My first cabinet/restoration project! Donkey Kong

[jcroach]

Picked it up this weekend at a garage sale. $75. Described as not working, but with one splice of a speaker cable I got it working in about 10 minutes! Some body damage and it needs some monitor work, but it was $75! This is my first cabinet. Wish me luck in the restoration! I'll be posting lots of pictures and questions. Any other web site you'd recommend for tips? coinopspace.com? Vintage Arcade Preservation Society?

[lloydclinton]

Good luck!  Looks like you got a great buy for $75!!!

[IG-88]

$75 bucks!! You can't even find a CP around here for that price. Nice find!

[Ground_Gainer]

Very nice!  Looks like it is in great shape!

[Woodshop Flunky]

WOW!  Awsome find... I'd be smiling too.  Even your kid knows its a steal of a deal! 

[jcroach]

Thanks everyone. I made my second repair last night. Got one of the coin mechs unjammed.

Right now I'm working on the "low hanging fruit."

• Fix coin mechs
• Clean it up
• Tune up joystick (very loose)
• New locks
• New power cord

Then move on to the major mechanical issue, the monitor.  I'm hoping I just need to re-cap it. I'm a little nervous about discharging the monitor and I've never worked with a soldering iron before, but I'm up to try it.

After it's working well, then I'll move on to the cabinet itself.  There's some body damage that need to be repair, probably build a new base, prime the outside and inside to get rid of the smell, sandblast and repair the metal parts, try to find an alternative way to mount the monitor chassis to get rid of the exterior bolts, repaint, new t-molding and side art!

Where do people usually post specific restoration questions? In their restoration thread or somewhere else on the forum?

[astroone]

Awesome Find wish I could find one for that price the pcb itself is worth over that

[astroone]

klov is a good site with some restoration's but so is this one

[lloydclinton]

I need to figure out where all these garage sales are at that everyone is going to!  I can't find any semi working cabs in my area for less than half of what a new unit would cost!

[astroone]

I need to figure out where all these garage sales are at that everyone is going to!  I can't find any semi working cabs in my area for less than half of what a new unit would cost!

I agree with you on that one I need part's for my Donkey Kong sure would like to find a damaged cab with working part's

[Spyridon]

Nice score.  You got a great deal on that one.  Looking forward to seeing the restore.

Where do people usually post specific restoration questions? In their restoration thread or somewhere else on the forum?

Post them right in this thread.  People here are very helpful and full of good information.  DK is a very common game so you shouldn't have a problem getting the answers you need.

Go ahead and get the D2K high score kit for that game.  It's worth the money.  High score saves plus the addition of being able to play D2K as well.

[hatrick]

Nice find! I picked my DK up at a grage sale a few years ago for $70, but it was in much worse shape.

try to find an alternative way to mount the monitor chassis to get rid of the exterior bolts

I wouldn't do this. They came from the factory with the mounting bolts on the side, so I'd leave it as it is.

Good luck, it will be a fun project. A DK was my first full restore and I had a lot of fun doing it.