Broken Williams Comet to Buy or not to Buy?

XNIF

New member
Joined
Feb 28, 2011
Messages
154
Reaction score
0
Location
Gelderland, Netherlands
I can buy a Williams Comet, in very good state concering the looks. Playfield, plastics, glass and machine itself look great. But it does not work. When switched on the lamps go on and it's going in attractmode. All lights flash up and down. But when trying to play a game some music is played and then the complete machine hangs.

I have no experience in repairing Williams machines, since i only have an Bally Black Jack. I can buy it for 150 dollar. Do you guys think i should take a gamble and buy this machine?

I read the manual and it seems to have a fairly good diagnostic program. Are there some things i have to look for? I mean are there things that i can look for before buying that should stop my buying it?
 
In europe pinballs are a lot cheaper.... but this is cheap even for europe i think. I is worth around 300 - 400 dollar when it's fixed here. So it's cheap if i do not have to buy a complete new MPU.... or something else big.
 
For $150 and in mostly working condition and nice cosmetically, I personally would get it and spend sometime on it fixing it up for a few reasons.

1) It's a pretty decent game

2) You could keep it and add it to your collection

3) You could sell it to fund another pin purchase

4) Most important reason - learning to fix the machine and bring it back to life

Good luck!
 
Thanks. Yes think i will buy it. I am learning to fix pinball already with my bally black jack. Just rebuild the rectifierblard...... Still not working 100 %. now i am
Looking to fix the lamp board. Now i can learn at double speed since i have double the trouble :)
 
I have some pics of the pin i am going to get this week. It's a little drive, but i already paid him.

comet1f.jpg

comet2q.jpg

comet3.jpg


As you can see it's very dirty, so i am probably going to clean it first and replace the rubbers. Still not so bad for 150 dollar i think. Let's hope the MPU is not melted away or something .. hehehe
 
Last edited:
Even if it is, the BG and Playfield look good...shopped and in nice condition, it's an $800-$1000 pin. Maybe a little more depending on just how nice it is.
 
I'm a little late to the game but how did the pickup go? I actually paid about $130 just for a Comet backglass in decent shape so $150 for one with issues is a phenomenal price.
 
Well i got it! Let me descripe it and make some pictures tomorrow and post them.

I got the machine saturday but i forgot the screws on location to mount the head. So it's sitting in my garage and i'm expecting the postman delivering them tomorow. Then i can make proper pictures.

* the playfield looks absolutely horrible. It is worse than it shows on the pictures. I think i need a new playfield. I put an advert sunday in the netherlands (that is where i live) and today someone mailed me he had one, and he is like 20 miles from me. So i am hoping this will work out. If not i will make an overlay, or try to repaint it.

* the glass looks great. I am not sure it has been restored, i need to check. Right now it is wrapped in paper. And i had a brief look before i shipped the machine.

* the mpu looks great! I was very worried that the penlites were leaking. But nothing like that. Is does not have a penlite batterybox. It looks like it never was installed, only a varta battery. Not leaking but i will cut it out before it does. It might have a burned connector , but i need to really check it. I only checked briefly before shipping. I do however made some pics of the mpu before i took it appart. I have posted them at the bottom of this post.
The rest of the prints look fine as well.

* the cabinet looks ok. Not super great but not very bad. I think someone repainted the black.... Not sure.

* ramps and plastics do not look so hot. The plastic ramp has a metal beginning installed. Not sure if this is done because it was broken. Have to check.

here is the inside (notice the brown connector on the mpu , the 2nd from above and the brown stain on the place above):

dscn4674b.jpg

dscn4675f.jpg

dscn4676w.jpg
 
Last edited:
expecting the postman delivering them tomorow. Then i can make proper pictures.

* the playfield looks absolutely horrible.
* ramps and plastics do not look so hot. The plastic ramp has a metal beginning installed. Not sure if this is done because it was broken.

The playfield looks horrible? Do you have some updated pictures of it? From the picture you have on here I don't see any missing paint or anything obvious. Are you sure it just can't be cleaned up?

Also, is the "metal beginning" a metal flap? I believe just about all ramps have that, and it's probably supposed to be there. Again, you should try some Novus on the ramps and see how they look then.
 
The playfield looks horrible? Do you have some updated pictures of it? From the picture you have on here I don't see any missing paint or anything obvious. Are you sure it just can't be cleaned up?

If you look at the entrance to the corkscrew, there some wear there. looks like some on the right of the Comet ramp and maybe by the pops? I've also seen wear in front of the drop target and the Funhouse saucer on other Comets... The problem is some of these wears spots are on details that are very intricate making it nearly impossible to touchup.

Also, is the "metal beginning" a metal flap? I believe just about all ramps have that, and it's probably supposed to be there. Again, you should try some Novus on the ramps and see how they look then.

I thinking you're talking about the wire gate in front of the main Comet ramp? It's purpose is to make the coaster sound when it...

All and all.... Very nice pickup! Definitely worth the cost for the boardsets, as well as, the backglass.....
 
I have not made new pics from the machine but i have found some better pics the previous owner mailed me. As soon as i have the bolts to mount the head i'll make better ones. But as you can see the playfield has some serious wear. And you can see the "metal flap" on the beginning of the ramp. I'm dutch so sometimes my english might sound cryptic :)

However... i called someone who mailed me. And i can get a complete playfield that look much better including everything (so bumpers, flippers, plastics etc. except for the main ramp for about 100 dollar. So plug and play. I am going to get that playfield this weekend.

img9247w.jpg


img9248g.jpg
 
I thinking you're talking about the wire gate in front of the main Comet ramp? It's purpose is to make the coaster sound when it...

All and all.... Very nice pickup! Definitely worth the cost for the boardsets, as well as, the backglass.....

thanks. But i am planning to fix the boards, they look too good to replace. And the backglass looks great. There is no need to replace that. Or did you mean that the price i paid is worth more just for the boards and the backglass?
 
thanks. But i am planning to fix the boards, they look too good to replace. And the backglass looks great. There is no need to replace that. Or did you mean that the price i paid is worth more just for the boards and the backglass?

Yeah I was referring to the price... You did good!
 
I have not made new pics from the machine but i have found some better pics the previous owner mailed me. As soon as i have the bolts to mount the head i'll make better ones. But as you can see the playfield has some serious wear. And you can see the "metal flap" on the beginning of the ramp. I'm dutch so sometimes my english might sound cryptic :)

However... i called someone who mailed me. And i can get a complete playfield that look much better including everything (so bumpers, flippers, plastics etc. except for the main ramp for about 100 dollar. So plug and play. I am going to get that playfield this weekend.

img9247w.jpg


img9248g.jpg

You don't need that metal ramp flap there.... It's covering some of the artwork of the Comet ramp.... I've never even seen that before! A homemade deal?

Edit: Unless the entrance there is broke.
 
yeah that metalflap thing is strange. probably broken... but i will get a new ramp as well for free. Just needs to be "flame polished".

It's great to live in europe where pinball is kinda gone. It gives me cheap machines and parts... however it's also sad.


You did great, I'm glad you were able to find a replacement PF so fast!

Yes i think that is great too. And it gives me a lot of spareparts!
 
Well just a short update. I have not got the new playfield. I will get that next week....
BUT... i have fixed the comet. It now starts up and runs. I resoldered some wires and rebuild some crappy connectors.

I have some issues left:

* The left flipper is very weak. I checked the switch if it was open all the time, but it look good. So probably somewhere else...

* the mechanism to push the ball in front of the plunger is broken. It's pure mechanical it was very poorly repaired. I am not sure if i am going to fix this before i have a new playfield. Ah well.. to play a week might be worth it .

No further issues!
 
Another update:

* fixed the flipper, replaced the coil and wiring. I could not resist to fix it. My son wanted to play it so much he convinced me :)

* fixed the mechanism for the plunger. Now i did not have any spare parts for it so i fixed it with 2 tierips and a rubber band. It only needs to hold a week, but this must go in the books as the most poorest repair ever.

* When i do a soundcheck i for some reason i do not have "a million" in speech. Probably a capacitator or a diode. I need to check.

* the ramps are broken inside, if my other playfield does not have a better cork ramp i need to repair that and repaint. Are all Williams plastics this thin and weak?

* Replaced the flipper rubbers and all rubbers that were shot.


Well for now it's fully playable... my son loves it.
 
Back
Top Bottom