What is a Tempest Worth?

[Neverending Project]

How much is a Tempest worth once restored?

I see a listing for a Tempest, but I have no idea of the condition. I am tempted to see what I can get it for, but it may not be worth my time.

[ChadTower]

Check the monitor.  Nearly all of the value is in the monitor.

[Neverending Project]

What if I assume it needs a new monitor. How much to XY monitors run, and will that change the value of the restored cabinet?

[ChadTower]

Check the monitor.  If it is dead and you cannot fix it this is not a candidate for you.  You will not make money on it.

[RayB]

Tested working monitors go around $350-$500

[ChadTower]

If you can find it locally.  I keep reading about shipped monitors arriving destroyed - seems like as many are being killed as are dying now. 

[Fozzy The Bear]

I certainly wouldn't buy a non working tempest unless it was for me, and therefore the cost of any restore didn't matter.

They're not a cab that you're going to make money on if the monitor is dead. Game boards for them are also hard to get hold of, so if you have to repair that as well, then you'd be throwing lots and lots of money at it.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[Neverending Project]

Thanks for the info. If he calls me back I will definitely ask about the monitor.

I think that secretly I want it for myself rather than to make money off it. But it would be nice to know that I could get back what I put into it if I needed.

[paigeoliver]

The parts in a color vector add up to far, far more than the value of a good working machine. Tempest is common, if you want one then buy one that is already working. The market value of a project tempest is invariably much higher than what it will be worth after you are done sinking money in it.

[Magnet_Eye]

If its working, it's certainly worth the $200 he is asking for if you ask me. 

[paigeoliver]

For $200 it is worth it, provided it plays blind and the monitor is all there and it isn't trashed looking. For $200 and dead I would pass on it unless you wanted to part it out, which would make a tiny amount of money on paper, but would be ripping up the game for no reason, as someone else would certainly be willing to just throw all the money at it.

If its working, it's certainly worth the $200 he is asking for if you ask me. 

[Paladin]

Ouch, I replied to the same guy.

For some reason I'm addicted to Tempest restores.  I've done 2 restores from converted machines back to original specs.  Even after getting them up and running they both still developed board/monitor problems.  Nothing worse than getting a game fixed and advertising it as working, then the buyer shows up and something decides to start acting up.  I figure I lost between $350-450 on each of the two I've sold.

I'm finishing my 3rd restore, but it's got a PC and PC monitor inside due to the cost of the original monitor/board/wiring harness.  I saw the same ad you did and decided that for some reason I needed another Tempest project before I've even finished my current one.  I've never bought a Tempest with original parts still in it though, so I thought it would save me some time/money when restoring it.

Still no reply to my email or phone call, so I'm guessing we both missed out on it anyway.

[y2k600f4]

I have a complete tempest. I never had a chance to test it out. Does anyone know an easy way to test the monitor ?

[ChadTower]

Where?  I could find the space for a Tempest project.