DK cabinet question: side art and bolts

arch8ngel

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I recently acquired a DK cabinet as a project, and have been ogling over all of the restorations people have done.

Something I'm curious about, though, is the absence of visible bolts on the side of cabinets once the side art is applied.

My cabinet has 5 bolt heads on each side (two close together toward the back, and 3 evenly spaced and descending toward the front).

Any cabinets I've seen with reapplied side art, where they DID allow bolts to show, only end up with the two higher bolts in the back.


Does my cabinet have extra bolts for some reason? What is "normal" for an original DK cabinet?

Thanks!
 
You only need to use the 2 bolts that are paired together at the top for a DK. The other 3 bolts that form a curve shape are if you want to install the monitor horizontally. This was mainly done for Vs. UniSystem kits and Popeye.

What you need to do is when you've finished repainting the cab (if you are repainting), apply the side art, cut and X slit through the sideart into the holes where the bolts go. This prevents the sideart from twisting when you screw in the bolts. Then install the bolts when you install the monitor bracket.

I have pictures on my website of my DK if you want to see. I'll try to post it here when I get a minute.
 
Thanks for the reply.

I haven't gotten around to taking anything apart yet, but was hoping to find that some of the bolts were unnecessary.

Any thoughts on why my blue DK cab would have the 3 extra bolts used by horizontal conversions?
 
Thanks for the reply.

I haven't gotten around to taking anything apart yet, but was hoping to find that some of the bolts were unnecessary.

Any thoughts on why my blue DK cab would have the 3 extra bolts used by horizontal conversions?

My DK Jr. was a DK Jr. converted to a Vs. and then I converted it back. I ended up filling the extra 3 holes with bondo, sanding it down and repainting it so that only the two holes needed were left showing and usable.

I have pictures of that process on my website as well.
 
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Is there a way to know if it's original or converted?

It doesn't have a scrap of side art on it, so I guess that might imply that it was converted to DK and the side art was never reapplied...
 
Dedicated (save for "wood monitor frame" Radarscope conversions) DK's have the extra bolts.

Not really sure why. Makes the cabs a little more modular I suppose!

If I had to guess, they could then use any cabinet currently in production for an upcoming game that could be horizontal format (Sky Skipper, Popeye, etc.)
 
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The serial plate says "TKG4-UP-US"

Also, if it helps, the serial number plate is in the top center of the back, and the machine has two coin slots (saw mention somewhere that some blue cabinets only had one)
 
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The serial plate says "TKG4-UP-US"

From what I know, that is the 2-board set DK. It sounds like you have an original DK cab. Side art probably came off and it was cleaned at some point. You can keep the extra bolt holes if you want it to be "original," but I ended up filling them so that they wouldn't somehow make the side art sink in when I applied it and I don't ever plan on converting my DKs to horizontal games.
 
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From what I know, that is the 2-board set DK. It sounds like you have an original DK cab. Side art probably came off and it was cleaned at some point. You can keep the extra bolts, but I ended up filling them so that they wouldn't somehow make the side art sink in when I applied it.

Thanks for the clarification.

I'm planning to do a restoration sans side art, just for the cost savings (a set of side art costs about half what I paid for the whole cabinet :p), so I'll probably leave the extra bolts.
 
Thanks for the clarification.

I'm planning to do a restoration sans side art, just for the cost savings (a set of side art costs about half what I paid for the whole cabinet :p), so I'll probably leave the extra bolts.

DK side art has to be one of the cheapest, most reproduced pieces of arcade artwork out there. You can get a set for less than $50. They used to around $35. Don't skimp.


SSL10560.jpg
 
I'd love to see a link to quality $50-or-less side art.

It seems like the professional grade silk-screened stuff is $70-$90 for a set.
I bought the machine for $150...


Also, your pic doesn't show ANY bolts...what gives?
 
Thanks for the clarification.

I'm planning to do a restoration sans side art, just for the cost savings (a set of side art costs about half what I paid for the whole cabinet :p), so I'll probably leave the extra bolts.

Don't be a KLOV cheap ass.:p get the side art.
Just don't put it so high like Phet did.;)
Either way fill those extra the holes by gluing a dowel in the hole first then a layer of bondo.
That makes it a much stronger fix and easier to get them finished nice.
The DK cab looks so much better with side art.
 
But you never know when you'll expose it eventually. Or you can do what I do and separate them with about 6 inches of space. Then you can still see the side art. My DK is at the end so one side is fully exposed. But I agree. It looks so much better and finished with side art regardless of whether or not you intend to sandwich it between two other games. It probably ups the resale value a bit as well if you ever choose to sell it.
 
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I can't see a good reason why it would up the resale value by more than the price of the side art, plus whatever dollar value a reasonable person would ascribe to the time needed to apply it...
 
I can't see a good reason why it would up the resale value by more than the price of the side art, plus whatever dollar value a reasonable person would ascribe to the time needed to apply it...

I'm just saying it may. Honestly, it doesn't take much time or effort to apply if you know what you're doing. We're not trying to talk you into buying more stuff. We're just saying it would make your DK look better.

If you got the cab for less than $55 than that's awesome. But that doesn't mean the cab is worth less than $55. Side art is worth $50-55 based on the retailers that provide them. A standard working DK cab is worth $300-600 depending on what condition it's in. If you were to sell yours now (and I'm not sure what condition it's really in), it would definitely sell for more than you bought it for if you really did get it for more than the value of new side art.
 
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I didn't get it THAT cheap. It was $150, with a monitor that needs to be recapped, and t-molding that needs to be replaced.

There are enough cosmetic issues (CPO needs to be replaced because the previous owner actually paid somebody to rewire to coin mech to a button that sits right in the middle of the Nintendo logo...as a result the actual coin mechs are missing and need to be replaced as well :p) that I figure I'll be $300-$400 all-in by the time I have a really nice cabinet (that would include the side art).



This is my first cabinet, so I'm learning the ropes of refurbing this thing.
Figured the initial price was too good to pass up for a local pickup.
 
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