Author Topic: Ms. Pac conversion (Read 6447 times)

MYX · « **on:** December 06, 2005, 07:54:02 pm »

Hey all,
I finished with my conversion. I bought a Ms. Pac machine off e-bay for $52. he stated that the monitor had issues but I took it all the same. When I got it, it was crusty and a haven for spiders of all types. It was a QIX cabinet with the QIX bezel and a cheesy outer space CPO. It looked like whomever also used the same material to cover the marquee as well. When I plugged in in at the guys place it had a serious roll. I got it home and tried to adjust it but no luck, although i did get it to stop rolling. It was like the image was smeared into 3 sections. I sent a quarter through it and I had the one up sound. I gulped and hit player one and the Ms. Pac tune started playing. I tried to play the game the best I could trying to sum together the 3 parts up in my mind. The joystick worked great, although my interpretation of what the screen didn't. I did a $7 cap kit on it and a couple of hours later I had a beautiful picture. Wohoo! I had a Ms. Pac. It was the ugliest Ms. Pac anyone had ever seen though. So, I decided to use it as a training ground for my future cabinet. The first thing I did was to strip off the vinyl off the marquee. It had a beautiful QIX marquee. A few scratches but nothing major. I then tapped it up, sanded, primed and repainted the cabinet and coin door. I then did the CPO and low and behold the QIX was still there. I actually found myself having a hurt heart when it came time to remove the QIX overlay. I felt like I was desecrating the thing. (QIX was one of my favorites when I was younger. Still is). After lots of Goof off I finally got all the CPO glue off. I sanded the CPO clean and followed Brian's Classic Arcade Restoration technique for filling in the Fast / Slow Draw button holes from QIX as I would not need them in Ms. Pac.( http://www.rgvac.com/restoration.asp?projid=19 ). I made a custom CPO in Photoshop as the original Ms. Pac CPO would not work due to where the joystick and player one and two buttons were located. I found the marquee at the Arcade Art Library. I resized it to the right size for the QIX cab. (I had actually purchased a Ms. Pac marquee from QuarterArcade.com but found out the hard way that it would not fit.) I had these printed by MAME Marquees. Scott did a Kick @$$ job on these. I won the Bezel on e-bay. I am embarrassed to say that the Bezel cost more than the game it's self. I had to dremil off nearly a quarter inch off the bottom of the bezel and about an the same on the sides to make it fit the cab. I got some hot pink t-molding from Dream Arcades. Then is was just finding the time to work on it. I found myself late to work a few times. But now it is done. I have a pretty darn nice Ms. Pac cab. Not original but I am happy.

MYX · « **Reply #1 on:** December 06, 2005, 07:54:50 pm »

Picts # 2

MYX · « **Reply #2 on:** December 06, 2005, 07:56:22 pm »

Picts 3

sorry this set were uploaded out of order.

MYX · « **Reply #3 on:** December 06, 2005, 07:58:57 pm »

Picts 4

MYX · « **Reply #4 on:** December 06, 2005, 07:59:12 pm »

Picts 5

MYX · « **Reply #5 on:** December 06, 2005, 08:04:18 pm »

Picts 6

MYX · « **Reply #6 on:** December 06, 2005, 08:04:40 pm »

Picts 7

MYX · « **Reply #7 on:** December 06, 2005, 08:05:54 pm »

Picts 8

MYX · « **Reply #8 on:** December 06, 2005, 08:06:39 pm »

Picts 9

MYX · « **Reply #9 on:** December 06, 2005, 08:07:46 pm »

Picts 10

MYX · « **Reply #10 on:** December 06, 2005, 08:08:16 pm »

Before and After

javeryh · « **Reply #11 on:** December 06, 2005, 08:53:50 pm »

Very nice work! Are you going to put any other games in there?

MYX · « **Reply #12 on:** December 06, 2005, 08:55:41 pm »

Probably not. It will probably stay dedicated. I will be building a MAME cab for the multi game thing.

atari2600chick · « **Reply #13 on:** December 07, 2005, 12:00:40 am »

Very nice work. The before and after photo comparsion between cabinets looks awesome. I bought a mspacman plus pcb board on ebay for about the same price you paid for your whole cabinet (AU$53) As i don't have a dedicated cabinet to put it in (appart from my scratch build 2p mame cabinet), i have put in into a 14" cocktail table that also has a gaplus pcb board in. I would love to have a dedicated caberet mspac cabinet...maybe i will if i can convince my hubby to let me put another arcade machine in the house

RayB · « **Reply #14 on:** December 07, 2005, 01:14:35 pm »

My head's spinning. Great job, but at the same time...
I was going down the thread only looking at pictures, thinking "WOW! $52 for a working Ms Pac board set!". I was wondering what you'd do with it...

Scroll down some more, I see a QIX marquee and then a Qix control panel. I think "Cool! He's going to restore a classic to its former glory!".

Then I see the cab outside prepped for some painting or something. The sides looked really good so I thought maybe you were painting details or something.

Then the sides are blue! "AUUGH!! What is he doing!?!"

Like I said. You did a great job, but you know empty Midway style cabs are all over the place. Why didn't you restore the Qix and then put the MsPac in a proper cabinet?

spriggy · « **Reply #15 on:** December 07, 2005, 01:45:33 pm »

RayB...I was about to reply with the EXACT same sentiment..... right down to "at first glance only looking at the pics and thinking Goody..he's restoring a QIX"

Regardless of my shock MYX...and on the flip side....nice clean work.

cheers

MYX · « **Reply #16 on:** December 07, 2005, 02:35:10 pm »

Quote from: RayB on December 07, 2005, 01:14:35 pm

Like I said. You did a great job, but you know empty Midway style cabs are all over the place. Why didn't you restore the Qix and then put the MsPac in a proper cabinet?

You know what, and I hate to even say this, but I never thought of making it a QIX untill now. I did look on e-bay for some Qix boards some time back but I never really considered it. I always thought of making it a Ms. Pacman. My apollogies to anyone who is offended. Won't do it again. Actually the sick feeling that I had when I pulled the CPO off that thing cured the urge right there.

spriggy · « **Reply #17 on:** December 07, 2005, 02:51:22 pm »

Quote from: MYX on December 07, 2005, 02:35:10 pm

... My apollogies to anyone who is offended. Won't do it again. Actually the sick feeling that I had when I pulled the CPO off that thing cured the urge right there.

Damn, don't appologise..... we're just being opinionated. Enjoy your new cab!

MYX · « **Reply #18 on:** December 07, 2005, 04:20:38 pm »

Cool, then I don't apologise, heck then I am proud I did it and am gonna do it again then again. No one can stop me. Muahhh ahhh ahhh ahhh haaaaaaaaaa!

Seriously, I know that messing with an original cab is like insultin someones religeon around here. That is why it was sent. I am proud of the work and glad I went through the process. I learned a lot that I will apply to my MAME cab.

spriggy · « **Reply #19 on:** December 07, 2005, 04:36:46 pm »

Quote from: MYX on December 07, 2005, 04:20:38 pm

Cool, then I don't apologise, heck then I am proud I did it and am gonna do it again then again. No one can stop me. Muahhh ahhh ahhh ahhh haaaaaaaaaa!

Seriously, I know that messing with an original cab is like insultin someones religeon around here. That is why it was sent. I am proud of the work and glad I went through the process. I learned a lot that I will apply to my MAME cab.

Hey Hey... don't get too happy.... it was still a blasphemous act!

MYX · « **Reply #20 on:** December 07, 2005, 07:41:28 pm »

Ok ok I am only moderately happy then. No wohoos or anything. Just woo. I am only kind of sort of just a little bit proud.

I just cant get above 34,900. Everything just moves so fast.

PetitMorte · « **Reply #21 on:** December 08, 2005, 04:50:52 pm »

It sounds a bit like what I did with mine. I had a crummy spray-painted sloppy Ikari Warriors conversion cab that was origionally a Burgertime. Not only did I get to pull off the origional CPO that was hidden under plexi and black vinyl, I got to strip off the origional side art when the cammo spray-paint just peeled off.

I understand the sick feeling... of removing *art* that was a chunk of your childhood. But at the very least, you could always re-restore it to a Qix later! That's what I plan to do with my now generic black/blue Mame machine. It will eventually live again as a big yellow Burgertime!

RayB · « **Reply #22 on:** December 08, 2005, 06:00:35 pm »

Quote from: PetitMorte on December 08, 2005, 04:50:52 pm

I understand the sick feeling... of removing *art* that was a chunk of your childhood.

spriggy · « **Reply #23 on:** December 08, 2005, 06:48:00 pm »

Quote from: RayB on December 08, 2005, 06:00:35 pm

Yeah but his side-art was intact. And the bezel... I hope he kept the bezel and didn't scrape off the art. Oh man...

Alright RayB..... now breath deep and steady into this paper bag! Now think happy thoughts.

MYX · « **Reply #24 on:** December 10, 2005, 12:00:49 pm »

Quote from: RayB on December 08, 2005, 06:00:35 pm

Yeah but his side-art was intact. And the bezel... I hope he kept the bezel and didn't scrape off the art. Oh man...

Scraped it clean. My gerbil needed it as a room devider.

Heck no. It was with careful trepidation that I removed it. I am not quite sure what to do with it at this point. But it IS in good condition and will remain so.

Jigenjuke · « **Reply #25 on:** November 24, 2010, 06:52:32 pm »

Hey there any chance of getting the file for your revamped Ms. Pacman CPO? Thanks ahead of time.

Jigenjuke


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