Q*Bert sucks ass, let's convert it into something decent - Arcade Icons

Griffin

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Q*Bert sucks ass, let's convert it into something decent - Arcade Icons

About 3 years ago I picked up this very pretty Q*Bert locally for $900. While it is nice looking, the restore wasn't done very well. Smooth T-molding, poor side art, wrong joystick, no raised coin door, rolled yellow paint etc.

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It's been a nice paperweight in my collection, but I have to admit I really haven't played it much.

I've spent this last year or so looking for a Mad Planets, but they are pretty rare and the price has just gone through the roof. So I decided that it was worth my while to take my paperweight, strip it down and pull together everything I need to create a super nice MP instead.

Parts Needed

- Marquee - Purchased from This Old Game
- Glass Printed Bezel - Purchased from This Old Game
- CPO - Purchased from This Old Game
- Lower CPO - Purchased from This Old Game
- Mad Planets stencil set - purchased from GameStencils.com
- Takeman MP Repro Control Panel - Purchased from a fellow collector
- Apswann's MP Repro Spinner Interface board and cable - Purchased from Apswann on KLOV
- Mad Planets Joystick - Purchased from a collector - New Suzo Happ stick modded with straight shaft and original MP handle
- R64's Mad Planets Joystick Badge & Raised coin door badge - Purchased on KLOV
- Spinner - Had a spare one, will need a little modding for mounting
- Full Mad Planets Rom Set - Purchased from Hobby Roms
 

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OK lets get rid of everything we don't need and put it safe in storage for now.

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Mask it up and sand it down ready for out first coat of black.

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First coats of rattle can satin black on (Gotta love San Diego in the winter :D )

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The beautiful repro control panel and joystick shaft from Takeman
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New HAPP joystick base with the straight shaft installed, tapped and drilled to accept the proper Mad Planets joystick handle

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Following and look forward to seeing the progress. Did you use a rattle can with a vertical spray pattern?
 
Interface Board information...
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I found another user on KLOV that actually built their own slightly different design of the spinner interface board. So after a few PMs back and forth he agreed to make me a whole board complete with ribbon cable and spinner harness!! :eek:

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This is a HUGE help and will take hours off of the project for me. Thanks so much Tony for helping out with this part.
 

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Three more coats of rattle can black each on the cab sides, changing the spray direction and pattern each time. I still have a few mild hi spots here and there, but overall I'm pretty happy with the finish considering the challenges of working with rattle cans

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I plan to knock these surfaces back a bit with a little wet sanding before moving on to the stencils for the red and blue design.
 

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What is different about the 2nd interface board you purchased? I have one of the unassembled ones, curious to see if there is a better product for when I have to tackle a similar project.
 
What is different about the 2nd interface board you purchased? I have one of the unassembled ones, curious to see if there is a better product for when I have to tackle a similar project.

You'd be better contacting Apswann here on the forum, he would be able to explain it better than me.
 
When I read the title I thought you might have been some whackjob that was about to convert a Qbert into something like a 60-in-1, but I can get behind this, Mad Planets used that cab and are rarer than Qbert! :D
Subscribed.
 
When I read the title I thought you might have been some whackjob that was about to convert a Qbert into something like a 60-in-1, but I can get behind this, Mad Planets used that cab and are rarer than Qbert! :D
Subscribed.

Lol yeah, I couldn't resist a bit of a goofy troll headline.
 
Test fit of all the hardware I have pieced together so far for the control panel...

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My spinner is actually a Sega piece, no idea how I came to have this in my possession but hopefully it will do the job well enough.

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I had to get creative with the mounting due to the hole patterns being different...

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Three more coats of rattle can black each on the cab sides, changing the spray direction and pattern each time. I still have a few mild hi spots here and there, but overall I'm pretty happy with the finish considering the challenges of working with rattle cans

I plan to knock these surfaces back a bit with a little wet sanding before moving on to the stencils for the red and blue design.

What made you decide to use spray cans vs the sprayer you used for Bubbles?

Just curious...
 
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