Pole Position dented speaker grill

[KaBoom1701]

Does everyone's Pole Position speaker grill dented up like mine?

Seems almost every single one I come across is dented. Lol. Did they all get hammered out in the wild in the arcades?

So you don't qualify and the next reaction is to smack the speaker grill in frustration? Lol

Although my daughter did bring up a good point. The grill is at the perfect height for people's knees while driving. Could be they lean on it and over time it gets bent.

Anyone beef theirs up with a thicker grill? I was thinking when I repair mine to put a small metal bracket on the inside flush against the grill (painted black of course) to help advoid possible dents in the future.

Or maybe just electrified the metal grill so they get a shock the next time the try to mess with it.

 

[MikeHartman]

Does everyone's Pole Position speaker grill dented up like mine?

Seems almost every single one I come across is dented. Lol. Did they all get hammered out in the wild in the arcades?

So you don't qualify and the next reaction is to smack the speaker grill in frustration? Lol

Although my daughter did bring up a good point. The grill is at the perfect height for people's knees while driving. Could be they lean on it and over time it gets bent.

Anyone beef theirs up with a thicker grill? I was thinking when I repair mine to put a small metal bracket on the inside flush against the grill (painted black of course) to help advoid possible dents in the future.

Or maybe just electrified the metal grill so they get a shock the next time the try to mess with it.

I think that they're all dented from being kicked by arcade punks. I wouldn't bother to reinforce it unless you're arcade patrons are really wild.

 

[KaBoom1701]

Yeah it's a thought I have.. I do have neighborhood kids that come over from time to time so not sure if I should beef it up or just leave it...

I think that they're all dented from being kicked by arcade punks. I wouldn't bother to reinforce it unless you're arcade patrons are really wild.

 

[andrewb]

It's part of any well-worn game. Embrace the patina.

When you look at it, try to imagine all the 80's kids who kicked it at some point, and where they are today.

 

[KaBoom1701]

Maybe. Lol

It's part of any well-worn game. Embrace the patina.

When you look at it, try to imagine all the 80's kids who kicked it at some point, and where they are today.

 

[andrewb]

Ah, yeah that one is bashed a little more than usual.

The problem is, it's riveted on. So I think you'd have to drill the rivets to get it off. I've never tried removing one before.

Maybe you could drill from the back and hope to keep the front parts cosmetically intact enough to glue them back together, so at least it might look semi-original again. I don't know if there are threads here where anyone has tried removing those rivets before, but there probably are.

I think the best you could do is try pushing from the back to try to bend it out a bit. At least enough to maybe get those buckled parts a little flatter. But that's probably the best you could hope for, since the metal is stretched, and you can't really shrink it. If you push too much and bulge it out, it'll probably end up looking worse. So this might be a 'don't make it worse' situation.

Does anyone even make repro grills for these?

 

[MikeHartman]

No one makes repros (unfortunately). If you can get it straight, here are the rivets:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BZQ4QA/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I think you can get them out by drilling the middle through.

If you want to make a new grill, check out this thread:

NEW - Atari Speaker Mesh - Source?

I am wondering if anyone reproduces the speaker grills for Atari cabinets, cabarets in particular? I assume not, but then there are a few companies who sell Midway speaker grills, so who knows? I recently made one by hand, but not only is it tedious to do, it is hard to get the lines perfect...

forums.arcade-museum.com

Another alternative "solution" could be to take out both the top grill and the dented bottom one. Then replace the bottom one (which is more visible) with the top one and replace the top one with the bottom (repaired as best you can).

 

[Brentradio]

They get dented up the first time somebody crashes into a Dig Dug billboard...

 

[DeLuSioNaL29]

No one makes repros (unfortunately).

Until now...

Interest Check - Pole Position Speaker Grills

I'm considering running these....This would be for the perforated metal grill, powder coated satin black. Post up if interested.

forums.arcade-museum.com

 

[jawhn]

Metal press would straighten that right out. You'd just have to worry about the rivets and probably touch-up paint after that.

I wouldn't reinforce it. Doubtful any of your guests would apply that kind of abuse. If you caught them doing that, then show them how to REALLY damage it... With their foreheads!

 

[KPW66]

you can drill the rivets and try attempt to flatten it back out.

Also, there are so many PP cabs out there that have been destroyed and harvested I wouldn't be surprised if someone had one to sell you.

Another thought is that now that I look at it again it is reminiscent of the reproduction Williams speaker grills so perhaps you can just source some of the same material used for those and fabricate your own replacement.