Opininions from the purists welcome

[Magog]

Take everything good off of it and sit on it. Hope that a cab pops up. Not gutting an existing one (I think that is what gets people's panties in a twist), but hey cabs pop up from time to time. Wait it out don't go for instant gratification and then reassemble the game.

My reasoning...I have a PC10 yes yes I know it is as "classic" but everything in it is fine. The cab is caved in, water damaged, has missing chunks, has loose joints to the point where if I move it I think it actually might fall apart. I have been looking for a replacement cab. I would prefer an empty cab. I could ahve had a punchout cab for $300.00. Parted to punchout and swapped my stuff over to have a new PC10. But to me to break an existing game to save another seems wrong. Why wreck one to save one, when you can sit and wait and be patient and one will come along...speaking of which I got a PM today and might have a cab sooner rather then later within an hour's driving distance.

I say wait it out...in the meantime maybe even get a cab made or at least in the wrecking of this one use it to aid in repros later.

 

[djw90]

Smell will never go away Steve, the mold is trapped between the laminate on both sides.

Lets say if the sideart reproduction was a for sure go. the outside of the cabinet could be sanded down below mold level. the inside and outside sealed a with odor seal. painted then new sideart installed. If this option was at all possible I would prob take this route. If not the new cabinet for $240 would be my next choice.

 

[Robotron]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piVnArp9ZE0&NR=1

 

[BeagleBoy]

the outside of the cabinet could be sanded down below mold level

In some cases, the mold runs right through. I'm allergic to mold, and sometimes laminates are just too far gone.

I tend to be a purist more often than not (I've got a classic car that I've been undoing "upgrades" on from the previous owner). But at some point, you wind up with the old cliche of the "original ax" that's only had the head and handle replaced six times.

"First I cut out the lower third of the sides. Then I replaced the top quarter. Finally, I cut out the middle, and replaced it. Gosh I'm glad I have this all-original pure cabinet."

-Jim

 

[Robotron]

This whole thing is a set up. He wants to make all of the "normal" collectors poke fun at what he calls "purists". He wants to draw out "purists" and mock them.

It really doesn't matter what we say. He is going to do whatever he wants with the LL. Its his game and his money. It obvious that he wants to do "Option 1"

And that is fine. Its his machine.

What would I do with the same machine if it were mine? I'd find an Asteroids that needs a board and swap out all the good parts of the LL.

Why? Because there were lots of asteroids made and not that many Lunar Landers. In fact I've never seen or played one in all 51 years of my life. I'd love to at least play one before I die, but considering how few there are, it will probably never happen.

 

[TRICKDRAGON]

Lol

Part it out make some cash!!! No one has said it yet just thought I would say it HA HA MWHAAAA HA HA "evil laugh" If it was me I would ditch the cab save the parts make a new one. Get rid of that stinky piece of crap. It will make you feel good to get that stinky FR out of your house!

 

[Braido]

Lets say if the sideart reproduction was a for sure go. the outside of the cabinet could be sanded down below mold level. the inside and outside sealed a with odor seal. painted then new sideart installed. If this option was at all possible I would prob take this route. If not the new cabinet for $240 would be my next choice.

This is exactly what I was thinking, I would also do this. If it's all numbers matching it's worth the hassle (or fun), just takes patience.

My two tokens,

Braido...

 

[chris25810]

The purpose here isn't to mock anybody, this just happens to be one of those games that makes you go hmmmm. It's very rare, it's all there and now working but the cabinet itself is beyond what i would call a fun restoration. I've scrapped cabinets that have been in far better shape and i've also restored cabinets that have been worse.

This one seems to be stuck in the middle from a resto standpoint, the originality of the game doesn't mean much when it stinks so bad you can't stand it. A new cabinet is an easy answer yet to a purist it's not. Repair of this particular cabinet will mean a complete disassembly of the cabinet itself that won't be easy and when you're that far onit, it's alot easier to have a new one made or just scrap it.

The laminate used on these cabs does not simply peel off like we're used to seeing on other atari cabinets. I've tried it and all it does is take chunks of the wood as the laminate comes off in tiny little pieces. The best option here: bust up the cabinet for templates, drive the pieces up the road to the cabinet shop to have a new one made and let the cab shop run the original through their shredder when my new one is done. The originality factor of the game was gone a long time ago when new caps were put in the monitor, the coin mechs were changed from original, the coin box was replaced, carriage bolts were replaced with the wrong ones, leg levelers were replaced and the board was worked on so from a purist standpoint, it's not all original anyway. Slapping on some bondo, a paint job and filling it with new art and t-molding will certainly make it look pretty but now it's even further from original.

In case anyone's wondering, i'm far from a purist when it comes to these things. They're old, they stink, they look bad and i've yet to see any game from this era (not even an HUO) that i wouldn't do something with. Making it look better goes way beyond a windex bottle and a vacuum even if it means sacrificing the originality. If it can be made to look/smell new, i'm all over it, even if it means having new art created. If i can't or don't wanna do it, it gets scrapped and there really is no in between.

I had the manual in the house last night to look at a few things and within 5 minutes, my entire family was bitching that it stunk so bad in the living room, they couldn't stand it. My wife has commented for months about the "wet basement" "pee smell" in the garage and of course i know where it's coming from. Now, place the game as it is in your house and see how quickly the purist vision gets blurred.

 

[ChompingQuarters]

Your thread smells like cat piss!!! Wonder if it's from me pissing on your thread!

I'd either strip it and repair it or better yet, just replace the cabinet and wait for new artwork.

 

[Spunkmeyer]

Hard to see the point of keeping the original cabinet if it's so nasty that you don't even want to be near it.

These things, above all else, are meant to be played. A stinky cabinet certainly doesn't bode well for that occurring.

 

[playpin35]

As others have said, use the old cabinet for a template and have a new cabinet made. I would definately NOT part it out.

 

[7146aaron]

LL

1. Swap cabs if you want to keep it. Asteroids are easy to find. Worry about side art when it gets made.
I restored a stinky Asteroids. You are correct. The mold gets trapped between the vinyl and the wood. You have to completely strip it and seal everything (thats what I had to do) or when the monitor, power brick, etc warms up. It will start stinking again if you just clean it. If I had it to do over, I would have smashed it and used another cab. The side art and vinyl are not cheap.

Or .2. Ebay it as is. Let someone else make the decision. These are one of the games that the value of the whole thing is very close to the value of the individual parts.

 

[HudsonArcade]

I've got a nice lunar lander cab sitting in my parents' garage that I hope to restore sooner or later, but it's not like your parts are going to cost me less (especially shipped) than I'd pay for a complete working game locally, so I'll just continue to wait on parts locally...

...and it's not like my cab is worth shipping all the way to WA for you to cabswap, so you'll just continue to wait on a cab locally...

(And I already have a lunar lander in MA)

 

[DPtwiz]

buy a 1/4" double flute router bit with the 1/4 bearing on the top of the bit, and use it as a cut template yourself on some nice 3/4 ply, save a ton and get a new cab!

 

[Tighe]

Chlorine Bleach

You would be surprised what a good soak in bleach will do to remove mildew.


Empty the cabinet, saturate it with bleach solution let it soak in.

If it smells like urine, then use this too:
http://www.kidsnpetsbrand.com/

If the cabinet it sturdy enough take it to the car wash an power wash it, be careful of the artwork, wash the inside mostly.

Then point one of these at it:

You don't have to do the car wash part, really the bleach and drying it the important part.

 

[That80sGuy]

Keep your eye open for an Asteroids cab that was a coverted from a LL. When Asteroids was produced it became so popular so fast that Atari stopped making the LL and some cabs in the production line were turned into Asteroids. Hence there are Asteroids cabs out there with LL side art.

 

[joeycuda]

If your goal, as an end result, is a restored LL and not parts to sell-

If you swap the parts to an Asteroids cabinet, it's not original, but my point is:

If you swap the parts to a brand new 'replica' cabinet, it's not original either. I would go this route.

It's basically what I'm doing - building an exact replica Missile Command cabaret cabinet, but of course LL is a whole lot rarer.. I don't like the idea of bondo or patching a cabinet that's primarily particle board. Unless you cut out the bottom and join similar material using biscuits, your seam will definitely open up at some point. That's woodworking 101.

Now....the question is, if you're going to swap the parts to a replica cabinet, should you be worried about using materials, as original - 3/4 PB with black vinyl. For a rarer game like that, that will be HUO now, I probably would use particle board. It machines really well.

For my MC cabaret build, I'm using the 3/4" birch ply, with matte black formica on the inner sides, for durability. I made the top, back pieces out of the 3/4" ply, but with black vinyl. Those pieces look identical to the original pieces, but I went plywood to lighten it up, and since it's not the rarest game, and as much of an exercise in woodworking as a game restoration.

 

[joeycuda]

You would be surprised what a good soak in bleach will do to remove mildew.


Empty the cabinet, saturate it with bleach solution let it soak in.

If it smells like urine, then use this too:
http://www.kidsnpetsbrand.com/

If the cabinet it sturdy enough take it to the car wash an power wash it, be careful of the artwork, wash the inside mostly.

You don't have to do the car wash part, really the bleach and drying it the important part.

It'll swell if it gets much moisture, and it's already too swollen and rough for his tastes. I think this guy wants it to look pretty much new..the goal of his projects - and this cabinet will never cut it. Combine the swelling with the mold and I'd get rid of it too. There's a point when it's not worth saving and that's it, but I'm not saying the game isn't worth saving - I'd build a new cabinet for it.

 

[smalltownguy2]

Keep your eye open for an Asteroids cab that was a coverted from a LL. When Asteroids was produced it became so popular so fast that Atari stopped making the LL and some cabs in the production line were turned into Asteroids. Hence there are Asteroids cabs out there with LL side art.

BINGO - beat me to it. With patience, this shouldn't be too hard to find.

 

[rainman154]

Chris, if you want to buy an Asteroids cab, let me know. I have an empty one I could sell you for cheap. It is in excellent condition!