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Picking up an old cab, best things to inspect/look for?

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Blux:

As the topic states, I will be picking up a used cab.

I'm heading down to Duff Amusements tomorrow to get one.  The owner knows my mom and said he would be happy to give me a free arcade cabinet.  He said he has several to choose from (all gutted of course).  What should I be looking for? 

Well Fed Games:


--- Quote from: Blux on August 22, 2011, 04:08:52 pm ---As the topic states, I will be picking up a used cab.

I'm heading down to Duff Amusements tomorrow to get one.  The owner knows my mom and said he would be happy to give me a free arcade cabinet.  He said he has several to choose from (all gutted of course).  What should I be looking for? 

--- End quote ---

Bring a flashlight and a measuring tape, for sure.

1. Water damage- expect the bottoms of the cabinets for swelling or mold, discoloration.

2. Size- will it fit where you need it to fit, does it have wheels? Monitor size ? A 19" tv is easier to find as a drop-in replacement than a 25", etc.

3. What "parts" are still on it? Little things like coin door bezels and marquee retainers add up if you have to buy them. If you can find one with glass/bezel in good shape, that can be a huge savings. If he has more than one machine where parts are interchangable, he might let you cherry pick a few things from other cabs to make one more complete. Bring some quarters to send through the coin mechs.

4. How is the control panel currently populated? That will affect how much work you have to put in to play what you want. If you like fighters, go with a SF or MK, etc. If you want classics, a pac type cab, etc.

5. I have found that even "gutted" cabs that are going to be mamed may have some unneeded original parts you can sell off- don't throw anything away!

Best of luck, if nothing else you are saving some $$ and getting a head start on a project!

dfmaverick:

Water Damage would be one thing to look for on a gutted cab.

Don't want to spend most of your time repairing water damage or replacing large areas due to water damage.


I suppose the main thing to look for is how well the idea you have in your mind's eye will work on a certain style of cabinet.

leapinlew:

You should have an idea what monitor size you want. 19" or >25" and 2 player vs 4 player

Jack Burton:

On the off chance one of them is a rare cabinet you might want to look up these on
http://www.arcade-museum.com/

Star Wars arcade
Tron
Discs of Tron
Tempest
Red Donkey Kong

These are sought after cabinets and if you can pick one up for a less than $50 I'm sure you can make your money back on them. 

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