Painted over classic games

Sectorseven

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Why does it seem like so many older classics have been painted over with black paint at some point over the years? I can understand the original paint fading, but why would someone go to all the trouble of repainting it and only doing a half-ass job?
 
Why does it seem like so many older classics have been painted over with black paint at some point over the years? I can understand the original paint fading, but why would someone go to all the trouble of repainting it and only doing a half-ass job?

Black paint: cheap, easy to apply. Turns a cabinet generic for a conversion.

Operators usually weren't concerned with showpieces. They needed $$ and didn't have time to spend on painting.
 
It's all about the cash flow. Back in the late 80's and early 90's, the classics weren't classics or collectables yet. But one thing the owners and operators understood, was they just weren't earning money anymore. Like any good entrepreneur, they would stick a different game in that cabinet to keep the cash flow coming. After all, they owned the games and could do what they want with them. Why buy another $2000 game, when they could buy a $500 kit? The cabinet, monitor, control panel and power supply were still good. But it would look just plain silly sticking the latest and greatest jamma game in a cabinet that said Ms. Pacman or Galaga on the side

Solution? Just paint them black. Easy enough and cheap to do.
 
I understand why but now I have to get the black paint off my robotron. Is there anything good to get the black off and save the original.
 
I understand why but now I have to get the black paint off my robotron. Is there anything good to get the black off and save the original.

Try something that's not too harsh (like Citristrip) in a small area and see if it will remove the black without damaging the art underneath.
 
It's all about the cash flow. Back in the late 80's and early 90's, the classics weren't classics or collectables yet. But one thing the owners and operators understood, was they just weren't earning money anymore. Like any good entrepreneur, they would stick a different game in that cabinet to keep the cash flow coming. After all, they owned the games and could do what they want with them. Why buy another $2000 game, when they could buy a $500 kit? The cabinet, monitor, control panel and power supply were still good. But it would look just plain silly sticking the latest and greatest jamma game in a cabinet that said Ms. Pacman or Galaga on the side

Solution? Just paint them black. Easy enough and cheap to do.

I understand that, but I swear I've seen games painted black that weren't even converted, and games in generic cabs like Taito or Nintendo. There just doesn't seem like any reason to paint over one of those.
 
I understand why but now I have to get the black paint off my robotron. Is there anything good to get the black off and save the original.

On a painted Williams cabinet, you won't want to hear this, but you will most likely need to take ALL the paint of and re-stencil. The odds of not marring the paint underneath the black is really slim. My Joust and Robotron are in the same shape and will be getting the complete strip and re-stencil job. I tried to strip of the black just enough that I could try to make a stencil (before the stencils became readily available - http://www.gamestencils.com/) and it wasn't pretty. Some have had decent success, but not many.

If it was a decal on the cab like most Atari games, I would have a lot more faith. The sideart on Atari cabs is extremely durable.

The painted on artwork on Willams cabs, not so much......
 
How about the ops that spray paint their cabs and are too lazy to tape the side art?Hate that!

I have a Atari Star Wars upright. Some punk smushed some bubble gum on on the side right on the the dark part of the death star. The OP was to lazy to scrape it off and just sprayed painted the gum. :crazy:
 
I have a Atari Star Wars upright. Some punk smushed some bubble gum on on the side right on the the dark part of the death star. The OP was to lazy to scrape it off and just sprayed painted the gum. :crazy:

I actually have seen this done quite a bit!
 
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