Long time Mame'r, first time restorer - Need help with Area 51!

[christopherhaag]

Hey all!
I've been building mames for myself and friends for several years now, and decided to dig into some restoration projects. I was able to fix a Capcom bowling by rewiring some broken wires, and felt pretty confident! So I bought an Area 51 - and now im at a loss.

First off, the cab appears to have NO screws in the rear to access the boards or the HD. The front panel likely lifts up, but I need help finding out exactly how....Embarassing.

As for the machine...The monitor powers on, and no caps blew. However, it does make a popping sound occasionally. I'm not sure if this is of concern or not. The monitor lights up a light pink/purple, and there is nothing on the screen. The test/coin buttons do not offer any sort of sound or shift on the screen, so I think I might be faced with a monitor issue as well as a board OR HD issue.

My question is...where do I start? I have a pretty good idea of how to dig through the forums to find the specifics, but right now, I just have a huge wooden box and I don't know which angle to attack it from! I could really use some help  =) Thank you all for your time!

[Cobolisdead]

Open her up and check the power supply is always a good place to start.