Robotron 2084 upright Restoration

Deadly

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I'm horrible at this sort of thing - this restoration is scattered like my brain but hopegfully you get the jist ;)
Total time was a tad over 30 days combined. Total monies spent ~ $850. Friggin ridiculous to say the least.
This poor machine sat on Craigslist for about 2 weeks. Eventually seeing this poor Robotron sitting as a god aweful generic Bubble Bobble finally got the best of me. Drove two hours total to get it. Citrus Strip is your friend. Too bad the orginal paint was hosed and unrecoverable.
After asking on a thread what to do:
http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=93595&highlight=robotron
everyone decided I needed to restore it instead of making it a generic black Multi Williams. All I have to say is damn you bastards!!!
 

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I've misplaced the photos of the cabinet in it's sanded down and bondod form. Ya'll know what that looks like right?!

So here's the cabinet primed, and painted. 2 coats of primer then sanded, 3 coats of the eggshell then sanded, lastly 4 coats of the pewter luster paint.
And of course stenciling - which stenciling absolutely sucks ass. Hated it!
 

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My friend John is an iron worker. Has been for 14 years. He made this custom control panel for me. I won't even mention the other two panels that I fucked up and the overlay I ruined. Anyway this control panel is awesome! I had to drill the bolt holes (5 for the piano hinge and 8 for the joysticks.)
The overlay is from Todd @ Arcadeoverlays.com. This is inkjet but like 12mil thick. Bullet proof and will last many years to come! Very nice work! Going on metal makes this thing fit like a glove. Dragging a razor blase around every hole and straight edge - wow just left crisp and perfect!
Adding the joysticks and so forth. BTW – I used all used buttons and leaf springs I had laying around. Leaf springs are the shit and none of that silly cherry switch garbage! Lol
Hey dude …….. dude………. DOOOOOOD!!! Wha man sorry I couldn't hear you over the clicking these cherry switches were making heh heh

Yes, NOS WICO 4" used !!!
 

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I installed an 8liners chassis – I did a review on it: http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=104297&highlight=8liners
Added the Jrok Williams Multi board to it. Took my time and split the Joy 1 and P1 start button up the right side.
Joy P2 and the rest of the buttons next to it are seperated by plastic ties. The video and the P2 side of things are run up the left side of the cabinet.

I made an attempt to preserve some of the originality of the machine. Certain flaws in the wood and keeping all the stickers on the back while I painted around them.

Anyway voila! Picture of it as it sits right now.
 

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Still have a few things to do – illuminate p1 and p2 buttons, fix the coin door up a tad but otherwise I'm REALLY tired of working on this and am calling it done for now.

Also, the previous owner cut the lower artwork out with a razor blade. I am going to have a custom Williams instruction card made that will illimuniate from the back side. This will look awesome when it's done.

Lastly I strongly advise anyone that plans on doing a Robotron that you spray the cabinet with an HVLP gun. Silver/pewter and the likes are prone to shadowing when rolled. Shadowing is getting a a different shade than a previous stroke. While I am very happy with the end results of mine, if I had to do it all over again I would've sprayed instead of rolled. Any other cab I'd roll it ;)
 
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Wow you did a nice job! Your friend did a nice job on that cp, too. I love it when games are brought back from the dead. Congrats on fine job, it looks freekin awesome
 
Nice work. I like that pewter.

Thanks Phet, - I can read your mind right now, "That Multi Williams artwork just sucks." heh
I had emailed Shillmover asking for his Robotron themed Williams Multi CPO and he never responded. Beggars can't be choosers and I guess if he ever did come through it's not like I couldn't have my friend John throw together another CP to use.

@gorfchampion - thank you!

This restoration was by far the toughest to date.
 
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Great job! Nothing like seeing that Robotron side art freshly stenciled. I have a robo restore in my future as well. I'm not looking forward to it as I'm not really into the stenciling either.
Congrats! Another Robotron cab saved.
 
I understand the desire not to convert games. Misery loves company...I have also dropped crazy money into restorations. My track and field restore was comparable in cost, and I know it wouldn't bring near as much on resale as your robotron.
I am learning that my time better spent than my money. I used to try to buy decent coin doors now the idea is resonating that I need to just get out the bondo and sander to make them appear nice again.

After screwing up a cap kit and frying my dk board what was going to be a 500 dollar restore is now going to be an 800 dollar restore.

By the way in what alternate universe did anyone turn a robotron into a bubble bobble? That game was crap. Who did that crap?
 
By the way in what alternate universe did anyone turn a robotron into a bubble bobble? That game was crap. Who did that crap?

Here's what I do know about this machine. At one time or another the cabinet was in the great state of California owned by a Steves Vending which is still in business today. I'll assume it started life there. At some point for reasons unknown the cabinet made it's way into Seattle Washington. Unknown if there was any other places before this that it resided. The cabinet amongst other sadly converted cabinets were purchased by a guy that lives in Longview Washington. The guy has no clue how to fix anything and keeps a game until it breaks and then he sells them. From there it found a new home with me.

If I had to do it again I would probably have cheaped out like most everyone else does on a Williams cabinet and just painted it black for a few different reasons.

The main reason - COST! I never specifically wanted a Robotron. I wanted a Williams Multi and certainly needed a Willliams cabinet for it and this was what I found. If I would've known how much work was to be done and how expensive it was - yep black it would've been repainted.

Second reason - attempting to recover the investiment will be tough. The amount of hours I have into this is ridiculous. Yes I enjoy this machine immensley but moving into the 3rd reason

There's not much love given to Williams cabs. If it's a Nintendo thread it's garunteed to get a lot of views which just goes to show what cabinets/games are popular and which ones aren't. This also shows me in the future it'll be a tough sale - it will be about finding that one person instead of finding that small handful.
 
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Very nice work. It turned out great. A great game like Robotron deserves this kind of treatment. I also enjoyed the story as told by the "grumpy arcade guy" :)

Now enjoy having Robotron kick your a$$!
 
LOL yeah thanks man I appreciate the kudos. And talking about Robotron kicking my ass - man you ain't a kiddin me there. Man I can barely break 100K. Bricktop mentioned seeing someone breaking 800K? Dear lord - I don't even see how that's even possible??
I'm dripping pit juice by the time I hit 80K lol.
 
I'm dripping pit juice by the time I hit 80K lol.

Keep practicing. And search this site for tips. I can regularly score in the 500-650ish K or so range. Highest is in the 790s. And you're are not kidding. After I finish a few games I need a shower since it looks like I finished a workout.
 
Keep practicing. And search this site for tips. I can regularly score in the 500-650ish K or so range. Highest is in the 790s. And you're are not kidding. After I finish a few games I need a shower since it looks like I finished a workout.

You guys gota try Robotron on skill level 10!

To the OP, nice looking game!

Matt
 
You guys gota try Robotron on skill level 10!

To the OP, nice looking game!

Matt

Thanks I appreciate the kind words fellas.

How in the HELL does someone get big ass scores on this game? Someone just posted in the hel;p section claiming 1.7 mil?? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? Seriously?! I think my all time high is ~162K - holy hell do I obviously suck ass. I have read all the tips and man I just can't seem to get any where. But I can rock Blaster like nothing ;)
 
Thanks I appreciate the kind words fellas.

How in the HELL does someone get big ass scores on this game? Someone just posted in the hel;p section claiming 1.7 mil?? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? Seriously?! I think my all time high is ~162K - holy hell do I obviously suck ass. I have read all the tips and man I just can't seem to get any where. But I can rock Blaster like nothing ;)

When I can figure out how to do it I plan on putting up a 15 minute video (around 1 million points) of me playing my Robotron on skill level 10 on youtube or endrien's site. :)

Matt
 
Nice job. I've done one cab with stencils so far and I really enjoyed the process.

Oh, and if it makes you feel better, I have about $950 into my Robotron Multi-Williams.
 
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