Have YOU ever seen a pinball conversion before?

smalltownguy2

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I have.

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It's a Bally Harlem Globetrotters pin that's been converted with the only instance that I'VE ever heard of of a conversion kit for a pinball machine from the 80's - 301 / Bullseye, made by Grand Products, Inc.

Unfortunately, the table is missing the sound board, and it was proprietary to the kit :(

I've contacted Grand Products, Inc (they're still in business today as a 3rd party manufacturer for coin-op products) to see if I can get a tech to assist me in getting a replacement board.

I've yet to fire the machine, I just got it off the trailer yesterday. Owner told me it works, just no sound. We'll see.
 
There were other conversion kits. Rock and Rock Encore come to mind and I have seen those in person.

Ipdb lists Amazon Hunt II and Amazon Hunt III as similar sys80b conversion kits. I can't say I have seen those.
 
I'm not real familiar with pinball conversion kits, but I've seen a couple custom ones. There's a guy who converted a Dolly Parton to Three Stooges. He's had it at the Midwest Gaming Classic a few times.
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I've seen people build Kiss pinballs out of other machines...price keeps going up on those you will see more i suppose.
 
I have been fortunate to see many in person. Haven't owned one though. I had the chance to buy a Gamatron but didn't know what it was at the time.
 
Yeah, I got lucky with that one. I was first to reply, first to arrive :)

Or WAS I lucky? Without a soundboard, this is pretty much a paperweight.

:001_ssleepy:

Price was good I say it was a good deal. Lemme know if you come across a big blue in your travels
 
Yeah, I got lucky with that one. I was first to reply, first to arrive :)

Or WAS I lucky? Without a soundboard, this is pretty much a paperweight.

:001_ssleepy:

Luckily the schematics are online. I took a look at the sound board and it doesn't look like they're using anything crazy. You could build one if you were so inclined ;)
 
Now THAT would be a trick....

If you've got the full schematics, AND the full parts list (usually everything is on the schematic), AND you've got code for any sound roms, then it's entirely dooable. It's annoying, but if you did it right, at the end you'd not only have a working sound board, you'd have an updated set of schematics in a modern cad system.

Not to say it wouldn't be a lot of work, but it's eminently doable for a few hundred dollars.
 
I have never seen anything like the Iron Maiden pins. I would give my left nut for one of those. Only pin conversion I have seen is the Star Wars one in Revenge From Mars. Total kit job.
 
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