What's Your 'Dedicated' Opinion?

ManiN

Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2009
Messages
727
Reaction score
7
Location
Washougal, Washington
So I want a Ms. Pac-Man cocktail project. I've come across a possible opportunity where someone has a GORF cocktail that uses the same basic cabinet. They pulled the board and may sell the rest.

What is the general opinion of folks to basically strip this to just a standard midway cocktail cab and build it to a Ms. Pac. Is it concidered the same, or is this still a tainted conversion in the end cause it doesn't match the crusty serial number stamped somewhere?

I want to say I wouldn't care and it's worth it as I'm also not sure I'll find a reasonable priced original Ms. Pac cocktail cab either.

Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
I'm not as hard core about most cocktails as I am uprights. Especially the generic bally midway style cabs. I would offer the parts with art for sale to others though. The top glass and maybe even the control panels. Personally I just disagree with destroying nice original art. You could buy some repro panels or some used ones from a cocktail pac or ms pac rather than strip the art from the existing cps. And the top glass looks nice in the pic. If this is original screened glass it would be a shame to strip the art off the glass to convert it. But in this case I don't see converting this to another bally midway game as a major sin. As long as the unique parts are not destroyed.
Just my 2 cents
 
I'm not as hard core about most cocktails as I am uprights. Especially the generic bally midway style cabs. I would offer the parts with art for sale to others though. The top glass and maybe even the control panels. Personally I just disagree with destroying nice original art. You could buy some repro panels or some used ones from a cocktail pac or ms pac rather than strip the art from the existing cps. And the top glass looks nice in the pic. If this is original screened glass it would be a shame to strip the art off the glass to convert it. But in this case I don't see converting this to another bally midway game as a major sin. As long as the unique parts are not destroyed.
Just my 2 cents

That's an example pic, but I agree, I'd probably do a trade or trade plus cash with the parts to swap them out with the desired Ms. Pac ones.
 
Well, everyone is different, but here's my opinion. If everything is still there but the board, I would probably not part it out to make a Ms. Pac... I would have to guess that Gorf boards are not too hard to come by. But then again, I prefer Gorf to Ms. Pac any day. Though it may not be a gigantic hit at parties, it still is a lot of fun to play.

It really your choice. As long as you keep the Gorf parts intact (like posted above) its probably not too bad to change it to a Ms Pac.
 
Gorf.

If you buy it it is your game and you can do what you want with it. I would consider it a conversion though since it wont be in a Ms. Pac C/T. Aslong as you pass the Gorf parts along so others can live. I dont see a problem with it.
 
All sounds reasonable. I guess if it's offered at a deal price it will be worth it,otherwise I'd rather hold out for the real deal
 
Unless its a specific cocktail like joust, not a big deal imho. Its the rare dedicated uprights that need laws to protect themselves.
 
Unless its a specific cocktail like joust, not a big deal imho. Its the rare dedicated uprights that need laws to protect themselves.

That makes sense. Any point of dedication for example a burgertime with the special cab. We'll see what happens I guess.
 
Well, everyone is different, but here's my opinion. If everything is still there but the board, I would probably not part it out to make a Ms. Pac... I would have to guess that Gorf boards are not too hard to come by. But then again, I prefer Gorf to Ms. Pac any day. Though it may not be a gigantic hit at parties, it still is a lot of fun to play.

It really your choice. As long as you keep the Gorf parts intact (like posted above) its probably not too bad to change it to a Ms Pac.

I'm all for gorf. Love my upright. Bally midway cocktail cabs are generic for the most part though. Basically a gorf, tron, ms pac, satan's hollow, tapper, pac, and probably a few others are more or less the same cab when it comes to their cocktail versions. There are a few minor differences but not many. Main differences are the top glass art is different to match the game it is for. The cpo art is different to match the game it is for. Not sure but some games may have more button holes on the cp. Other than this not much difference externally.
 
You'll need to work on the control panels, or get new ones. The joysticks (judging from the picture) on Gorf are not centered like they are on Ms Pac. You'll either have to fill and drill, or get two new panels.
Given the expense and time involved, I'd just hold out for a real Ms Pac. Once you get new CPOs, new underlay, and a PCB, you've dumped more into it than you need to.
 
Well looks like It's going to end up a much appreciated donation to my cause. After talking with the guy, it's missing the monitor, boards, and original PS board.

I will need to change the artwork and find a board. I have a monitor I can put in it. Other than finding the board, a true restoration / cleanup would involve getting new artwork reguardless, so I'm not the intimidated for cost.

As far as it being dedicated or not, once I remove the gorf art and CP's, it's an empty midway cocktail cabinet, and that's all. Other than the pinout stapled to the wall, there's no difference, so I have zero concerns of making it a Ms. Pac cocktail. I don't believe the gorf soul will haunt the Ms. Pac board I put in it haha. Also, I've had my eye out for a cocktail project and have seen nothing but prices over $500 in the last few years. They must be very popular around here. The last project one I saw was a generic cab (like this one) with a pac-man board in it and sold for ~$300 (was actually my insiration to look for arcade projects in the first place).

Anyone have recommendations on Ms. Pac underlays and CPOs? I read somewhere to stay away from Two-Bits. Arcadeshop seems to have good parts, but didn't see the art listed.

SDC10324.jpg


SDC10327.jpg


SDC10390.jpg


SDC10393.jpg


SDC10397.jpg
 
Any cabinet that does not house its original game is not dedicated. However, if you get all the stuff you need and make it look original, nobody will know unless you tell them. It sure would cost less than buying a dedicated Ms. Pac cocktail.
 
Any cabinet that does not house its original game is not dedicated. However, if you get all the stuff you need and make it look original, nobody will know unless you tell them. It sure would cost less than buying a dedicated Ms. Pac cocktail.

So what do we consider for example that member's Galaga that he ended up having to rebuild the cab wood components as a result of heavy water damage? Is that game's title branded now?

I totally see your point, but with the amount of aftermarket changes such as full harness replacements with switchers, and erroneous artwork similated by print shops, it's really left to the number stamped in one of the parts on the cab. A lot of these fully restored cabs guys have done could be not concidered very original anymore if you break it down.

I guess my point of even starting this thread was to discuss the 'purist' mentality in this hobby. When too far is too far or little etc...
 
... I guess my point of even starting this thread was to discuss the 'purist' mentality in this hobby. When too far is too far or little etc...

My perspective on that way of thinking is, as long as you don't do anything to the cab so that it couldn't be returned to a Gorf, you have committed no sin... :cool:

Not that if you did, it's a sin, just sayin.'
 
So what do we consider for example that member's Galaga that he ended up having to rebuild the cab wood components as a result of heavy water damage? Is that game's title branded now?

That has been an automotive restoration question since the first person "restored" the first car. At what point "is it" what you want or at what point is it "not" original.

The best example is the VIN swap. I have a totally trashed Hemi 'Cuda, lets say. It's FAR FAR easier to find the same year body with a common motor or less desirable options and swap. Take the HEMI, appropriate parts, and option packages from the original car then carry the VIN tag with it. That's opposed to me replacing everything with some combo or high dollar OEM and ill-fitting aftermarket parts while retaining what may amount to the "original" firewall and A-Pillars.

Some will argue you did what you needed to do to restore the car. Replacing the entire body is no different, perhaps just an extension, of replacing the front clip, a 1/4 panel..etc.

Others will argue it's just not the same car.

Even on the small scale there are folks who make a living taking common distributors and carburetors, filling in the part numbers and date codes then re-stamping them to "make" a desirable, rare, "Correct" part. It's technically correct in concurs judging...or is it????

The best thing the high end automotive clubs have come up with is having a factory correct restored (concurs) class (anything goes as long as its factory correct - VIN tag swap..what you need to do then so it) and a special sub class for unrestored original paint unmolested cars.

So, at the end of the day...I say its yours, do what you want, but be honest if you sell it.
 
heres a multi i made

it was originally a galaxian and was converted many times before i got it..

i put in a atx power supply, multiboard, new harness and i got my underlay and cpos from wu... also did some creative monitor mounting as the mounts for those midway cocktails are specific to the cocktails!


looked about as bad as the gorf your showing, but when i was done i had this:
(*** note-cpos darker in real life flash made them look lighter)

l_bb99837ca86242fba16a7e7bb5a11d69.jpg


l_8d62100f508f4cdc930b99655d3db7bc.jpg


l_2a1a4f9e671b412b8704aed15039edb9.jpg


l_871668a03e53405f83edb6ccfb4883c8.jpg


as you can see i had the small ms pac type cpos(9"???) on 11" control panels.. still looks fine, imho..


somewhere theres a place that sells pre punched and blank cps.. you might want to consider new ones.. it took me about 4 hours of welding and grinding to fill all the holes in my cps bieng they were converted to many times... mabye yours wont be so bad...

good luck!!!
 
Last edited:
I would say your best bet would be to make it look like a Pac/Ms. Pac like cadillacman did, and put a multi board in it. Your control panels already have a button in them. You would have to either fill and redrill or buy new to make it Pac only. Then make some custom CPO's and your set.

Anyway, I still say somewhat 'tainted'. But who cares, nobody else will know. I am in the process of doing the same thing with a upright Galaxian. I already have a Galaxian that was put together with a nice gutted Galaxian cab and the guts out of the one I am making in to a Pacman. The artwork is shot and I need to replace the whole top due to rot. In the end, nobody will ever know that it wasn't always a Pacman.
 
All valid points. I think I'll view it as a pile of parts and the only one that's not ms PAC is the wooden box, take that math and run with it. The fact in my case is I'll most likely not get one of these at a reasonable price around here. They're hip I guess haha
 
Back
Top Bottom