Today I officially joined the Nintendo cab owners club

[8BitMonk]

I've had my eye out for a Nintendo (preferably a DK) cab for awhile now and finally scored one today.

One had been on CL in my area for a couple days at $900 (more than I wanted to pay in the condition it looked) so today since it was still listed I figured I'd politely offer a price I was comfortable with $600. I got a text back from the seller saying she was going to be home in awhile and would ask her husband. About an hour later I get this text and picture...



I mentioned I restored machines and would still be interested at a a slightly lower price since a board repair could be $100-200. We agreed on $500.

Went to pick it up and the couple were super nice. While chatting I learned this had been a Christmas gift for their 9 year old son from his uncle. He's 25 and in college so they'd owned it for 16 years!

Got it home and re-seated all the pcb wires and press down on the board chips and boom, picture is back and it's fully working.  The monitor looks like it's missing a color. Haven't worked on Sanyo's yet, hoping this is an issue a cap kit or new flyback will fix. I jiggled the video connection at the pcb to see if it was loose and causing a color to cut out but no luck. No burn on the tube at all though, sweet! 



Pleasantly surprised by the overall condition.





I'm feeling pretty lucky to have scored a working DK in this condition for $500. Hope this is the trend for 2017, happy deal hunting everyone.

[vwalbridge]

Great find! Really good price. Can I borrow some of your luck? I could really use some for my epic Joust hunt.

Sanyos are easy to work on. I'd start with a cap kit first

When ready, you should do the hum-killer mod.

[Titchgamer]

Nice
Lucky git you lol

[wp34]

Congratulations.  Looks to be in great shape and you can't beat having a no-burn Sanyo.

[paigeoliver]

Great find! Really good price. Can I borrow some of your luck? I could really use some for my epic Joust hunt.

Sanyos are easy to work on. I'd start with a cap kit first

When ready, you should do the hum-killer mod.

Sanyos are actually hard to work on compared to Electrohomes or Wells Gardners however they respond really well to the basic repairs and almost never lead you down the rabbit hole looking for weird failures. I don't believe I have ever failed to fix a Sanyo.

Get a spare flyback now and keep it with the cabinet, those won't be available forever.

[8BitMonk]

Great find! Really good price. Can I borrow some of your luck? I could really use some for my epic Joust hunt.

Sanyos are easy to work on. I'd start with a cap kit first

When ready, you should do the hum-killer mod.

Hang in there, your Joust is out there like a sleeper cell waiting for you to discover it. I'll check into the hum-killer mod, I didn't notice any hum but I know that's a notorious issue. I've got your restore thread and others bookmarked to get up to speed. 

Nice
Lucky git you lol

Congratulations.  Looks to be in great shape and you can't beat having a no-burn Sanyo.

Thanks guys, bizarre how these things work out. I'd been looking for a long time with nothing working out and then bam, over the course of an hour, this.

Forgot to mention the other surprise, they had a conversion kit (CPO, Marquee, ROMs) they gave me to change it to an Eight Ball Action!?. Didn't see that one coming, not very familiar with Nintendo cab conversions.

Sanyos are actually hard to work on compared to Electrohomes or Wells Gardners however they respond really well to the basic repairs and almost never lead you down the rabbit hole looking for weird failures. I don't believe I have ever failed to fix a Sanyo.

Get a spare flyback now and keep it with the cabinet, those won't be available forever.

Thanks, I've already ordered a monitor and amp cap kit from Ian Kellog, maybe I'll go back and grab a flyback as well.

I'm curious why this didn't have side-art, that seems odd. Maybe related to the fact that they had the Eight Ball Action conversion, maybe the operator they got it from switched back and forth?

If I have to re-paint it I'm torn between red and blue. I actually like red better but it's not as iconic (or original since they were converted Radar Scopes) and probably less desirable from a collector standpoint. 

My plans are a full restore and turning it into a multi-kong with an ArcadeSD board. Obviously I won't hack anything up and keep the original boards (they're TKG4-12) but would be cool to have all DK's. May also experiment with an extra VS CP and possibly modifying the monitor mount to rotate it from the front like I saw in a video/thread from chopperthedog.

I'll eventually start a restore thread but if anyone has any suggestions off the top of their head throw them out here!

[vwalbridge]

Forgot to mention the other surprise, they had a conversion kit (CPO, Marquee, ROMs) they gave me to change it to an Eight Ball Action!?. Didn't see that one coming, not very familiar with Nintendo cab conversions.

Yea, you see Nintendo cabs converted to Eight ball action all the time. I don't get it because ANY Nintendo game was better than 8 ball.

Sanyos are actually hard to work on compared to Electrohomes or Wells Gardners however they respond really well to the basic repairs and almost never lead you down the rabbit hole looking for weird failures. I don't believe I have ever failed to fix a Sanyo.

Paige is correct. Sanyos are actually kind of a pain to take apart for the cap kit. However, they are easy to fix. There is a plethora of info on the internet for the sanyos.

Thanks, I've already ordered a monitor and amp cap kit from Ian Kellog, maybe I'll go back and grab a flyback as well.

I didn't see one on Ian's site, so if you want one you can get one from here: https://www.arcadepartsandrepair.com/store/monitors/monitor-flybacks/f5024-akj-sanyo-20ezv-flyback/

I might get one myself, like paige said, just in case. (This is a reputable seller on KLOV)

I'm curious why this didn't have side-art, that seems odd. Maybe related to the fact that they had the Eight Ball Action conversion, maybe the operator they got it from switched back and forth?

Nintendo cabs were always being converted. I hav't found one yet with all the side art intact.

If I have to re-paint it I'm torn between red and blue. I actually like red better but it's not as iconic (or original since they were converted Radar Scopes) and probably less desirable from a collector standpoint. 

I still haven't decided what color to make my DK. The blue is definitely more iconic. But the red does look pretty nice.

My plans are a full restore and turning it into a multi-kong with an ArcadeSD board. Obviously I won't hack anything up and keep the original boards (they're TKG4-12) but would be cool to have all DK's. May also experiment with an extra VS CP and possibly modifying the monitor mount to rotate it from the front like I saw in a video/thread from chopperthedog.

Agree with all of this. I have been thinking of this very thing. Nintendo cabs can be versatile without hacking them up.

[pbj]

20 years later and collectors are still bleating "CAP KIT" as though that will fix your problem.  Spoiler Alert - it won't.

Reflow the solder on the connector pins on your chassis and check your drive transistors.

[vwalbridge]

20 years later and collectors are still bleating "CAP KIT" as though that will fix your problem.  Spoiler Alert - it won't.

Reflow the solder on the connector pins on your chassis and check your drive transistors.

Cap kits fixed the issues on all 3 of my Sanyos and my Kortec monitor.

I'm not necessarily saying a cap kit will fix 8bit's issues but he might as well do it while he has it out of the cab. And especially considering that the last owner had it for 16 years and I'm sure they never did.

I'd do it for peace of mind and preventative maintenance.

[pbj]

Works is works.  Those damn Sanyo 20EZ capacitors are practically welded on and I don't suggest ripping them all off in the interests of 'preventative maintenance.' 

Electrolytic capacitors aren't going anywhere in our lifetimes.

[8BitMonk]

Thanks for the info vwal.

Any recommendation for the repro art, was thinking Mikes since he has the best repro buttons and seems to have a lot of Nintendo parts like the mech faceplates. You tried to polish them back to normal before? Seems like it'd be a no-go on polishing with that flat finish.

Works is works.  Those damn Sanyo 20EZ capacitors are practically welded on and I don't suggest ripping them all off in the interests of 'preventative maintenance.' 

Electrolytic capacitors aren't going anywhere in our lifetimes.

But I just got a desoldering gun I'm dying to use, I need to cost justify that puppy.  Point taken though, I understand a cap kit isn't a magic bullet and the shotgun approach isn't always necessary. In this case I've already checked the edge connectors, plus a cap kit is cheap and they had this thing 16 years with no service so it's ready.

[yotsuya]

You're going to need this to fix your t-molding.

http://www.chompingquarters.com/store.php/products/true-flat-nintendo-t-molding

When I redid Janky Kong, I got most of my parts from Mike's Arcade. Great guy.

[8BitMonk]

You're going to need this to fix your t-molding.

http://www.chompingquarters.com/store.php/products/true-flat-nintendo-t-molding

When I redid Janky Kong, I got most of my parts from Mike's Arcade. Great guy.

Cool, thanks yots.

[vwalbridge]

When I redid Janky Kong, I got most of my parts from Mike's Arcade. Great guy.

+1 Mike has all things DK related. Including those face plates.

Also, be careful on DK side art. SO many people selling it. And almost all of them are selling it with the wrong colors. It's incredibly tempting to get less expensive side art elsewhere.

But Mike's side art is what I will be getting:

https://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl?sku=SADKONG

[8BitMonk]

+1 Mike has all things DK related. Including those face plates.

Also, be careful on DK side art. SO many people selling it. And almost all of them are selling it with the wrong colors. It's incredibly tempting to get less expensive side art elsewhere.

But Mike's side art is what I will be getting:

https://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl?sku=SADKONG

So I shouldn't be concerned about quality even though the sku is 'SAD' KONG. 

[vwalbridge]

So I shouldn't be concerned about quality even though the sku is 'SAD' KONG. 

[8BitMonk]

So I shouldn't be concerned about quality even though the sku is 'SAD' KONG. 

 

[smalltownguy]

Those faceplates can be polished. Start with 300 grit, and move up to polishing compound.

Here's the faceplate from my Space Demon mini last spring:



After polishing (never mind the fingerprints   )



The reject button bezel, which can be pushed out and pressed back in after polishing. I spun this one on a drill with wet-dry paper, around 2000 grit I believe.

[8BitMonk]

Those faceplates can be polished. Start with 300 grit, and move up to polishing compound.

Good to know, thanks! Wonder how they'd do in a tumbler, may have to give it a try.

[paigeoliver]

Donkey Kong sideart has always been easy to peel off, it is not at all strange to see machines where it is missing. Really it is stranger to find a machine that actually has the original sideart in good shape.

[8BitMonk]

Donkey Kong sideart has always been easy to peel off, it is not at all strange to see machines where it is missing. Really it is stranger to find a machine that actually has the original sideart in good shape.

Interesting, in looking through DK ads on ebay and CL's I saw a lot with torn and faded side art but usually at least something visible. This has no sign of ever having side art, no glue reside, vinyl, paper or anything. Not complaining, makes my job a little easier.

Color came back after tweaking the neckboard pots, looks good but hw needs some adjusting. Still plan to cap for good measure.

[DeLuSioNal29]

My vote is red.  In my opinion those are rarer since they recycled Radarscope cabs for DK at the factory.

Also, if you're interested, there is a guy that I know selling NOS Donkey Kong sideart.  $125 shipped for a set (2 stickers).  See sample below.

I think he was selling some other NOS stuff as well on KLOV.  (site is down at the moment or else I would link).  But I am in contact with him right now on FB.  Let me know...

DeL

[8BitMonk]

Also, if you're interested, there is a guy that I know selling NOS Donkey Kong sideart.  $125 shipped for a set (2 stickers).  See sample below.

Thanks Del. Not sure NOS is worth an extra $40 to me, the repros seem pretty spot on.

[security0001]

Forgot to mention the other surprise, they had a conversion kit (CPO, Marquee, ROMs) they gave me to change it to an Eight Ball Action!?. Didn't see that one coming, not very familiar with Nintendo cab conversions.

Yea, you see Nintendo cabs converted to Eight ball action all the time. I don't get it because ANY Nintendo game was better than 8 ball.

Sanyos are actually hard to work on compared to Electrohomes or Wells Gardners however they respond really well to the basic repairs and almost never lead you down the rabbit hole looking for weird failures. I don't believe I have ever failed to fix a Sanyo.

Paige is correct. Sanyos are actually kind of a pain to take apart for the cap kit. However, they are easy to fix. There is a plethora of info on the internet for the sanyos.

Thanks, I've already ordered a monitor and amp cap kit from Ian Kellog, maybe I'll go back and grab a flyback as well.

I didn't see one on Ian's site, so if you want one you can get one from here: https://www.arcadepartsandrepair.com/store/monitors/monitor-flybacks/f5024-akj-sanyo-20ezv-flyback/

I might get one myself, like paige said, just in case. (This is a reputable seller on KLOV)

I'm curious why this didn't have side-art, that seems odd. Maybe related to the fact that they had the Eight Ball Action conversion, maybe the operator they got it from switched back and forth?

Nintendo cabs were always being converted. I hav't found one yet with all the side art intact.

If I have to re-paint it I'm torn between red and blue. I actually like red better but it's not as iconic (or original since they were converted Radar Scopes) and probably less desirable from a collector standpoint. 

I still haven't decided what color to make my DK. The blue is definitely more iconic. But the red does look pretty nice.

My plans are a full restore and turning it into a multi-kong with an ArcadeSD board. Obviously I won't hack anything up and keep the original boards (they're TKG4-12) but would be cool to have all DK's. May also experiment with an extra VS CP and possibly modifying the monitor mount to rotate it from the front like I saw in a video/thread from chopperthedog.

Agree with all of this. I have been thinking of this very thing. Nintendo cabs can be versatile without hacking them up.

Yes i do stock the sanyo 20ez flybacks and i have 19 different models in stock.  BTW: Ian should have them too because i sell him all his flybacks since august 2016 and i just started sell the sanyo to him.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Also, if you're interested, there is a guy that I know selling NOS Donkey Kong sideart.  $125 shipped for a set (2 stickers).  See sample below.

Thanks Del. Not sure NOS is worth an extra $40 to me, the repros seem pretty spot on to me.

No problem, just looking out.  But make sure you get a quality repro.  I recall in the past that someone ordered one (can't recall which vendor it was) and it was sized smaller than the original.

DeL

[roknrol]

Congratulations, Monk. Great find.

My eight-year-old and I just watched "King of Kong" over the weekend. Now he's trying to find the "kill screen" on every internet game he's playing. 

[ark_ader]

Nice find and story.  $500 for a quality cab is unreal.  Thanks for sharing this. 

[8BitMonk]

Congratulations, Monk. Great find.

My eight-year-old and I just watched "King of Kong" over the weekend. Now he's trying to find the "kill screen" on every internet game he's playing. 

Nice find and story.  $500 for a quality cab is unreal.  Thanks for sharing this. 

Thanks guys, way to start em young roknrol!

I stuck on some new t-molding to compare to old, here's what 30+ years worth of fade looks like, yikes. Funny sometimes how a cab won't look that bad until you directly compare it to a brand new component.