To restore or convert?

[no_chocobo]

This is my first post here and I've got a weird situation....

I was driving along my route for work one day (in Detroit for Comcast) and I turned a corner and couldn't believe what I saw. There was an arcade cabinet laying on the curb of an abandoned house. I was actually planning on buying an old cabinet to turn into a MAME machine in the next month anyway, so I thought this was perfect. I got out an looked at it, and it ended up being a 1978 Super Breakout in really good condition. There is some woodwork issues on the top corners, but the marquee and bezel are in near perfect condition and the artwork is great too. Once I got it home I tested the controls with a multimeter and they all work as far as I can tell, even the coin mechs still work. It even had the instruction sheet inside of it. Unfortunately The monitor was cracked and the PCB was nowhere to be found.

This seemed like the perfect cabinet for me to convert, but after I got to cleaning it up, I realized that it might not be the best idea to go drilling extra holes in a 30+ year old cabinet that is in pretty good shape.

I'm still looking to make a MAME cabinet this month, and would like some advice on what to do. I'm completely open to sell or trade this for a cabinet that wouldn't be missed if I converted it.

Thanks in advance!

 no_chocobo

[orion]

If you can find the boards and the monitor restore that puppy! (I don't think that will be very hard at all )If not then definitely trade it to someone else who can restore it. Super breakout is a fun game! Congrats on the free score! SWEET!!!!

[RayB]

Personally, I would restore. You said yourself, it's in great condition. It's not exactly a high demand game, so the boards may turn up cheap at some point. It's going to be a matter of patience rather than spending big bucks. Everything turns up on Ebay eventually. Just set yourself an auto search notification on Ebay.

Here is the manual, to get you started: http://www.quarterarcade.com/Game.aspx/1562

www.quarterarcade.com has a Breakout board, but i dont know if it's interchangeable with the controls and wiring harness of Super Breakout.

[no_chocobo]

I'd much rather trade it, I only have room for one, maybe two cabinets in the basement.

Where is the best place to trade something like this?

[RayB]

I'd much rather trade it, I only have room for one, maybe two cabinets in the basement.

Where is the best place to trade something like this?

You could cross the bridge into Windsor, then keep driving for about 2 hrs and drop it off at my house.
:-)

[sfrascella]

Where is the best place to trade something like this?

You might try posting it on craigslist. There are quite a few people in SE Michigan in the hobby.

[Level42]

Or try KLOV forum, there are a lot of collectors overthere. Converting a Break-out would be a real shame, get a generic Jamma cab and "fire at will"

[no_chocobo]

I snapped a couple pics of the cabinet. I tried listing it locally and I only had one offer; to give it away for free.

I found a cheap JAMMA cabinet with a good monitor, it was originally a Boot Camp, then a Gauntlet, and its now WWF Wrestlefest. The cabinet is in decent shape, and the monitor is great.

I wanted to eventually get another cabinet for vertical oriented games. Would it break cabinet restoration rules if I use the Breakout as a MAME cabinet, but build it a new control panel and put in a color monitor? I woudlnt really damage the cabinet and I'd be able to sell it off if someone wanted it without hurting the condition.

[Mauzy]

I've always thought it would be better to MAME something without damaging the original components than to pitch or leave the machine to sit. I would think if you don't screw with the art or any game specific component (i.e. painting over art, drilling an undrilled original panel) then you would be fine.

[Jack Burton]

It's over 30 years old.  I don't think you should MAME it, not to mention that it probably wouldn't even make a good candidate for conversion. 

Keep the cab and look for something else to MAME, or build a cab yourself.  Once you have your new cab up and running the itch to do a dedicated restore will eventually kick in and you'll be all set.

[srarcade]

That's a great find! I would say restore it a bit for a arcade auction but if it's dead it won't go for much. I will agree and say your best bet is to let the guys on the KLOV forums have a stab at it, i'm sure a collector would love to add it to their collection while funding you for a proper mame project.

[Steve]

If your able, then RESTORE 

Looks like a good find

[csa3d]

It's over 30 years old.  I don't think you should MAME it, not to mention that it probably wouldn't even make a good candidate for conversion. 

Keep the cab and look for something else to MAME, or build a cab yourself.  Once you have your new cab up and running the itch to do a dedicated restore will eventually kick in and you'll be all set.

Just to play devil's advocate, if I had the option of giving Grandpa a few years of new life.. but didn't quite like him.. and had the option of turning him into a super awesome robot from the future.. that would be tough call!   


-csa

[RayB]

Sorry I couldn't find something for you...

[ken_cinder]

Must restore or get it to someone who will. Don't MAME that thing!

That game is older than me! I'm no avid collector and I wouldn't even dream of MAME'ing that.

[CheffoJeffo]

Just to play devil's advocate, if I had the option of giving Grandpa a few years of new life.. but didn't quite like him.. and had the option of turning him into a super awesome robot from the future.. that would be tough call!   

Remember the crap you got for MAIMing that Galaxian ?

Galaxian is a fairly common cab. This ain't.

[csa3d]

Just to play devil's advocate, if I had the option of giving Grandpa a few years of new life.. but didn't quite like him.. and had the option of turning him into a super awesome robot from the future.. that would be tough call!   

Remember the crap you got for MAIMing that Galaxian ?

Galaxian is a fairly common cab. This ain't.

Yes.  I remember it well.  And once I'm done the flying circuit for Grandpa, he'll be pretty close to Iron Man.  J/K

Here's my question then:  Why would you even pick up a cab you were confused over what it's end product should be?  If you LOVE Super Breakout then restore it.  If not, ditch it.  I will say this, "doing my Galaxian thing over again, it would have been 20 times easier to build the cab from scratch given the modifications I had to make to the cab."  There, I said it.

If you bought the cab because you like it's shape, grab yourself a router and cut out a duplicate of one of the sides.  Then get some important measurements, and sell off the cab to someone who will restore it.  In the end, you'll save yourself time tearing it down, cleaning it up, just to begin new construction.

-csa

[SirPeale]

Here's my question then:  Why would you even pick up a cab you were confused over what it's end product should be? 

Maybe because he just got into the hobby and is so excited, he'll take anything?

The first cab I got was a heavily water damaged Taito classic cab.  Empty.  I wanted it for the coin door, but thought I might perhaps fix it up.   It was just too far gone, and met it's end with a sledgehammer.

[no_chocobo]

Sorry I haven't been on here, work is crazy lately.....

I didn't buy the breakout cabinet, it was literally laying on the side of the road. If I ever get time I'll post it on KLOV but so far the only offer i got on craigslist was for someone to take it for free. I've got another cabinet for a first project now, so breakout is not in danger yet. On the other hand, I've for a solution worked out so that if I do mame it, it'd be back in original condition in less that 20 minutes. I didn't plan on modding any of the the stock parts at all.