Restoration versus Re-creation - which is which?

smalltownguy2

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I've seen some FANTASTIC work being done on these forums lately. Beautiful cabinets, just beautiful.

As I watch all of these threads, I wonder about something: when is a cabinet restoration not really a restoration, but rather a re-creation?

Where does the 'soul' of the cabinet live...the pcb? The cabinet? Both? Neither?

Just musing.
 
to me building a new cabinet all new artwork new monitor new harness and a old board that works is not a restoration. a restoration is the guy that cuts off 4 inches because of water damage and makes it look new again. to me and its only my opinion, its got to be a original cabinet to be a restoration. I feel its a lot like in the car world....you can find and restore a old vintage porsche or buy a fiberglass kit car and build a new one...one is a restoration and one is a build. just my thoughts.....BUT with that being said the machines that are being built lately on here with new cabinets are simply amazing examples and id be proud to have any one of them!!
 
Wow, so many threads on this topic.

While a car "soul" maybe it's body, a games "soul" isn't the cabinet IMO. Just too many opinions to "settle" it.

I'm getting ready to "save" a Pacman cocktail that sat in 6" of water for a long time. I will replace the cabinet wood, but all hardware will be original midway stuff including transformers and wiring I just bought of TNT. It will sport all nameplates and so on.. It is still a restore IMO.

The other part of it, how much of the cabinet do you replace before your cabinet is "aftermarket"? I'd rather not have a cabinet that was cut off at 4 inches up and patched back together. While some have the talent to do it well, most do not.
 
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of the three machines I've done, I consider all of them restorations. In all cases, I'm using original cabinets, boards and monitors. Some have new wiring harnesses and reproduction art (marquees, cpos, bezels, etc). In two of the cases, the games had been converted and I had to convert them back.

Ultimately, what does it really matter if it's a "restoration" or a "re-creation"? In both cases, a game has been brought back to life and is in much better shape than it previously was.
 
I'm sure it will be impossible to zero in on a 'correct' answer, but that's not really what I'm looking for here. I just wanted to start a conversation about it.

In my opinion, a restore would be keeping anything you have that is OEM and refurbishing it. What cannot be refurbished (artwork, paint, broken plexi, etc) may be replaced. My Double Dragon cabinet would be an example of that. I've made no substantial changes to it other than refurbishing OEM parts that came with the cab.

My Ms Pac Man, however, would be a 're-creation' by my standards. It will have a replacement monitor, replacement cabinet, replacement artwork, replacement wiring harness, replacement control panel, replacement controls, etc. The only original parts I've kept from the original game are the board and the coin door. Hardly a restoration.

But, of course, that begs the question: what if your cabinet was converted and missing nearly EVERYTHING? My Dig Dug cabinet is an example of this. The cabinet contained only two 3 things that were OEM: the coin door, power brick, and monitor. Even the back door was missing. Yes, I replaced nearly everything else, but I replaced it all with used old stock parts in acceptable condition. I restored the side art by stripping off layers of paint to reveal the artwork underneath. Restoration or re-creation? Hard to say. Either way I'm happy with the way that one turned out though.
 
What about a game that was kit only ? Building a new cab then putting a kit only game in that ?
 
To me

Restoration is using the original boards/controls in an original or reproduction cabinet.

Recreation is using 60-1, MAME, etc.. in an original or similar cabinet.

If you can save the original cabinet, then great do so. However, some are so far gone, that there is no hope for them and you have to build a new cabinet. Reuse what you can from the old cabinet.
 
Hey roll the horse over, I think I see a spot that hasn't been kicked yet.

I think the soul of the game is the monitor or maybe the leg levelers

Click link below to see my "re-creations"
 
Do you guys think scratch built cabs lessens value?

Por ejemplo - an OG unrestored minty Quantum vs a minty Quantum with a sick built cab and all new art?

Is one "worth" more than the other?
 
Hey roll the horse over, I think I see a spot that hasn't been kicked yet.

I think the soul of the game is the monitor or maybe the leg levelers

Click link below to see my "re-creations"

Don't be mean....just trying to spark some discussion on a Friday afternoon. Things get rather slow here on Fridays.

As I've said, props to your cab threads. You do good work.
 
Do you guys think scratch built cabs lessens value?

Por ejemplo - an OG unrestored minty Quantum vs a minty Quantum with a sick built cab and all new art?

Is one "worth" more than the other?

Depends on the buyer. Some want mint, some want patina, some want a little of both.
 
Depends on the buyer. Some want mint, some want patina, some want a little of both.

I think this has been debated on RGP also.. It's less common there, but even Medievel Madness has been restored with a fresh cabinet.

People will never agree on this. Perhaps it should come down to a certain % of parts from the original game being used. If so, the cabinet could be replaced, or a marquee, or whatever is crap. I'll be restoring a Quantum with a brand new cabinet, as the old is waterlogged, yet everything else will be numbers matching and I may use the original upper back panel. I'd still consider it a restoration with a new cabinet, due to pretty much everything else but the power cord and levelers being refinished or rebuilt.

On the other hand, I've thought about gathering some Qbert parts, repro panel, art, etc.. and scratch building a cabinet. At some point there, I would call it a 'replica' or 'build' and not a restoration, as I'm not using a bulk of pieces from one particular game off of the assembly line.
 
For me, I was so young when these 'classics' were originally around that I don't remember half of what the cabs looked like. I could have been playing all my games I liked in a ton of converted piles of shit, and it didn't matter. The game play is what its about, and if something is scratch built, its just as rad as an OG one IMO.

I'm "Mr Non Serious collector" though, so take that for what its worth.
 
Like others have said, this is highly open to personal opinion – no definition will be right.

My opinion: The only time I would strictly label something a re-creation is if absolutely zero original material remained. The fully rebuilt Quantum, complete with repro PCB, art and parts might be an example.

I don't believe a game is a 'restoration' OR a 're-creation'. A restoration nearly always includes some degree of re-creation. To me the amount of re-creation in a restoration completely dependent on the starting condition of the cabinet. I would define restoration as doing whatever is necessary to restore the game to it's original, factory condition. If this involves building all or part of a completely new wood cabinet, then it is still a restoration. 99% of restorations posted here have some degree of re-creation; new art, marquee, controls, etc…

I have a hard time imagining a truly pure 100% restoration.
 
Like others have said, this is highly open to personal opinion – no definition will be right.

My opinion: The only time I would strictly label something a re-creation is if absolutely zero original material remained. The fully rebuilt Quantum, complete with repro PCB, art and parts might be an example.

I don't believe a game is a 'restoration' OR a 're-creation'. A restoration nearly always includes some degree of re-creation. To me the amount of re-creation in a restoration completely dependent on the starting condition of the cabinet. I would define restoration as doing whatever is necessary to restore the game to it's original, factory condition. If this involves building all or part of a completely new wood cabinet, then it is still a restoration. 99% of restorations posted here have some degree of re-creation; new art, marquee, controls, etc…

I have a hard time imagining a truly pure 100% restoration.

Interesting viewpoint. I like it.
 
I was thinking this very same thing the other day when i started my thread about my Duramold Sinistar Restoration. Its a Duramold with two speaker holes meaning it wasn't Sinistar originally. It was probably blaster i guess, but it did come in the Duramold also. I love Sinistar so decided to make it that game. I have been getting as much original as I can, Boards, Controls, etc. I am using NEW AC & DC Wiring harnesses from Dokert, because mine was hacked up when it was converted. Im going to use the original power brick also.
BUT because its such a different cab, not much NOS or already printed stuff is available.
So i am forced to recreate the CPO/Marquee/Bezel.
So does installing reproduction wiring, and graphics and it not being a Sinistar originally, is it a Restoration or Rebuild, or What? I like Restoration as I feel im bringing back a classic.
 
A lot of this discussion is semantics. Call it what you want, we're all trying to polish up old games to make them like new again. Whatever way you get there is up to you. In the end it's your game and you have to do what makes you happy.
 
+1 !!!!!!!! :)

a lot of this discussion is semantics. Call it what you want, we're all trying to polish up old games to make them like new again. Whatever way you get there is up to you. In the end it's your game and you have to do what makes you happy.
 
I personally believe that the only re-creation is one that is meant to never look original and no thought is put behind how the controls feel buttons feel/look, no artwork....

I know people on both sides of the arguement

I know one person who even if the controls work very poorly and the cabinet is almost flatlining thinks that the machine should stay that way.

I know one person who buys evrything brand new from buttons to hardware to art to controls to make the machine look brand new.

I personally think that the condition of the art work, cabinet, controls all play into the full experience of the machine. If you put a 9/9.5 machine beside a 2.5/3 machine I gaurantee in the wild that the nice one gets a whole lot more play.

Slippery slope; I think the percentage changed determines the re-creation/restoration aspect. For an aircraft if you recover the serial plate out of the burning wreckage and completely rebuild it otherwise you just restored it. As far as cars are concerned serial plates are more important than the parts themselves as well. Say you restore a classic car but could not find the proper transmission or engine; is it a restore or re-creation to find any old power plant and tranny and squeek 200-300 more horsepower out of the car?
 
If you look at anything thats like 100 years old , a gun , or other antiques , if its not all original its never worth as much . Ever watch Pawn Stars and American pickers , whenever the expert checks out the item and finds reproduction parts , it always drops the value , even if the all original item is more beat up , its worth more . You say the word reproduction and suddenly everyone things its worthless . So as far as value , originals will always be more desirable .
 
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