Need opinion on a potential purchase

Frax

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Looking at a local-ish 350$ Williams Space Shuttle pinball, I've asked the owner to provide some better pics, theirs were crap, but looks like the playfield art is pretty thrashed...

Assuming the game plays fine and has no other major cosmetic issues, is that a reasonable price? Dallas seems to be a pinball wasteland. Everything here is either EM pins that are 300$+ and in pretty dingy shape, sub 200-pins that are crappy non-commercial home versions, or 1500+ DMD games. There's like no in-between here.

I figured that if this thing's working, I like the theme of the machine, and would prefer a SS over an EM game. Is that a good price?
 
In my opinion, I'd say $350.00 is a decent price. I am in the same situation as you are and rarely find any games anywhere near me that aren't rediculously overpriced. (Like some idiot that is asking $1,999.00 for a 1978 Williams Big Deal EM machine). I would imagine that if the playfield is very worn and you tire of the game, you could always part it out and make your money back.
 
Space Shuttle is the more collectable game from the space game themes (Space Shuttle vs Space Station). Don't worry about the playfield, most sys9/sys11 Williams games have wear issues and insert problems. Sys9/Sys11 playfields are the worst.

Enjoy the game. At $350 you will be able to sell it down the road and not lose on it.
 
Got a Cyclone for about that price. I'm still playing and loving it. I consider it. A future shop job, but it's still in the game room lineup. Go pick it up!
 
Buy it, I picked mine up for $400 with a decent playfield with some wear. I bought an overlay for it which I haven't gotten a chance to install yet. I love the game, it has great sounds, fun gameplay and multi-ball!

You can buy an overlay for it from Ed Cheung.

Someone should start a Space Shuttle owner databse or appreciation thread.
 
If you're a player, condition shouldn't matter (to a certain extent, at least), IMO. $350 is a good price!
 
I talked to the lady this morning..she must not use it very often..sounds like she's prob mid-50's or later. Probably been sitting in their house for 15 years, lol.

I've gotta find a way to transport it....we've got a Highlander, but no trailer hitch. I think U-Haul will rent the trailer and the hitch, because I don't think we can fit it in there even if we take the legs off, right? I don't have option of taking out the back seat, it's a kid hauler. If it won't fit and the U-Haul option is way too expensive, I may invoke the "It's my birthday!" clause. :)

This is my first personal pin purchase, so I'm a bit noob to this. I would assume removing the legs is standard practice. She said the head doesn't fold down, but it comes off? Are the wires that go up to it simple plug type connectors? :p

Great to know there's some options for restoring the playfield. I looked it up last night and I really love the way it looks, so I can always restore it on down the road. She said it's completely working, mechanically, just one burnt out bulb, but she has the replacement part. I think I'm gonna take my chances on it. Just wish it wasn't an hour and a half away so I could go look at it first!
 
Head comes off with two bolts, and lots of connectors, but you don't have to disconnect them. Lay the head on the cabinet and strap the head to the cabinet.

TAKE OUT THE BALLS before all the following.

If it's just you, make sure you have a stool or have someone unbolt the rear legs while you hold the cab. Lay the rear down, go around to the front, stand the pin up on it's rear, unbolt the front legs, strap the pin to a dolly and away you go. No need for a Uhaul.

You should be able to fit it with the head folded in the Highlander, no problem.
 
Head comes off with two bolts, and lots of connectors, but you don't have to disconnect them. Lay the head on the cabinet and strap the head to the cabinet.

TAKE OUT THE BALLS before all the following.

If it's just you, make sure you have a stool or have someone unbolt the rear legs while you hold the cab. Lay the rear down, go around to the front, stand the pin up on it's rear, unbolt the front legs, strap the pin to a dolly and away you go. No need for a Uhaul.

You should be able to fit it with the head folded in the Highlander, no problem.

All good advice, but weren't the Sys 9 machines the first ones that had the hinged backbox? So remove the 4 bolts and fold down?

If you do end up folding down the backbox (by whatever means) make sure and put some padding between it and your side rails. In fact, that's probably the best way to see if the head really does fold down - do the side rails have dents in them? (ha!)

There must be a way to temporarily fold down the back seats of the Highlander? If so, it should fit I would think.
 
I could fold the seats down but I'd have to convince the wife to let me go alone and frankly, as little as I get to see my kids and be home, I don't want to leave them hanging for four hours on my off day. They're about to be gone for a few weeks too, so I'm pushing my luck as-is. :)
 
I could fold the seats down but I'd have to convince the wife to let me go alone and frankly, as little as I get to see my kids and be home, I don't want to leave them hanging for four hours on my off day. They're about to be gone for a few weeks too, so I'm pushing my luck as-is. :)



10-4. Some would suggest just go ahead and tick her off now and get it out of the way. Others would take your approach. As long as you understand that it's inevitable at this point.....("why in the world would you need *another* machine", yada yada yada).

I'm still walking that fine line too...but yet have managed to get in 5 machines in the past 9 mos (kept 3). So sometimes sugar does catch more flies.

Anyway, kid time is way more important than pinball and always will be. Good call, and good start to the hobby!
 
All good advice, but weren't the Sys 9 machines the first ones that had the hinged backbox? So remove the 4 bolts and fold down?

Could've folded, I forget. :)

I could fold the seats down but I'd have to convince the wife to let me go alone and frankly, as little as I get to see my kids and be home, I don't want to leave them hanging for four hours on my off day. They're about to be gone for a few weeks too, so I'm pushing my luck as-is. :)

See if the lady will hold the game for you if you mail her a small deposit check or something, then get it when the kids are gone.

I have fit a pin in our Odyessy with all three kids still in it. The rear bench is 60/40, with a generous 60, so the pin fit there and the other two kids were in their car seats in the regular seats in the 2nd row, wife and I in the front. Not sure if you can do the same config with the Highlander, but worth checking out.
 
I talked to the lady this morning..she must not use it very often..sounds like she's prob mid-50's or later. Probably been sitting in their house for 15 years, lol.

I've gotta find a way to transport it....we've got a Highlander, but no trailer hitch. I think U-Haul will rent the trailer and the hitch, because I don't think we can fit it in there even if we take the legs off, right? I don't have option of taking out the back seat, it's a kid hauler. If it won't fit and the U-Haul option is way too expensive, I may invoke the "It's my birthday!" clause. :)

This is my first personal pin purchase, so I'm a bit noob to this. I would assume removing the legs is standard practice. She said the head doesn't fold down, but it comes off? Are the wires that go up to it simple plug type connectors? :p

Great to know there's some options for restoring the playfield. I looked it up last night and I really love the way it looks, so I can always restore it on down the road. She said it's completely working, mechanically, just one burnt out bulb, but she has the replacement part. I think I'm gonna take my chances on it. Just wish it wasn't an hour and a half away so I could go look at it first!

I was interested in that game. But from the pictures it had the worst playfield wear that I had ever seen. I would still have picked it up for the price if fully working and with intact ramp and shuttle toy, but it would be a 4 hour drive for me. Preorders for the new playfields are closed. I'm on the waiting list and have my fingers crossed. If you pick up the game you might see if you can hop on the waiting list as well.

good luck,
Shawn
 
Yeah, I checked out that Ed Cheung guy's website and didn't see any place where he's actually selling anything. Haven't looked into these repro playfields..got a link? I'm at work and only have sporadic moments where I can do anything right ATM...and mostly then only on my phone, lol.

*Edit* found the site but no place to get on a list looks like and no pricing info. Apprently this one is high demand, lol. =|
 
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