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Show me your budget build cabs/ help cutting down price on my new project
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TOK:
I agree with those that say don't half-ass it to save money. Either save up and wait, or do what I do and don't keep a tally. I'm better off not knowing. Never happy when I cut corners on stuff.

I do see two spots where you can probably save... Your coin door price is at least double the going rate. Go on the KLOV forums and post. The most I ever paid for a coin door was 40 bucks and it was in perfect shape and from a pricey local op. Someone said to leave it off, but I like to have it for a front access to the PC drives.
I also haven't seen one machine yet that looked better without one. Its kind of necessary to put it over as real arcade hardware.

The other thing is the VESA mount. Buy a monitor with the 4 screw holes already in the back and just bolt it to a piece of wood. Out of curiosity, I just looked. I have 3 PC LCD's and all 3 of them have that standard mount on the back, including a 19" non-widescreen. I don't think you'll have a problem finding one with the built in mounting holes.

EDIT: Just noticed Badmouth posted this same tip... sorry! Here is the one I did for my bartop. In most cases, you will probably have a scrap large enough to do this.

Havok:
$100 for a 17" monitor? I picked up a 20.1" LCD (square, not widescreen) for $110 about a year ago. You should be able to shoehorn one in. At the very least, get a 19" - a larger monitor just looks better (within reason, of course).
BobA:
I have been lucky and received a 17 inch old format LCD monitor for free when my neighbors upgraded to a 24 inch wide screen.   Do not discount getting one for alot less then you have anticipated.
TheGameFan:
I picked up a generic JAMMA cab for $50, but prep and paint alone cost far more than I had anticipated. I can't even imagine the cost starting a full sized cab from scratch.

My plan is to do a good job and prep and paint, just to get it in the house, then I can add slowly over the next year while I am working on other projects. I am using an existing 19" LCD (for now) and my old PC, but I'll likely still spend close to $500, just to get it playable (marquee, CPO, I-PAC, lexan, etc. add up)

I'd say that is a good starting point (basic CP, cheap hardware, limited artwork, etc). You can even pick up a cheap monitor to play while you are looking for a better one, just don't spend too much time or money on what will be a temporary bezel.

Also, as was said, if you're building your own, don't worry about getting a coin door right away.
notroubleclubber:
My mame cab is a budget buy. If you search around and not to worried about "genuine" parts then you should be able to do it cheap enough. Im in the uk so prices reflect this.

Cabinet from ebay (monitor broke) - £35
Controls (New from ebay 2 joysticks and 14 buttons) - £28
T Molding - (New but not used now as doesnt fit exact) - £20
MDF for control panel - £5
21" PC Monitor - £30
2.8Ghz P4 PC with 120GB HD & 1GB Ram - £35
Ipac - (New from Ultimarc) - £30
Covering for CP and other Misc - £12
Total - £200

Wiring i used from the original cab and chopped to fit. Any other bits needed were from the original cab such as coin mech, wires, buttons for pc etc.

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