Namco 20th Reunion Cab for a customer

PrairieDillo

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Donor 2011, 2024
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This one has been an interesting project for a good customer with deep pockets. He said spare no expense and wanted the thing to just be simply new looking. Everything worked but he over paid ($1800) on this heavily routed machine. It was swolen in a few areas and had heavy maze burn.

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Its totally in acceptable condition considering its over 20 years old and they typically get a lot of maze burn... Missing marquee, CPO poorly worn, Lots of dings, Coin Door bars, scratched glass and a big blown front corner.

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I big chip came out here on the inside of this corner because of the melamine and T-molding slot.

I decided to share my choices on parts here because I went over everything on the machine and visited everything down to the microswitch and front kick runner.

I will add everything in separate posts.

Im nearly done with this after like $1000 in parts including an Arcade SD Board.
 
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The first order of business was to figure out my source for parts. Lots of printers are offering replacements for these including Namco. I really felt like Namco did a poor job with the supplier source for their artwork even though I thought the design was really well done. I went with Namco arcade for the coins door panel art and the replacement bezel side stickers.

Stripping was quite an orderal as the old art left huge sections of adhesive on the melamine. I eventually used a packaging tape drag method to pull the gummy residue off reducing the ammout of goofoff needed to clean it up.

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Namco Used a sort of skateboader grip tape as a kick runner. Its kinda tall and really "un-original" Luckily the midway types are still available.

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Standard, bondo patch and sand

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Position and tack down. I used the wet method to apply.

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I went with original art here but regretted it because it was poor quality compared to the replacement art I recieved from Stickersmith.

@stickersmith

Ive recieved art from Stickersmith B4 but I went with him based on value/quality proposition. Hes also fast and I couldnt use Szabos or TOG because of the unreliable wait times. My choices were a short list because of the timing factor. Heres where it really gets tricky.
 

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So with the side art and CPO, it gets tricky. I loved what Namco did with the aesthetics and design choices overall. The HS reunion theme really works for me and I love the kickplate art. The marquee I know fades and cracks over time. The originals were poorly done. Even the kickplate art is un-laminated vinyl. Ultimately if I was going to do it again.. I may not have used any original art.

Theres a guy local to me that sells on Ebay. He actually Grey Markets overstock Namco art from a supplier that over orders when they supply to Namco. I got a pair of Galaga bezel stickers from him for only $14 for the pair so went with Namco for the Ms Pac side.
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The colors for the original Ms Pac side seemed off to me also. I have a orignal Stencil Ms Pac cab, a Galaga and a 25th Pacman reissue.

The 20th Reissue, is also way too glossy for me. I believe they picked up the blue from the bezel art vs the sides which tend to be faded but still a more Teal/Tiffany Blue shade. I have comparisions here. All of the OG stencil cabs seem to have different levels if fade and I think maybe even the paint settled into different shade over time.

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Left is the unfaded Stencil cab, Middle is the Reissue Blue, and Right is the original Bezel Blue.

I liked the choice of the shade that Stickersmith choose and feel like its more representative of an original stenciled Ms Pac.


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The new Artwork Shade if blue is top middle vs the reissure blue of bottom middle.

Stripping it was much of the same. Lots of elbow grease getting the sticky residue off. Heat didnt help.

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I rough trimmed the edge. Decided to tuck it under after heating the corner for a bend. Others said it would bubble the edge but after experimenting I though it would work tucked under and tacked down with the T-molding which I needed to glue down.

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The crazy part of the original art was how poor their source files were. They scaled bitmap art instead of retracing the art, or finding retraced source files.

Compare her elbows bellow.

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On to Galaga

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I needed to glue a blown out corner chip. Then bondo it.

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One decision I made which Im very glad for is in choosing the full Galaga side art print instead of the tombstone shaped cutout of the original. it really looks so much better when all said and done.

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It covers the patched corner really well also.

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The Control Panel

Someone even painted the worn corner where the original overlay wore through the bend. The reissues had IL 4-way ball tops. the current ones available are similar but have a nylon actuator

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The source files again were just horrible on the reissue. Stickersmith had cleaner artwork and a laminated overlay.

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Completely stripped the panel down to the metal and sanded any rust spots.

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Repopulated with new controls and button tops. The reissue had Betson Buttons which I dont like. The shapes arent as "round" as the IL/Happ shaped classic pushbuttons. the customer was fine with the original controls so I didnt offer any specifc upgrades like leaf or rollie switches.

I specifically rebuilt it with the dust cover tucked under. I find it odd when they out it over the overlay for these classic games.

I also did not trim to edge the CP. I wrapped around the metal lip after heating the material. Stickersmiths print is generous enough so that theres plenty of material all around. This is also key to the longevity of the CPO at the bend. Many will crack over time at the bend.

Because we will be using the Arcade SD board, the right start buttons will recieve wiring to B and C buttons on the JAMMA harness. inused the white buttons for the left start row because of this.
 
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The monitor was K7000 with heavy burn. I gave it a full cap kit and had a Sharp 25" TV saved for these types of restorations.

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After a quick test and yoke wiring correction to the orientation. I was also lucky in that the width cap was in the right range after tube swapping.

Colors popped nicely and it just needed a quick centering and geometry adjustment.

These 25" monitors barely fit in there and the brakets even need to come out when you put in lr take out the tubes. I put it on its side For this whole process/ordeal.

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The old stickers had some wear and fade so we updated these as well. Cleaned up the ABS bezel and popped it back in.

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Another look at the old CPO compared to the new art.

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Testing with an Arcadeshop I have laying around. I need to reflash the Arcade SD waiting to go into this machine. Sound goes through a coindoor pot so I havent tested the sound yet.

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New Glass is due to be ready this week.

Im waiting for a new Transilite from Arcademarquees.com because they have done some good work for me in the past. I used them for a Renunion themed mini I did before.

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Im such a fan of the theme, I made a pair of these because I have the lanyards.

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I need to breakdown the coin door for a touch up on the paint chips it has. Needs also new locks.

The Midway kick runner I am also still waiting on.

But its really close... i loved the art set for this reunion machine so much and I have a JAMMA converted Stencil Ms Pac... I'm wondering if I should give it this Reunion Art and a BitKit2

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The marquee came in as well as the new two pieces of tempered glass. The original transilite marquees cracked and all deteriorated, they were so poorly made.

I also reshot the coin door after breaking it down.

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There was a 3 wire molex that was the same as a 120v AC wire in the cab for what I can only assume is a bill acceptor. Some plugged it into that 120v AC and preciously fried the 5V tonthe coin door bulbs. I found melted wires and insulation. I repaired it and added the two missing connectors for rhe 5V bulbs and got the coin lights back on. Im just waiting for the transilite Pac-man coin eject labels for this cab to come in.

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And finally the Midway style Kick runner came in which will replace what Namco used which was the grip tape... This will look much more "original"

Parts were sourced from:
Arcade parts and repair
Arcademarquee.com
Stickersmith on Ebay and these forums
Namco Arcade
Bob Roberts (Alice)
Arcadeshop.com
A local glass shop
T-molding.com
 
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