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What did you spend?
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JCKnife:
Right around $2,000 (new P4 computer, new WG-D9200 monitor being the bulk of it).
Chris:
My original plan was to use old computer parts I had lying around, so I built my first cab version for $300.  Empty cab came off eBay for $60, but it had glass, a coin door, and a panel with two joysticks and 14 buttons.  Since then, I "upgraded" to Windows from DOS, and since then it's been a constant stream of money.  Now, the benefit is that I can play even more games, but the costs are no longer proportional.  That first $300 got me most games I could possibly want. I added the Act-Labs guns ($80 for two) to get a small handful of additional games.  I rebuilt my panel and added a Happ trackball ($120 total) just to better play bowling and golf games.  Added more buttons to support Visual Pinball. Upgraded the computer inside to play a handful of more recent games ($300).  Bought a pair of Pole Position wheels for 360o driving games, and I still haven't hooked them up yet.  So I'm probably in for close to $1000 now, but 80% of what's on my cab is the same as it was when the cab was only $300.

--Chris
rerstad:
Too much.
markb:
Do you want the actual cost or the cost I told my wife? ;D ;D

The initial actual cost was this:-
Cabinet (wood,plexi,screws, paint, t-mold,lights etc) -
Gunstar Hero:
Lemmee think...

Empty, topless, backless Pole Position cab - Free
Stuff to fix up cab (extra wood, paint, screws, brackets, wire, ect...) - $80
Original PolePos Glass, Marquee, Coin Door and original (very briefly used by me  :P ) 360 wheel/CP - $90
Controls - $80
Encoder - $50
Computer (used + mouse/keyboard) - $300
Monitor (KDS 19 inch) - $90
Sound & Lighting - $60
Locks - $8
Mouse (hacked for original panel) $1

So it's looking all in all like $759... Now if I knew then what I know now, AND wanted to save some bucks, I could have saved about $20 on the controls, $20 on the encoder, the whole $90 I spent on the glass, marquee, coin door and original CPO  to "restore" the machine (my original scheme was a driving cab... it got old fast, but looked cool,)  at least $30 on my materials cost (wasted a sheet of MDF and many screws) and at least $200 on the computer (it was used, but I WAY overspent on a new video card.) That in mind, I could have been  looking at $399.  :-\

The best ways I could have saved cash are: Watch for good parts deals and jump on them. Stay off of ebay looking for original glass/parts.  Measure twice, cut once.  And don't blow $150 on a video card.  :P

Still it was all money well spent.  ;D
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