Q*Bert - Is this too far gone?

[Level42]

Wow.....just wow !!!

I was already wanting to say: NO Q*bert is ever too far gone to be restored...but you did an EXCELLENT job on it !!!

I'm sure this will be an inspiration for me one day.
When I have my own Q*bert

 

[Radford119]

This is the best thread I have seen in a long time. When I first saw that cab it looked like a wood sponge and now it is a masterpiece. A+

 

[EclipseEye]

Fantastic! You proved me wrong.

 

[Vongoosewink]

Your restoration is amazing and inspirational!

 

[monty_a900]

Thanks for all the nice comments chaps, much appreciated

Next project will be a nasty Track & Field...

 

[Level42]

I've got my grail !!! Wahooo:

http://www.dragonslairfans.com/smfor/index.php?topic=2937.0

...so I was going though this topic again and I noticed the coin door with that ultra-cool Gottlieb logo on it !!

I never noticed it before. Mine has a regular door and most berts I've seen don't have that Gottlieb logo on their....really nice !

I wonder where to find a couple of these transparent leaf buttons.

If I won't find them I guess I'll use the modern transparent red one's (they do look pretty similar from the top.)

 

[MIKE96]

Excellent job! the game looks new again and another cab and classic saved.

 

[Fudd]

i think this might work for the buttons

http://www.twistedquarter.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4_154&products_id=772

 

[Level42]

Yeah, I still got a lot of those that I had planned to use on my MAME machine.
I guess I'll go with these. The original one's look like old pinball (start) buttons, but I don't understand where the "edge" comes from.

Close up pics of buttons would be great

 

[monty_a900]

congrats on the Q*Bert... Good luck with the resto ;-)

 

[Baloo]

Holy moley, that is one impressive repro monty, very nice!

Didn't know Q-Berts were very rare in the UK, is there any reason for that?

 

[doodlesdaddy]

Awesome.

The bar has now been raised here on KLOV. This is the new full resto!!!!! Building a new cab no longer counts!!!!!!!! New cabs will now be called clones



great job!!!

 

[Level42]

Didn't know Q-Berts were very rare in the UK, is there any reason for that?

Not just the UK, but all over Europe. I am positive that I played Q*bert in my youth though, but if it was an original machine or a bootleg....don't remember (see the thread I linked to). I guess the market was more bootlegs than original around here for Q's.

Darthnuno is the only guy in Europe who owns a French built Q*bert. This was an official license. The cab is smaller than the US version:
http://www.dragonslairfans.com/smfor/index.php?topic=975.0

The other Q*berts I know of (3) have recently been imported by Paul's 50's (a company in Germany) from the US. Two are still in Germany, one is owned by Superully the other by Luigi/Capt.Kirk.

The third is now mine

If anyone could post some close-up pics of the original buttons I'd really appreciate that !!
They kinda look like pinball start buttons to me...

 

[dezbaz]

Congrats on a great restore. Awesome

Ha, I just gave away an old cab today

 

[jbk]

WOW!!! The bar has been raised high. Amazing work.

 

[Arcade74]

Before moving to the UK, I picked up this Q*Bert in Orlando. It spent quite a few years outside by a pool. As you can see by the pics, it looks like it spent some time in the pool...

Insides have been JAMMA-tised/ hacked (strangely with a bootleg Q*Bert) with only the original power brick and some wiring remaining. I have all the parts I need to get this working (minus a complete wiring harness) and would love to get this nicelly restored. I certainly want it electronically working..

Issue is, the cab is in *BAD* shape. What hasn't swelled is rusty. I dealt with some swelling before (STARGATE) and had good results grinding the swelled wood out, filling, hardener, paint etc... However, this is way beyond this.

I highly doubt I'll ever find a donor cab in the UK, and I don't want to take on a new build.

What do you think?

It looks like what I have. Im working on my 3rd QBert now. Everything you done, Ive done too, and the cab looks great now with new paint. Its a mame Qbert for now, but it looks awesome. Tried to sell it for $300 here but no takers. It was a lot of hard work, thats my point. Your finished product will be awesome too (to look at).

 

[Level42]

You could get 500 Euro for it here if it's completely done...

So....could anyone please please please put up some close up pics of the original buttons (the buttons + the holders) ?? Please ?

 

[monty_a900]

Holy moley, that is one impressive repro monty, very nice!

Didn't know Q-Berts were very rare in the UK, is there any reason for that?

All the classics are rare over here . Arcades weren't as big as in the US back in the day. Maybe our damp weather and expensive warehousing/ storage compounded the problem. Most of the machines I've sold (mine are all US imports) tend to get sold to people from mainland Europe.

That said, I picked up a Star Castle at the weekend not working, but decent cosmetic condition.

 

[jj mann]

Totally blown away, with what you did. Simply amazing restore. Like others have said, the bar has been raised on a restore. WOW!!!!!!!


JJ