Restore: Paperboy: 'Exclusive!' - Restore with enhanced side art

[griffindodd]

Driving on the highways here in California you get to see some pretty amazing cars (my other passion) everything from million dollar exotics to pristine vintage classics. The temperate climate means they hold up well over the years and the huge car culture means that many people have their 'Little Deuce Coupe' or whatever they like to drive. As a result there are a lot of car shows and you often see entire lines of amazing hot-rods and classics on the highway going to or from one of these shows.

I've seen a few nicely modded Model-T's, '66 SS Camaros, Soft-tail Deluxe Harleys and Split -window VW Buses rolling around lately while thinking about this build and I started to think about bringing some of those design ideas and elements to the cab. This project was always meant to be a resto-mod, but I thought why not take it up a notch or two and treat this classic cab like a classic car or bike. So that being said I've decided to push the design ideas a little further forward than usual and take some styling inspiration from the hot-rod/biking community - after all, Paperboy always loved his ride 

So here's the updated list of ideas at this point, no artwork yet, hopefully I'll find some time one evening to mock it up.

Planned Customizations
Controller overlay - Chrome plated panel with engraved reproduction of original instructions.
CPO - Will use newly illustrated papers and Paperboy art to create an enhanced version of the original.
Handlebars - Chrome plated bars, chrome engraved grips with rubber inlays.
Bezel - Completely new back-lit bezel with characters from the game and the header 'Exclusive!'
Marquee - No art changes planned at this point, chrome plated marquee retainers.
Side art - Full vinyl over laminated panels with complete art redraw from scratch with enhanced detailing.
T-Molding - 'Paperboy' blue and black
Kick panels - Black Laminate
Coin Doors - Chrome Plated
Footrests - Bright diamond plate.
Rear access panel Reversed 'California Style' rear door/circuit board, recess mounted with lighting and acrylic viewing panel

[yotsuya]

How do you plan to two-tone the T-molding?

[griffindodd]

How do you plan to two-tone the T-molding?

It's not two tone as such, it's just blue at the top of the cab to follow the artwork and then goes to black, so it will be a simple splice at the meeting point.

[Nephasth]

No chrome t-molding?

[griffindodd]

No chrome t-molding?

Lol no, if it's metal it's chrome but no pho-chrome...phome...

[yotsuya]

How do you plan to two-tone the T-molding?

It's not two tone as such, it's just blue at the top of the cab to follow the artwork and then goes to black, so it will be a simple splice at the meeting point.

I see. 

[griffindodd]

Looks like you'll need an Atari bucket like so:

Picked up one of these over at KLOV, it's on it's way 

[griffindodd]

Also ordered a Cap Kit for the monitor. Hopefully that will get it going again as there are no flybacks available any more for these original AGM-20M Med-Res monitors. It would be a shame to have to replace it as it is an original Atari part and apparently they look fantastic when working. I'm hoping that the light use in the past and the fact that there is Zero burn on the tube means this is more a case of a bad connection or cap somewhere rather than death from old age and wear.

[yotsuya]

Yeah, those KLOV guys seem to have everything.

[Nephasth]

Yeah, those KLOV guys seem to have everything.

---smurfing--- hoarders...

[yotsuya]

Between KLOV and the Boneyard, it's pretty easy to find the stuff you need. I've found a replacement coin reject button and a new hinge for the back of Moon Patrol. I also found a replacement 15" vector monitor for an Asteroids cocktail. It takes some digging, but you can find a lot of stuff out there.

[BadMouth]

Does this thing play Harley Davidson & L.A. Riders yet?

[griffindodd]

Does this thing play Harley Davidson & L.A. Riders yet?

LOL, nope this is staying dedicated PB

[griffindodd]

Question/suggestions on laminating that column.

I plan to basically laminate the entire exterior of this cab and know that it's complicated shape is going to give me a few headaches. I'm pretty confident working with the laminate now I've had a few projects using it, but it's the interior edges that are going to prove difficult as the cab is already built.

In my head it seems to make sense to make a template of the sides of the coin column and the inside areas of the sides that run along the bezel/glass edge. Then use the template to pre-cut the laminate to shape and then contact bond it in place. Because of some of those tight enclosed angles I'm not sure there would be any other reliable way to do it properly?

Thoughts?

[mcseforsale]

Rustoleum Painter's Touch UltraCover.  I recently had a family member visit and they asked me how long it took me to laminate the cab.  It's painted...

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100208855/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=painters+touch&storeId=10051#.URQZaGeMik0

Over some decently prepared primer, using a nice 1/4" nap roller, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference...

AJ

[griffindodd]

Rustoleum Painter's Touch UltraCover.  I recently had a family member visit and they asked me how long it took me to laminate the cab.  It's painted...

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100208855/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=painters+touch&storeId=10051#.URQZaGeMik0

Over some decently prepared primer, using a nice 1/4" nap roller, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference...

AJ

Thanks for the suggestion, it might be a nice fallback, but I REALLLLLY want to laminate this

[yotsuya]

What size T-molding will you have to use, then, if you laminate both sides?

[griffindodd]

probably 12/1/2/4/16ths (I ---smurfing--- hate American measurements.... I mean Imperial??? REALLY? )

[mcseforsale]

It's yer accent.  Makes the measuring more difficult. 

We're too smart for metric here.  The more difficult the better!

AJ

[griffindodd]

It's yer accent.  Makes the measuring more difficult. 
We're too smart for metric here.  The more difficult the better!

Ha ha ha, makes me want to go to the Seven Eleven for a quart of nickels and 12 feet of ounces. WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[yotsuya]

It's yer accent.  Makes the measuring more difficult. 
We're too smart for metric here.  The more difficult the better!

Ha ha ha, makes me want to go to the Seven Eleven for a quart of nickels and 12 feet of ounces. WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm quite chuffed by that remark! 

[griffindodd]

On another note I just noticed the Wreck it Ralph DVD popped up on the Bay of Pirates, just sayin' 

[DaOld Man]

Here's the problem child




Interesting to find even earlier serial numbers on the chassis #26




Sent from my pocket ZX81

Is the wire burnt off that power resistor in the second pic? Could this be the problem??

[griffindodd]

Well spotted sir. Funny I only ever looked at the board from above where you can't see that, you have to get all in there. Sure enough the wire is off and the solder is dry. I'll check it out

Sent from my pocket ZX81

[DaOld Man]

It looks like that wire is going to the second power resistor. Could it be these were paralleled, and one opened, putting higher current on the circuit? Just guessing, you may want to post the pic over in the monitor forum, those guys are experts.
If that did happen, and more current was put on the circuit, it could have taken out something else. Those transistors(?) in the back ground with the gold heat sinks: Do they look like they got hot? Or is that just dirt on them?

[griffindodd]

I don't think they are scorched from excessive heat just discolored over time.

I resoldered that loose power resister wire and fired up the monitor. This time it showed some life, no picture but a noise coming from the flyback, sounds pretty sickly...



Sent from my pocket ZX81

[griffindodd]

A little Frankenstein testing action


Sent from my pocket ZX81

[Nephasth]

I resoldered that loose power resister wire and fired up the monitor. This time it showed some life, no picture but a noise coming from the flyback, sounds pretty sickly...

Turn the lights off in the room and see if you can see it arcing.

[DaOld Man]

I don't think they are scorched from excessive heat just discolored over time.

Hmmmm... I have that same problem with my hair.

[griffindodd]

I don't think they are scorched from excessive heat just discolored over time.

Hmmmm... I have that same problem with my hair.

Lol

I resoldered that loose power resister wire and fired up the monitor. This time it showed some life, no picture but a noise coming from the flyback, sounds pretty sickly...

Turn the lights off in the room and see if you can see it arcing.

Yep tried that didn't see anything at either end of the line
Sent from my pocket ZX81

[griffindodd]

Got organized on the bench to work on the guts if this


Sent from my pocket ZX81

[griffindodd]

Well I found out why those wires had come off that power resister..


Sent from my pocket ZX81

[mcseforsale]

 Relax, all right? My old man is a television repairman, he's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it.

AJ

[griffindodd]

Relax, all right? My old man is a television repairman, he's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it.

AJ

Eh?

Sent from my pocket ZX81

[mcseforsale]

If you grew up in the 80s and haven't seen this, you were NOT in the US.  I would suggest watching this movie ASAP


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083929/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Defining movie of the 80s...hahahaha.

AJ

[griffindodd]

Lol, ok yeah I have a lot of 'murican friends that rave about that movie, but being a Brit I don't really get a lot of the stuff as I never went to school or college here, plus I'm not a big fan of fart jokes or slapstick

[mcseforsale]

Yeah, we're a sophisticated bunch over here in the US.  Some bong hit jokes and Phoebe Cates topless is high art!

AJ

[griffindodd]

Decided to send the monitor boards off to Chad at ArcadeCup, spoke to him on the phone this morning and he said he would try and get it going or at least find something I can drive this original tube with. The deeper I delve into this the more I am second-guessing my plans to resto-mod this cab and try and do a full authentic restore, it's just too complete and nice to start messing with it too much. Even if I do an original grade restore, I am still very tempted to use the new side art though as the original art was just crap.

With that in mind I've decided to powder coat the black metal pieces with matt black and stay away from the chrome. I've always wanted to do my own powder coating and you can get a cheap gun from Harbor Freight for $69 so I'm going to grab one of those and an old toaster oven and start experimenting on some old metal bits and pieces.

[griffindodd]

Ugggghhhhhhh I can see what's going to happen here, I'm going to end up with two Paperboy machines lol, one faithful restore and one pimped to the diddlies.

[yotsuya]

Griff, I think your side art will be a splendid upgrade. I think it'll look better without chrome. Kudos on your choice.