The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls

Arcade Collecting => Restorations & repair => Topic started by: Hexigonz on May 23, 2018, 03:03:58 pm

Title: Picked up a Free Cosmic Guerilla Today
Post by: Hexigonz on May 23, 2018, 03:03:58 pm
Hello everyone!

I am new here and joined because I picked up this Cosmic Guerilla cabinet today after everyone in my office got tired of looking at it. It hasn't worked since I started here about a year ago and I want to restore the cab. I'm on the fence about whether or not to restore the game itself, or swap in an RPI and some new controls. I've got an extra one laying around, so who knows. It's pretty beat up, apparently has a ROM on it that isn't CG, and someone swapped in a Moon Eagle Marquee.

(https://i.imgur.com/UIFKuWl.jpg)

Anyways, I don't have much experience with woodworking, and I've only done light solder work before. Looking to learn a lot here. So far my progress is getting it into my wife's SUV and I learned that these things weigh way more than I thought. Also I checked the counter (I don't know how accurate they are) but apparently this thing has had  32,000 quarters inserted! So cool. Anyways, looking forward to this project and joining this community! 
Title: Re: Picked up a Free Cosmic Guerilla Today
Post by: Ian on May 24, 2018, 06:44:17 pm
Oh.... Man it's a Universal cabinet! That thing is like my grail! Always wanted to fix one up. I love the shape of those. Please don't put a pi in it... Please don't mess with the controls. You could probably put that thing on craigslist and trade it for a decent Golden Tee shell. Or sell it as is. This is an arcade gem in my opinion!
Title: Re: Picked up a Free Cosmic Guerilla Today
Post by: Ian on May 24, 2018, 06:44:47 pm
Where do you live? Anywhere in Wi by chance?  >:D
Title: Re: Picked up a Free Cosmic Guerilla Today
Post by: Mike A on May 24, 2018, 07:11:04 pm
I second that thought. Don't wreck that cab.
Title: Re: Picked up a Free Cosmic Guerilla Today
Post by: yotsuya on May 24, 2018, 10:44:06 pm
Restore that one - the Universal cabs are like works of art!
Title: Re: Picked up a Free Cosmic Guerilla Today
Post by: Hexigonz on May 25, 2018, 03:17:44 pm
Oh.... Man it's a Universal cabinet! That thing is like my grail! Always wanted to fix one up. I love the shape of those. Please don't put a pi in it... Please don't mess with the controls. You could probably put that thing on craigslist and trade it for a decent Golden Tee shell. Or sell it as is. This is an arcade gem in my opinion!
I second that thought. Don't wreck that cab.
Restore that one - the Universal cabs are like works of art!

The more I tear in to it and find little bits and pieces of it's history, the more I want to restore it. It's just really beat up, but if I'm patient I'm sure I could make it happen. I was heavily leaning towards the PI, leaving the controls, and making it boot in to cosmic guerilla, but if you guys really think I've got something special here, I will try to restore as much as possible. As far as the cab itself goes, I'm planning on restoring, no painting over or modifying or anything.

Where do you live? Anywhere in Wi by chance?  >:D

I do not! I live in FL haha

I started tearing in to this thing yesterday. Got the marquee out. Wanted to start somewhere simple so I'm stripping the rust and old paint off the marquee retainer rails and repainting them black, as well as ordering a reproduction CG marquee. Will start taking the monitor and boards apart this evening.
Title: Re: Picked up a Free Cosmic Guerilla Today
Post by: Mike A on May 25, 2018, 04:09:18 pm
Score one for the good guys.
Title: Re: Picked up a Free Cosmic Guerilla Today
Post by: Ian on May 25, 2018, 04:12:10 pm
It is great news... I am sure there are local collectors in your area that can help. This isn't the best site for that unfortunately. I would head over to KLOV. https://forums.arcade-museum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=9

There is a large Restoration community there. But yes I say you have something very special.

Ian
Title: Re: Picked up a Free Cosmic Guerilla Today
Post by: Hexigonz on May 25, 2018, 05:40:56 pm
Thanks for the tip, I will check out their community as well!
Title: Re: Picked up a Free Cosmic Guerilla Today
Post by: TimothyC on June 14, 2018, 09:43:43 pm
Here's a more active Florida board:

http://www.villagebbs.com/forum/index.php (http://www.villagebbs.com/forum/index.php)

There are many there that can offer tips and potentially help in person as well. 

Also, you'll definitely want to make plans to visit http://wp.freeplayflorida.com/ (http://wp.freeplayflorida.com/) in Orlando this fall too (Nov 9th - 11th).  You'll find 200+ classic pinball and arcade games all set to free play for the weekend.  It's a great show that attracts people from all over so it's worth the trip. 

Good luck with your project!