When is a Game Too Far Gone?

[nerdygrrl]

So I picked up either an SI table or a bootleg SI original table last week. I got it home, opened it up, and it was parts soup. The wires and harnesses had been cut and hacked, the PS is in an unknown state, and the chassis has been manhandled like a young boy that was left alone with a priest for too long.

I love SI and yes, I could probably salvage the table and CP, but that is it. Is it worth hanging onto? I was thinking about turning it into my coffee table, but am torn about destroying a piece of arcade history like that.

Any thoughts?

 

[retroACTIVE]

here is a good yard stick for your question

http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=177338&highlight=stargate+curb

 

[modessitt]

On your title or your situation?

On your situation: If you have the time, money, space, and desire to do so, you can restore it if the physical condition of the cabinet is worth it. Wiring harnesses can be remade, boards and other parts can be found, etc. Otherwise your option is to either pass it on to someone who DOES want to restore it, or convert it as you wish.

On your title: Once a cab needs 40% or more physical restoration of the shell (broken wood, water-damaged, termites, etc) then it's probably best to save the parts and dump the cab. less than 40% can be repaired usually, but after that you might as well be building a new cab because the amount of work would be close to the same. Unfortunately, some people consider a game "beyond saving" if it's just missing a board or control panel...

 

[orion3311]

There's been several cheap offerings for SI cocktail harnesses...should be easy to find. Wu I think posted the harness and the monitor recently.

 

[sosage]

For me, the state of the wood determines if a project is too far gone to even save. Harnesses, art and parts can be found and swapped. These parts are the heart and soul, but the wood is the bones of a project. If the bones are rotted and gone, you just have organs in various states to swap into a new body. Where am I taking this analogy? Anyways...

If the wood is good, it is kinda your call. Price out the parts, work out how much time you would have to spend on it and determine if you love SI or the table enough to see it come together.

Could still be a coffee table...but a cool ass coffee table that plays SI.

 

[retroACTIVE]

Yeah... all kidding aside, it really depends. If you look at the bare costs, its always cheaper to part it and pitch it. I would only part it if the cab was beyond disrepair (kind of like the one in the link I posted)... and even then I would probably opt to refab the cabinet if it were a rare or sought after title.

I agree with the others, many times you can find harnesses and such for games like yours that have been butchered... but this isn't the case with all games. If worse comes to worse, if its a game you really have a desire for you can fix it... or sell it to someone that would.

 

[orion3311]

PS if you do find a harness, and you have the chunk that went to the main board (With the funky awful white plug) - I could use that plug with a little wire still attached!

 

[Broodwich]

I'm jumping on the "how good the condition of the cab material" bus, everything else is replaceable. it all depends on how much time and money you have to put into it, if the cabs gone gut it and build or convert something.

by gone i'd have to agree with the 40% rule wood wise.

 

[PrairieDillo]

Rarity of parts and rarity of that particular cab is a big factor for me. It took two pretty far gone Mario Bros and probably have sunk in far too much into my MB project than if I just went out and bought one good $500 WB.

Lessons learned along the way that helped me make much wiser frugal buys in recent months like my $60 Double Dragon that just had a bad board, missing original controls and burnt marquee.

 

[nerdygrrl]

Thanks everyone. The table itself, the CP's and the instruction cards are in near mint condition. I bought it mostly to save it from the warehouse it was living in. There were literally three cans of paint and raccoon tracks across the top. Did I mention the gaping hole in the roof? The snow?

I dropped $100 on it thinking it was at least intact which is probably what I could buy one for.

I was mostly unsure about the old black and white monitors. More specifically how to get my hands on an old Taito B&W.

 

[Silverunicorn]

According to some people, you should never part a game EVER.

Chris

 

[pookdolie]

Thanks everyone. The table itself, the CP's and the instruction cards are in near mint condition.

Then it's a "saver". Worst-case scenario, you can sell it to another collector.

But you can probably collect the guts to fix it. Post pictures!