Author Topic: Pole Position Restoration (Read 17316 times)

whammoed · « **on:** September 22, 2007, 08:57:59 pm »

Been working on my Pole Position lately. It is in decent shape for the most part. Here is the before pic.

whammoed · « **Reply #1 on:** September 22, 2007, 08:59:22 pm »

The bottom was in bad shape. Too far gone to just repair and expect it to hold leg levelers so it was replaced.
Bottom before:

whammoed · « **Reply #2 on:** September 22, 2007, 09:00:05 pm »

Bottom after, and new t-molding installed:

More Cowbell · « **Reply #3 on:** September 24, 2007, 10:30:21 am »

Looking good! Any other upgrades planned? It looks to be in great shape.

whammoed · « **Reply #4 on:** September 24, 2007, 11:20:43 am »

Quote from: More Cowbell on September 24, 2007, 10:30:21 am

Looking good! Any other upgrades planned? It looks to be in great shape.

Yes. The machine was semi-converted to a switcher when I got it. I am converting it completely over to the switcher. No ARII boards for this one. I will post some before and after pics and details when everything is back together.
I am also repainting everything that had rust, new overlay for the control panel, putting a new pot on the gas pedal (got new springs too), and I am having a new cardboard monitor bezel made up.
I don't plan on fixing every little scratch or ding, but it should look pretty good when complete.

Level42 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 24, 2007, 12:12:36 pm »

Cab looks great. I love the Atari steering wheels...

Funny that I remember that Pole Position almost always was a sit-down here...

Kremmit · « **Reply #6 on:** September 24, 2007, 12:30:36 pm »

"Restoration"? More like a touch-up; that thing looks awfully nice already. :envy

whammoed · « **Reply #7 on:** September 24, 2007, 12:46:10 pm »

Quote from: Kremmit on September 24, 2007, 12:30:36 pm

"Restoration"? More like a touch-up; that thing looks awfully nice already. :envy

It does look nicer in the picture than in reality, but yes, it's in good shape for having over 200,000 plays.

whammoed · « **Reply #8 on:** September 24, 2007, 02:57:09 pm »

Quote from: Level42 on September 24, 2007, 12:12:36 pm

Cab looks great. I love the Atari steering wheels...

After disassembling the wheel I found out that the wheel itself was an "off the shelf" steering wheel from some manufacturer. It wasn't made for Atari I guess.
Should have taken a picture, ~~I can't remember the manufacturer but the~~ the manufacturer is superior performance products and the wheel is called "The 500".

whammoed · « **Reply #9 on:** September 24, 2007, 03:10:09 pm »

Looks like Superior Performance Products made a few varieties of "The 500". Some have holes in the spokes, some are wood, some are foam.
Theck out this wood one, the center looks just like the pole position wheel does, with the little guy hanging on to the wheel.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=173406

Level42 · « **Reply #10 on:** September 24, 2007, 05:08:35 pm »

Quote from: whammoed on September 24, 2007, 02:57:09 pm

Quote from: Level42 on September 24, 2007, 12:12:36 pm
Cab looks great. I love the Atari steering wheels...

After disassembling the wheel I found out that the wheel itself was an "off the shelf" steering wheel from some manufacturer. It wasn't made for Atari I guess.
Should have taken a picture, ~~I can't remember the manufacturer but the~~ the manufacturer is superior performance products and the wheel is called "The 500".

Well it looks like the "standard" Atari wheel to me. I always remember them with the deep, more or less parallel spokes. Makes sense that Atari didn't make the wheels themselves.

I wouldn't want that wooden wheel to be in my car when having an accident

whammoed · « **Reply #11 on:** September 24, 2007, 05:14:52 pm »

Quote from: Level42 on September 24, 2007, 05:08:35 pm

Well it looks like the "standard" Atari wheel to me.

Yes, it's definitely the original "standard" wheel. I'm sure it was cheaper for Atari to just choose a commercially available steering wheel rather than design or manufacture you're own. Or perhaps this wheel was made just for Pole Position and they contracted superior performance products to make it?

BrentRadio · « **Reply #12 on:** September 26, 2007, 11:37:49 pm »

yes, "The 500" is standard for Pole Position. That is original.

Here's my restoration.

http://www.brentradio.com/PolePositionRestoration.htm

Click on any pic for a high res version.

Brent

whammoed · « **Reply #13 on:** September 26, 2007, 11:42:20 pm »

Quote from: BrentRadio on September 26, 2007, 11:37:49 pm

yes, "The 500" is standard for Pole Position. That is original.

Here's my restoration.

http://www.brentradio.com/PolePositionRestoration.htm

Brent

Hey Brent. I have visited your site many times. Very inspirational. You've already answered a couple of my questions by email and at RGVAC as well, and I appreciate it! I won't be going to the extent that you did on the restoration, but I think it will be pretty nice when done. Thanks for the help btw.

BrentRadio · « **Reply #14 on:** September 26, 2007, 11:47:07 pm »

Ahh, cool.

Good luck with it!

Brent

whammoed · « **Reply #15 on:** October 04, 2007, 09:35:08 pm »

Update: Gas Pedal restoration done. 1st 2 pics are before and the othere two are after...as if it isn't obvious
New springs, new potentiometer, new non slip tread, and fresh paint
Lots of elbow grease.

whammoed · « **Reply #16 on:** October 04, 2007, 10:10:41 pm »

This is before I cleaned the critters out of it. Had some sort of infestation.

whammoed · « **Reply #17 on:** October 04, 2007, 10:14:50 pm »

Here is the complete power supply conversion over to the switcher before and after. It was half converted and hacked when I got it. The old power supply was still being used for the coin door lights and isolation transformer and the +5 volts was hacked into the ARII boards instead of directly to the game boards. I converted the coin door lights over to 12v and the coin counter works fine on 12v. (The coin counter originally used the 10.whatever volts and was already using the 12v from the switcher when I got it.) I would have enjoyed rebuilding the old power supply and keeping it totally original, however I decided this particulare Pole Position was passed that point. (Notice the two big blues and the brackets are missing also) Also, I hear the power supply setup was a common failure point in the game. The only real thing the ARIIs were being used for was sound amplification. A little more on that later.

whammoed · « **Reply #18 on:** October 04, 2007, 10:22:57 pm »

Here are the amplifiers I purchased to replace the ARII boards. I made a couple brackets and mounted them where the old volume pots were located. They are Qkits, and are overkill by far. You barely have to turn the volume to get the sound where it needs to be. The volume leve is definitely easier to control now though. With the original pots and ARIIs it was either loud or nothing. A cheaper way to go is by hacking a set of cheap PC speakers similar to what is done by many, myself included, for PC based machines, however I did like keeping the volume controls separate for each channel and these kits came with volume controls.

SavannahLion · « **Reply #19 on:** October 04, 2007, 10:34:25 pm »

Quote from: whammoed on October 04, 2007, 10:10:41 pm

This is before I cleaned the critters out of it. Had some sort of infestation.

I've got the same infestation. Any idea on how to get rid of 'em?

whammoed · « **Reply #20 on:** October 05, 2007, 08:02:18 am »

Quote from: SavannahLion on October 04, 2007, 10:34:25 pm

Quote from: whammoed on October 04, 2007, 10:10:41 pm
This is before I cleaned the critters out of it. Had some sort of infestation.

I've got the same infestation. Any idea on how to get rid of 'em?

Have you tried traps baited with Oreos?

Level42 · « **Reply #21 on:** October 06, 2007, 02:20:43 am »

Nice work on the pedal and volume controls !

whammoed · « **Reply #22 on:** October 07, 2007, 03:09:28 pm »

Before and after pics of one of the speakers. Both speakers were replaced with new from Arcadeshop. The rubber surrounds on the old ones were rotted.

bfauska · « **Reply #23 on:** October 07, 2007, 04:38:07 pm »

I got a free Magical Spot (converted to Dig Dug) cabinet because of somebody with a similar infestation not knowing how to repair the damage it caused. A local guy had the machine and didn't use it because the monitor didn't work, so his kids were playing "Space ship" inside the cabinet and unplugged a bunch of wires. The cab sat at his house for like 15 years not working until he gave it away. I brought it home cleaned it up re-plugged everything and it worked (including the monitor.)

Moral of the story, if that infestation gets the best of your cab don't just give it away, it's probably an easy fix.

Your cleaned-up / restored parts are looking very nice, that pedal assembly looks brand new.

whammoed · « **Reply #24 on:** October 08, 2007, 06:04:10 pm »

Here's a pic of the coin door after refinishing. I don't have a before pic, but it actually looked ok. However upon inspection I found that about 30% of the paint was not actually adhered to the doors. There was surface rust underneath and the paint hadn't yet cracked or peeled off. It was rather odd, but it looks great now. Looks too nice for the cabinet really.

whammoed · « **Reply #25 on:** October 08, 2007, 09:13:27 pm »

Back door now has a working lock for the first time since who knows when. When I got it the back door was held on using screws.

whammoed · « **Reply #26 on:** October 14, 2007, 03:48:54 pm »

Nearly finished. New overlay installed. NOS dash decal. Different dash...the original I had was severely cigarette burned. Before and after pics of the Steering wheel center badge. The center badges are available on my website for a limited time: www.nicemite.com

whammoed · « **Reply #27 on:** October 17, 2007, 07:17:30 pm »

I'm calling it done. Not that I may never do something else to it, but its pretty nice for now. Here it is in its final location with a new cardboard bezel installed.

javeryh · « **Reply #28 on:** October 17, 2007, 07:45:40 pm »

Wow - great job. I love the room too - it's huge!

prOk · « **Reply #29 on:** October 17, 2007, 10:31:56 pm »

basements make me jealous

mountain · « **Reply #30 on:** October 17, 2007, 11:17:01 pm »

Damn, I would love to have that much room to play with. Great job on the restoration!

leapinlew · « **Reply #31 on:** October 17, 2007, 11:57:29 pm »

Nice job. Looks great.

whammoed · « **Reply #32 on:** October 18, 2007, 08:45:48 am »

Thanks guys. Time to find a Spy Hunter now.


Main	Restorations	Software	Audio/Jukebox/MP3	Everything Else	Buy/Sell/Trade
Project Announcements	Monitor/Video	GroovyMAME	Merit/JVL Touchscreen	Meet Up	Retail Vendors
Driving & Racing	Woodworking	Software Support Forums	Consoles	Project Arcade	Reviews
Automated Projects	Artwork	Frontend Support Forums	Pinball	Forum Discussion	Old Boards
Raspberry Pi & Dev Board	controls.dat	Linux	Miscellaneous Arcade	Wiki Discussion	Old Archives
Lightguns	Arcade1Up	Try the site in https mode		Site News


Unread posts \| New Replies \| Recent posts \| Rules \| Chatroom \| Wiki \| File Repository \| RSS \| Submit news