Defender cab

[sfrascella]

I just got this for $40.00 on e-bay. Sort of an impulse buy since I already have a Mame cab, but I would really like to restore this one. All I am getting with this is just the cab, no harness, pcb, power supply and the seller said the monitor is dead.

The problem is I don't know what I'm doing when it comes to restoring this to an original Defender. I'm guessing that a new monitor will be about $200.00, pcb $100.00, and power supply and harness I have no idea. Also I will need a marquee, and bezel $50.00? Am I in the ballpark here, or am I in over my head?

Please give me all thoughts and suggestions on this.

[cw]

Great score...  the pcb set might set you back a few more bucks.. but well worth it in my book,  is the harness gone or just hacked?  The marquee and bezel wont be that hard to find depending on how picky you will be about scratches and what not... but i would say you are in the ballpark.

[FunWithFire]

Looks like a nice cab. Here is a good place to start:
http://www.arcadeshop.com/parts.htm
Go there and 'Find in this page' for Defender and you will see some nice art pieces, plus the PS conversion kit.
Or you can go the Multi Williams route. Stick a JAMMA harness in there with this
http://www.arcadeshop.com/multi-pcb/multi-pcb.htm Multi-Williams board and with a CP like this:


All depends on what route you want to take.

[sfrascella]

That Multi-Williams board is tempting, but I think I would like to restore this to original condition. I think I will start with the cosmetics first, and possibly Mame it until I can collect everything I need to put this beast back together.

[Kremmit]

That Multi-Williams board is tempting, but I think I would like to restore this to original condition. I think I will start with the cosmetics first, and possibly Mame it until I can collect everything I need to put this beast back together.

Not a bad option; any old junk PC will play Defender on an old version of MAME.  Tempting to add that Inviso button and play Stargate, too...

[ArtMAME]

I am doing the same thing with a Robotron cabinet that was converted to a Magic Sword.
 The original side art had been sanded off, and replaced with crappy black formica, which was falling off when I got the cab.  So sad... ...you can still see some of the original grey paint...

Anyway, I am going to paint it, put new marquee and control panel, and install side art so it will look like a Robotron again 

I found a 19" PC monitor that will fit in the cab, and I am going to run Robotron on MAME.  I thought about getting original parts, but that could run $500 or more, then I would have to figure out the wiring, worry about if the PCB was working or not, worry about any of the old parts crapping out on me...etc...

I am already doing that with a Centipede which I have invested well over $500 in original parts, and it is still not fully restored...

Yes... I know... it is very rewarding to fully restore an original cabinet... That is why I decided to do it with the Centipede...but I am not ready to do that with the Robotron cabinet, when one of my old junker PCs will do the trick for free...

I would say do the MAME thing with the Defender... and if you find you really want to restore it later with original parts, go ahead and start acquiring them as your budget permits. 

Good luck...

[Ken Layton]

The  neck of the picture tube is broken off so the monitor is totally shot. It was a Wells-Gardner 4600 series monitor. Ebay or sell the frame, yoke, and flyback. Use that money to buy a new horizontal (a.k.a. "shelf") mount monitor.

Looks like you're gonna need a wiring harness and main power transformer/line filter assembly too.

[slider2732]

Saw this the first time it was advertised a few weeks ago - GREAT SCOOP !


Yeah, after junking the rest of the monitor, you actually are in a good place with the cab. There's no conversion wiring to rip out, no dangerous split wiring from bad moving or storage and everything is pretty much a blank canvas inside.

Parts will cost plenty, so i would advocate some deft 3am shopping on Ebay for local items.

Also, Ebay marquees can be hit and miss. Many have so much scratching on the rear that they look just great in the unlit photo from the front, but dire and unusable when lit and fitted to the machine.



Before restoration
While it's empty, turn it on it's side and check out the base for water damage. 25 years ago a Mrs. Mop with a water bucket no doubt cleaned out all the cig ends, footprints and candy wrappers with the swilling of water in the arcade. If there's brittleness in the wood, fully replace the base, rather than patch it up..for strength.

For restoration.....take a look at the myriad of Defender pics online. The boards go on a metal frame on the side of the cab, the power supply on the bottom and the wiring goes up the right side for the monitor. A trip switch for the rear door being open was mounted half way up on the right of the rear, the holes should still be visible if it isn't there.
A replacement Well Gardner monitor will simply bolt to the wood of the shelf. The chassis is held by bolts at the corner edges and is as simple as that for fixing to the cab. Kep hold of the old frame though, in case you buy just a tube and then the boards (i bought just the boards recently for a failed WG4600..worked out much cheaper than postal ever could for a heavy tube and chassis. Did the swap and it's now fine again).

The sideart looks quite nice considering....so one other idea is a trip to Walmart and grab some clear vinyl type sheets. They're in the arts and crafts bit on a huge roll. Use a sharp knife and gain a stencil of the artwork. If you decide to repaint in the future then you've saved the often $200 for a stencil set !

Best of luck and once again...well done, i wanted it but had no room !
and err..i have 2 Defenders already, though one is up for auction and that ends today.

[ChadTower]

The  neck of the picture tube is broken off so the monitor is totally shot. It was a Wells-Gardner 4600 series monitor. Ebay or sell the frame, yoke, and flyback. Use that money to buy a new horizontal (a.k.a. "shelf") mount monitor.

Looks like you're gonna need a wiring harness and main power transformer/line filter assembly too.

Ken, the chassis is gone too, so he can't sell the flyback.  The yoke also isn't there.  At least they're not in the pics.  All he has is the metal frame and a dead tube.

It looks like all he GOT is the cabinet, a dead tube/frame, the coin door, and whatever that little pcb is screwed inside the left wall.

Still, not a bad deal fro $40, if it's solid.  Worth saving but this is a good sized project.

[Ken Layton]

Oh yeh, I see the yoke is gone, but not the flyback. On a 4600 the flyback is attached to the metal monitor frame. Look closely at the picture --- it is there.

[Zakk]

I did a similar one, started with an empty cab and mame'd it to run defender and stargate.  Nice way to keep the cabinet in original shape in case someone has the parts and know-how to restore it someday.  Who knows it might help you with some parts of it (it was a lot more work thatn I thought when I started to make it look original again!)

http://www.mameworld.net/massive/Cabinet/Defender/defender.htm

[CheffoJeffo]

Looks like a great project. I think you are a little low on the boards, but in the ball park.

There are a bunch of restoration-related links in the wiki, some Williams-specific and hopefully some are helpful:

http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/wiki/Restoration

Cheers

[ChadTower]

Oh yeh, I see the yoke is gone, but not the flyback. On a 4600 the flyback is attached to the metal monitor frame. Look closely at the picture --- it is there.

I see it now, at the end of the anode wire.  I wonder what the odds are that it works, given that they stripped the chassis and the yoke.

[Ken Layton]

The 4600 has a pretty sturdy flyback. Out of the over 1,000 monitors I've worked on over the years, I've never had a bad flyback on a 4600 series monitor.

[ChadTower]

Odd.  I've had two and both developed cracks and failed.  I wonder why.

[Zakk]

Odd.  I've had two and both developed cracks and failed.  I wonder why.

karma?

[sfrascella]

Thanks for all the tips and information. I am going to pick this thing up tomorrow so I will know exactly what I'm dealing with here.

After reading the comments here and doing a lot of research the last few days I am definitly going to restore it. How long it will take depends on time, availability of parts, and how long I have to kiss the wifes behind for letting me get into this (could cost more than the whole project).

Thanks again everybody, I'l post some more pics and information when I get this thing home.

[Kremmit]

The 4600 has a pretty sturdy flyback. Out of the over 1,000 monitors I've worked on over the years, I've never had a bad flyback on a 4600 series monitor.

Then who will want to buy one?

[RayB]

Odd.  I've had two and both developed cracks and failed.  I wonder why.

Because their only weakness is a susceptibility to high post counts.

[More Cowbell]

Odd.  I've had two and both developed cracks and failed.  I wonder why.

karma?

 

I also did the whole restore an original Defender cab to a MAME Defender cab running Defender, Defender bootlegs, and Stargate. I restored as much as possible to original cab without mucking it up to support the MAME hardware in case I ever decide to restore to original. You're really lucky the sideart is in such great shape. Also, the coin door itself is worth the money you spent on the cab. Good luck and keep the pics coming.