Newbie's first cab

[nixzero]

I'm building my first cabinet, and I'm pretty much broke, so I'm setting out to prove that you can make a MAME cab for about $150.  I just want to make sure I'm not cutting the wrong corners.  I have a Robotron cabinet, and I'm going to have to completely redo the CP with bondo.  There's not enough room for a trackball, so I'm planning on having a joystick/6 buttons for each of the 2 players.  My major concerns are the quality of the Dream Arcades controls and the I-PAC VE.  I've scoured the net, so I'm pretty sure this would be a good starter cab, but if anyone has hints or suggestions, I'm all ears.

Things I have:
Robotron cabinet
KT7A Motherboard
256 MB RAM
850 MHz Athlon

Things I plan to buy:
Video card w/ video out
Hard Drive
TV (used- $30)
I-PAC VE ($45)
Buttons and joys ($40, Dream Arcades on ebay)

[markrvp]

A couple of questions.  Is the Robotron cabinet an original with sideart intact?  If so, where do you live?  Someone might make you a new cabinet to trade for that one that would better fit your controls needs.

[Mark70]

Preservationists will cringe at the though of you smearing bondo on an original classic cab.

Like someone said, the more classic the cab, the more likely you are to be able to sell it for money.  If you restore it and sell it resotred, original,  you'll make enough money to buy a couple junkers to convert with all of the bondo you like.

A cab for 150 is a challenge.

[forbiddenlyrics]

Have you looked into the KeyWiz value encoder? Its nearly half the price of the I-pac. Not that the I-pac is a bad choice but it you are trying to save money.

[Infinity_Yak]

Well, originality of the cabinet is one thing, but collectabiliy is another...  If it were an original cab for another game that nobody cares about, then nobody on the board would make any noise about it...  But Robotron is a highly desireable game, and if the cab's in any kind of half decent shape, I'd think hard before shoving a mame box in it.

If you have a free cabinet though, I think it's perfectly reasonable to be able to convert a cabinet for $150US.  I picked up a free conversion cab, and my parts budget  is certainly less than that.  However, if you plan on doing anything unique with the cab (CP overlays, vinyl sideart, marquee), you'll be going way over that.  It all depends on what you want to end up with.

Anyways, good luck to you.

[SOAPboy]

Can be done.. only reason mine was 300$ was i ended up having to buy a few extra stupid things..

[AC.]

$150 will be difficult.  Don't forget the incidentals like, the gas used on multiple trips to the hardware store for the wrong screws, then the right screws, then not enough screws, forgetting to wash the paintbrush and getting another . . . not tightening the router bit so that it slips and fists your 1st CP . . . or maybe that's just me!

[nixzero]

Honestly, I think the cab is beyond hope.  The sideart has been painted over 3-4 times.  I sanded down to the original paint, but a lot of it has flaked off.  As for the CP, it's been converted more than a few times too, darn thing looks like swiss cheese.  A lot of the wood is warped, the monitor was busted, and there are NO internal parts, save for the pcb mounts.  I live in an apartment, I'm using hand tools.  I don't really have the time, knowledge or money to restore the cab now, but I could throw my mame internals to another cab if someone wants to trade.  Honestly, this cab is a little narrow for my needs, anyway.  Anyone want to trade?

[iwillfearnoevil]

Anyone want to trade?

post some pics, you never know ...

[ArcaMan]

Man, I would love a Robotron game or cab to try and restore.  (swamped with my Operation Wolf "mame cab turned restoration job" right now)


I am a relative noob to the world of building and restoring, but I got bit by the bug bad.  There is a certain level of nostalgia and real artistic appreciation that one can get from looking at some of these old machines. 


I wonder how many people here started out with saying "I am going to grab a cab ... any cab and shove a PC in it" and then fall in love with the original game and realize how important it is and then decide to restore it rather than destroy it.


I finally have all the pieces of my Op Wolf game, ready except I need a new monitor ... PLEASE SANTA!!!