Restore / Repair / Convert / MAME / Destroy

[CheffoJeffo]

A couple of recent discussions have got me thinking about how my attitude towards classic cabinets has changed since I first discovered this "hobsession".

Initially, I didn't care much about classic cabs. Then, I thought they were sacred and not to be used for anything less than restoration. Then, I decided that MultiPacs and MultiWMS were cool and actually a better use for cabs than dedicated single game machines. And now, having seen a bunch of classics offered up with no takers, I am much less sensitive to the who would bolt an X-Arcade onto a Pac cabinet. I had no problem with Todd from TNT pitching that MsPac junker off of the roof.

I am curious what others think. Did your attitudes change over time ?

Cheers.

PS - I still believe that some cabinets should NEVER, EVER be messed with (with the Joust cocktail being the clearest example in my mind)

EDIT: I am particularly interested in what long-term collectors and industry folks have to say.

EDIT2: Multiple choices allowed and it should say FRANKENPANELLING !

[gamecreature]

I suppose it depends on what condition you find the game in when you find it.

[AlexC]

I think restoration should be done when possible, specially with classic, hard to find unique cabinets (Tempest,Space Invaders,etc). I do like the MAME cabinets that some people have done that they keep the original cabinet intact but add a computer instead of boards. Those are much better alternatives and look so much better.

[Kremmit]

If it's a generic (Hooray for Dynamo!), anything is fair game.  Put a fishtank in if you want, it's just a wooden box.

If it's a dedicated cab, and it's still reasonably intact, then a full resto or cosmetic resto (PC inside, resto outside) is the way to go. 

If it's already been converted to the point that the only thing that remains of the original is the shape of the wood, then the heck with it, unless it's a truly rare cab.  I mean, there are a million Pac cabs out there that have been sanded down, painted black, and had the control panel drilled in 20 places, and the wiring and PS converted to JAMMA and a switcher.  No reason to try and re-build the Pac Man from that POS, MAME it if you want, 'coz it's already been maimed.  It's not as if you're damaging it any more by putting on blue t-molding and a trackball.

But if it's rare, then you oughtta try to bring it back, or trade/sell it to somebody who will.  There's so many generics and bad conversions out there that there's just no reason to go MAMEing an I, Robot or a Joust coctail.

And if it's water damaged, scrap the dang thing- somebody needs the parts for their resto, anyway.

[RayB]

Depends on the cab. I mean there are "classics", there are "old but not good enough to be considered classic", and then there are "classics where they made so many of them you can't walk down the road without tripping over one".

I used to think every cab should be restored, but with experience I learned that the value just isn't there anymore. You could easily spend $800 restoring a "classic" only to end up with a complete machine worth only $600 or less. It's risky business. In the end, I feel it's better looking for near-complete machines than empty shells to restore.

[Hiub1]

There is a Joust cocktail on ebay right now

http://cgi.ebay.com/Retrocade-Robotron-Joust-Arcade-Combo-Cocktail_W0QQitemZ6283673919QQihZ010QQcategoryZ13716QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[CheffoJeffo]

There is a Joust cocktail on ebay right now

http://cgi.ebay.com/Retrocade-Robotron-Joust-Arcade-Combo-Cocktail_W0QQitemZ6283673919QQihZ010QQcategoryZ13716QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Oh the horror of that extra stick !  (says the guy who thinks MultiWMS are good)

Cheers.

[missioncontrol]

I say restore....

unfortunately all those sweet deals you find are never in my neck of the woods or they'd be gone

[Havok]

There is a Joust cocktail on ebay right now

http://cgi.ebay.com/Retrocade-Robotron-Joust-Arcade-Combo-Cocktail_W0QQitemZ6283673919QQihZ010QQcategoryZ13716QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

$1000? I'll have some of what that guy is smoking...

[RayB]

They do sell for more than $1000 (if original).

[Havok]

Yeah, but it isn't - the Robotron stick, and the "new" pcb. I would think those two things would drop the value to a collector. Perhaps not somebody wanting to get two games, but a purist would cringe...

[rlemmon]

I think it depends upon how many were produced. Ms pacman is a classic but there were a zillion made. If the game was rare ( and good) to begin with then I would kind of hate to see it mame'ed.

Another factor is how much cash a person has to put into it. I can understand if they want a playable arcade and don't have the cash or skill to fully restore a classic game. I think one thing that stops alot of people from restoring is the price of artwork, some of it cost a fortune like the pac and galaga stuff.

I guess for me if it's a real classic it should be restored whenever possable.

[TOK]

I say you bought the cab, you do what you want with it.
Don't like to see some of the more unusual games get hacked up, but we're at the point now where there are more cabinets than boards (and in the case of vector games, monitors) to support them.
I think a classic cab with no permanent disfiguring is a cool thing. They have much more appeal to me than a newly made SuperMegaOmniCade "theme" cab with a frankenpanel and cut and paste art from 25 games.

[SuperGunGuru]

I'm usually all for restoring a game depending on the circumstances. As has been said, some games are already converted and not necessarily worth all the work of restoration unless it's something truely special and/or rare. I personally wouldn't take a cabinet and modify it if I was to run Mame in it. I'd want it to look as close as possible to the real thing. Of course this is coming from the POV of a collector and not someone who might say have just one MAME machine and is not interested in owning other cabinets. In the end, it's all up to the owner of the cabinet, but for me, I wouldn't cosmetically modify a dedicated cab. If I was to run Mame, only the games that use those controls would be in it. My .02.