need suggestions on how to proceed with mame-ing this empty cabinet

[hulkster]

check the pics....this cab is currently in my mom's garage as i bought it off a guy several years ago.  he advertised here in the buy/sell/trade forum and it came with an iPac so i thought "why not?".

anyway, im wanting to start working on this guy, and as you can see its pretty far along already.  i have my Mamestrosity showcase cab, but im wanting a regular upright now and i want this one to be really professional looking.  im not sure of any specifics on what i would call it, or color scheme or anything like that....im just wanting to get started. 

so first of all, i have a couple of questions:

1. cp - i really like Knievel's designs (as i know everyone does), so my inspiration comes from him.  im not real big on the neon stuff, but i do like the clean and polished look of his CP's.  based off of the pics i show below, any suggestion on how i should design the cp?  i want 2 players, and i really dont care about a dedicated 4 way joystick (but i already have one so i might as well i guess).  anything i should consider as far as depth/weight distribution/etc??

2.  display - ive got a 20" Dell CRT monitor that i could use, but im wondering if i should just get a TV instead.  they are so cheap nowadays that i could probably get one bigger than 20", but my question is....should i get one that big?  will it be too heavy?

3.  Plexi? - my cp overlay artwork on my mamestrosity was done by Pixelhugger and it is AWESOME.  instead of messing with lexan or plexi for an overlay, i just printed his artwork on self adhesive vinyl.  its very durable and has lasted through the years.  that being said, i really like the polished look of knievel's cp's.  it just has this "shine" about it and clean and finished look....thats what i want.  so my question is, plexi or lexan?  i know that lexan scratches easy but i was just curious about what people are using nowadays since its been about 6 years since i researched it.


thanks for the tips in advance.

[hulkster]

nothin'?

[Stobe]

1.  CP.  As nice as Knievel's CPs are, that cab would look a lot more "natural" with a CP that fits within its overall width.  But if you can get away with only letting the top panel of the CP go wider than the body (as opposed to a full CP box), it might work as well.  Just watch your button/joy spacing so they are within the width requirements.  

It sounds like you have the CPO printed already, so that will likely dictate your decision on the design/sizes.


2.  Display - the 20" CRT is obviously an easy option.  Both with hookup, and maintenance.  The next size up with TVs might be an old 25" or a 27".  Both of which might be tricky fitting in the cab (can't tell width/mount from your pics).  I've used the 20" monitors in a few cabs, and were happy with them.

3. As far as lexan/plexi for the CPO, I have a few cabs that I just laminated the adhesive vinyl (Kinkos will do it for like $3/sq. foot).  It gives it a nice shine, and I haven't had to put hard plastics on top yet.  (although, I don't abuse my CP very much.)

Hope this helps a little

[hulkster]

1.  CP.  As nice as Knievel's CPs are, that cab would look a lot more "natural" with a CP that fits within its overall width.  But if you can get away with only letting the top panel of the CP go wider than the body (as opposed to a full CP box), it might work as well.  Just watch your button/joy spacing so they are within the width requirements.  

It sounds like you have the CPO printed already, so that will likely dictate your decision on the design/sizes.


2.  Display - the 20" CRT is obviously an easy option.  Both with hookup, and maintenance.  The next size up with TVs might be an old 25" or a 27".  Both of which might be tricky fitting in the cab (can't tell width/mount from your pics).  I've used the 20" monitors in a few cabs, and were happy with them.

3. As far as lexan/plexi for the CPO, I have a few cabs that I just laminated the adhesive vinyl (Kinkos will do it for like $3/sq. foot).  It gives it a nice shine, and I haven't had to put hard plastics on top yet.  (although, I don't abuse my CP very much.)

Hope this helps a little

thanks for the advice.
 
1.  i dont have a CPO yet...sorry if i eluded to that.  as far as the cp overhang, after looking at some pics in the "show your cp" thread, i think i'm with you on this one.  i think a smaller 2 player cp within the confines of the cabinet sides will look cleaner and more professional than an overhang design.  plus if i do the cp "in-cab" then i dont have to worry about weight issues.  but yeah, seeing as i dont have an overlay, i'll have to get someone to make that for me as im not a photoshop guy. 

2.  yeah i know the 20" monitor is the easy solution....i just want a nice big screen.  i want to really do this cab right from the get go, so i want to fit the biggest display in there without it look TOO big.

3.  i know i dont HAVE to put lexan or plexi on top as my adhesive vinyl looks good like you said, but i do like the polished look of plastic on the cp.