I went with the new cabinet.
 The stencils supplied by Gav (Retropin) were also fantastic and it pretty much felt like Christmas when I saw it for the results from the everyone's work for the first time.

[Crashramp]

I had a busy Sunday getting everything back into the back box and cab.

Backbox is 100% complete except for them backglass which won't go in until everything else on the game is done.



I ran out about 2m short of the earth braid which still needs to run across to the speaker and RHS of the cab. More on order at the moment so no big deal. Bit of a tangle in this next pic.




These wires have a very good memory and every thing just seems to find its place again.

[Crashramp]

This next pic is for Nino who gave me a hand working out what to do with this switch and it's extra lugs. There didn't seem to be a replacement for it as mine as I found out is a German delivered machine. I'd still be scratching my head without the help but here it is installed.



And a few more pics just for the hell of it.

[GORGAR 1]

 Wow Adam that looks fantastic  it's going to look great in your lineup.

Peter

[DSB]

  WOW! Better than new.

[swinks]

what a beautiful machine  

Zitt but up some buttons and housing on shapeways if ever you want to customise your game as I did some test printing for him

[Pintoxicated]

Simply stunning!!!!

[riverinapinball]

Man, thats going to be one awesome pin!

[Strangeways]

Looking good !

Tim and Stuart did an AMAZING job. This cabinet is just about the HARDEST cabinet to repaint due to the intricate stencils, but Gavin really nailed the stencil.