Jesder

A HUGE thank you to @Cursed and @Queen Of Shots for opening up your lovely home and hosting a wonderful night. You guys are awesome! Thank you to @ztdgz also for being our driver :) I'd also like to thank @Haggis Pinball for bringing out Celts for everyone to check out and play too. You guys have done an amazing job for your first pin and I wish you every success!

It's time to cast my attention to the top area of the Dracula playfield. This section contains quite a few assemblies that will need to be looked at. There are assemblies for a drop target, three pop bumpers, a VUK, ramp diverter and also a ramp lift. When you add all that to the assemblies covered in the previous two updates, it's amazing how much they crammed in to the game. Can you imagine Stern putting this much in to a single game these days? It would give their number crunching team nightmares. There's a lot of work to get through, so time to get started. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_playfield_start_1.jpg The first thing that needs to be removed is the coffin. The tinted plastic and rubber Dracula figure remove easily to reveal a small lamp board. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_coffin_remove_1.jpg The outer coffin plastic is removed next, revealing the VUK chute and small ramp. The metal rail was removed at this point too. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_coffin_remove_2.jpg The base plate for the coffin was then removed, giving me better access to the plastics below. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_coffin_remove_3.jpg Then I was able to remove the rear ramp, opening the area right up for further disassembly. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_coffin_remove_4.jpg The plastic from the top left of the playfield was removed next. The playfield isn't too filthy in this area. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_left_plastics_removed.jpg The pop bumper area is quite filthy (check out the filth on the playfield surrounding those lane switches!). Luckily the pop bumper area is covered in mylar which has protected the playfield from wear over the years. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_dirty_popbumper_playfield.jpg There's heavy ball trail marks around the orbit shot. I'm fairly confident this will clean away nicely though. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_orbit_ball_trails.jpg There is a 3 bank of stand up targets I need to look at too. One of the targets has taken a real beating over time, with a nice chip missing from the target itself. In fact all 3 targets have been hammered as the metal arm behind each one has been bent backwards from repeated hits. The broken target is interesting as it looks like it's been painted yellow at some point in the past and has a hack metal support post attached. Not sure what the yellow paint was designed to do as it's only going to crack and peel (as it has done). http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_broken_target_closeup_1.jpg Below the playfield we can see that it's certainly different from the others and has been worked on in the past. No matter though as the owner wanted all 3 replaced anyway (as with the other 3 bank done in the last update). I'll come back to these shortly. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_broken_target_closeup_2.jpg The upper left section of the playfield was stripped, along with the skill shot lanes. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_left_playfield_stripped.jpg On the rear panel of the playfield there is a plastic piece for the "Skill Shot". It has 3 lamps that sit behind it and I found one was missing the small black screw in socket (middle). I have a tub of these in different sizes so will replace this and also add an LED. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_rear_panel_lamp_missing.jpg Now to strip the upper right side of the playfield. The plastic pieces were removed first. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_right_plastic_removed.jpg The upper right side of the playfield was now stripped bare, ready for cleaning. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_right_playfield_stripped.jpg The upper playfield was now mostly empty, except for the pop bumpers and a layer of filth. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_playfield_stripped.jpg The playfield for cleaned up with Nifti, Novus 2 and then Novus 1. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_playfield_cleaned.jpg The cleaning successfully removed the heavy ball trail along the orbit. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_orbit_swirl_cleaned.jpg Now was a good time to replace the targets on the upper target bank. The 3 old stand up targets were removed and replaced with new ones. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_target_bank_replaced.jpg Before I progress with the pop bumpers, there was a small task on my to do list that had been on my radar for the last week. The wood on the rear panel of the playfield has a nice split along the left side of it. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_rear_panel_split.jpg This was filled with wood glue and then clamped for 24 hours. Now it's looking much healthier. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_rear_panel_fixed.jpg Time to get those pop bumpers off the machine so the final section of playfield can be cleaned. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_popbumpers_start.jpg The pop bumpers were disassembled and removed from the game. As is often the case, filth loves to collect on the playfield in this area. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_popbumpers_playfield_dirty.jpg The usual combo of Nifti, Novus 2 and Novus 1 made light work of the filth though and the playfield cleaned up nicely. Thankfully the large mylar piece in this area has protected the playfield artwork from damage. There's a small amount of bubbling with the mylar over the white and yellow inserts of the left side (leading to the hole). http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_popbumpers_playfield_clean.jpg Something interesting I noticed when removing the pop bumpers was one of the shanks that the pop bumper assemblies attach to was missing from the playfield. I have some spares, so will replace this when installing the cleaned pop bumper assemblies shortly. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_popbumper_shank_missing.jpg Before I can begin rebuilding the playfield, there are still a few assemblies I need to work through. The drop target assembly was up next for cleaning. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_droptarget_assembly_dirty.jpg The assembly was dissembled and all parts cleaned. A new black drop target piece and coil sleeve were purchased to replace the old ones. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_droptarget_assembly_clean.jpg The coffin VUK assembly was up next. A new coil sleeve and rubber grommet were purchased to replace the old ones. The new grommet is missing from the photo as it sneakily rolled out of view (that's what I get for using steep pinball machines as tables). http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_large_vuk_clean.jpg The ramp lift assembly was removed next for cleaning. This assembly is made up of 2 coils. First is a large one used to lift the ramp, which then locks the post in place. A second smaller coil is then used to release the post so the ramp lowers again. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_ramp_lift_assembly_dirty.jpg The ramp lift assembly was disassembled and cleaned. A new coil sleeve was purchased to replace the old one. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_ramp_lift_assembly_clean.jpg One last assembly to look at before the pop bumpers - the ramp diverter. This post moves vertically to guide the ball down a different path when engaged. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_ramp_diverter_clean.jpg Time to get the pop bumpers cleaned up and ready to rebuild. Earlier, I had removed all the parts and set them aside for cleaning. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_popbumpers_dirty.jpg As is often the case, at least one of the metal yokes were broken on the pop bumpers. As a rule, I always replace these anyway. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_popbumpers_brokenyoke.jpg All metal parts went into the tumbler for cleaning. Lots of new parts were purchased - caps, bodies, coil sleeves, lamp sockets, yokes (metal & fiber) and skirts. I also purchased new switch spoons to replace the old ones. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_popbumpers_clean.jpg The playfield parts for the top left section of the playfield were next for cleaning. All small metal pieces went through the tumbler. New star posts, single posts and lane guides were purchased to replace the old ones. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_left_playfield_parts_clean.jpg The large metal orbit guide was cleaned next, along with the playfield parts that sit behind the upper 3 target bank. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_target_posts_clean.jpg The playfield parts for the upper right section of the playfield were cleaned next. Again, all metal pieces went through the tumbler and new star posts were purchased. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_right_playfield_parts_clean.jpg Finally, the lift ramp parts were cleaned up, ready to be installed. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lift_ramp_clean.jpg Since all the assemblies and playfield parts were now clean, it's time to start rebuilding the upper playfield. The pop bumper bodies were installed first, followed by the posts, rails, rubbers and LED's. The pop bumper switch spoons were installed and the lamp sockets wired up. The pop bumper assemblies below the playfield were installed next, along with the metal rings. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_playfield_rebuilt_1.jpg http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_upper_playfield_rebuilt_2.jpg This update has filled up quicker than I had expected. The playfield is now really coming together. In the next update, I'll be cleaning up all the plastics, along with cleaning and installing all the ramps and rails that were removed in earlier updates. There's a few other presentation things to cover too which I can hopefully fit in to the next update.

I kept my phone with me all day yesterday, hoping to receive the call. I've kept it with me again today. Day is ticking away... Come on Bruce - I want to hear your voice ;) -edit- Having just said that, AMD have posted on their Instagram account a photo of the LE box saying it's now arrived. Hopefully my Pro was in that container too :D

Thank you so much for the Birthday wishes - I really appreciate them! You guys are legends :D

I had a lot of fun playing it at your meet a few weeks back. I'm surprised you're letting this go to be honest.

Love your work mate!

Good to hear - glad I ordered a shaker motor with mine. I'm considering organising a PinSub for mine too. Does anyone local sell them? I just need November 14th to haul arse so I can get mine :D

Information can be found here: https://www.aussiearcade.com/showthread.php/88735-Aussie-Arcade-Trading-Rules-10 Basically you'll need to be a member for 6 months (which you have been) and also have 50 posts. Or you can do a donation to the site for an account upgrade that gets you full access straight away.

I went into the first update with quite a bit of momentum, but that was slowed down somewhat for this second update. As is often the case, life enjoys serving up a combination of things like family events, illness and work all at once to get in the way. What I've taken to doing though is breaking all the bigger tasks down into many smaller tasks (and breaking them down even further into more smaller tasks) that can be done independently. That way even if I only have 20 minutes in a day to make some progress, I can select a handful of small tasks to do which helps keep progress happening. In this update I'll be focusing on the middle section of the playfield. There's a number of assemblies on both sides to look at which should fill this update up pretty quickly. Both sides have large plastic moulds that help decorate the playfield and bring it to life. There are also a few ramps and rails that will need to be removed at this point as they will be in the way. Time to get in to it. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_playfield_start.jpg I decided to start with the left side of the playfield. The large plastic housing here is used to decorate the playfield and also cover up some of the rails and assemblies. It's attached with a few screws, so is simple to remove. The large metal rail will also need to be removed now to get it out of the way. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_left_start.jpg Below the housing, we find a VUK that feeds a ball onto the large rail. There's also the receiving end of the mist ball, a scoop and a 3 bank of targets. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_left_sculpt_removed.jpg The plastic and VUK wireform were removed next. The playfield below isn't too dirty. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_left_plastic_removed.jpg The remaining playfield parts were removed and set aside for cleaning. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_left_playfield_stripped.jpg There are two sets of target banks on the game. The second set (which i'll cover in the next update) has a broken target on it. When dropping the machine off, the owner requested a full set of new stand up targets to be installed on each. The old targets were replaced one by one. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_left_standup_targets_new.jpg The first assembly to look at from this section of the playfield is the VUK. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_left_vuk_start.jpg The VUK was disassembled and all parts cleaned. A new coil sleeve and rubber grommet were purchased to replace the old ones. The two optos were also wiped clean to remove and filth. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_left_vuk_clean.jpg The other assembly from this section of the playfield was the scoop. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_left_scoop_dirty.jpg The scoop was disassembled and the parts cleaned. Again a new coil sleeve and rubber grommet were purchased to replace the old ones. The two optos were also wiped clean to remove and filth. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_left_scoop_clean.jpg Since the playfield was stripped, now was a perfect time to clean it up. Nifti, Novus 2 and Novus 1 cleaned it up nicely. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_left_playfield_clean.jpg The small metal playfield parts went through the tumbler for cleaning, while the large piece was cleaned by hand. New red star posts were purchased, along with blue post sleeves. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_left_playfield_parts_clean.jpg The metal wireform that sits above the VUK was cleaned and then the playfield parts were assembled back into position. A clear washer was added to the corners to help prevent future breaking of the plastic. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_playfield_rebuilt_1.jpg The game was powered on to test the switches on the replaced targets and optos in the area. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_playfield_rebuilt_2.jpg I'll be leaving the plastic piece off for now until I'm ready to get the ramps back on. While I had the game switched on, I went in to test mode and checked the new targets along with the opto switches that were touched as part of the cleaning to ensure they were all working correctly. Now that the left side was complete, it's time to look at the right. This section has a number of assemblies that will need to be cleaned up, along with several ramps and rails to remove. First up is a rail that leads to a 3 ball lock. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_right_start.jpg The large plastic decoration was removed first. There's a set of 3 optos here and an up/down post that form the lock. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_right_houseremoved.jpg The rail and large ramp were removed next, which will now allow me clear access to the right side of the playfield. It also opens up access to the top area for the next update. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_playfield_large_ramp_removed.jpg The plastic was removed next, showing some very tired looking rubbers. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_playfield_plastic_removed.jpg The small plastic ramp and playfield parts were removed next and set aside for cleaning. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_right_parts_removed.jpg The remaining metal rails were removed, along with the metal ramp. The playfield in this area was now stripped ready for cleaning. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_right_playfield_dirty.jpg Nifti, Novus 2 and Novus 1 made easy work of the filth and it was looking nice again. Now to get the assemblies and parts cleaned up so it can be rebuilt. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_right_playfield_clean.jpg The game hasn't always been stored in the best conditions over it's life. There is noticeable corrosion across a number of the metal parts within assemblies and general metal parts below the playfield. Some lamp sockets have developed quite a bit of rust. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_corroded_lamps.jpg For the sockets that are worst hit, I'm replacing them. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_corroded_lamps_2.jpg The metal rails and ramp were up next for cleaning. This is the ramp that lifts and allows the game to load the mist captive ball. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_mistball_ramp_rails.jpg Gearing up to start rebuilding the playfield, the playfield parts were gathered together. All metal parts went through the tumbler for cleaning. New red star posts were purchased, along with sleeve posts. The old burnt flashers will be replaced with new #89's. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_right_playfield_parts.jpg The 3 ball lock post assembly and mist ball gate were up next for cleaning. The metal parts went through the tumbler and new coil sleeves were purchased to replace the old ones. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_ball_lock_post_assembly_clean.jpg http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_mist_ball_gate_assembly_clean.jpg The next assembly to look at is the scoop that sits in front of the mist ball. The scoop was disassembled and cleaned. A new coil sleeve and rubber grommet were purchased to replace the old ones. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_right_scoop_clean.jpg Last assembly for cleaning was the ramp lift assembly. A new coil sleeve and rubber grommet were purchased to replace the old ones. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_shooterramp_lift_assembly.jpg The nylon section of the original plunger had a crack through one side, so this was replaced. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_shooterramp_lift_broken.jpg With all the assemblies, parts and playfield now cleaned, it was time to rebuild everything on the right side of the playfield. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_playfield_right_rebuilt_1.jpg The game was then switched on and the opto switches tested to ensure they were aligned correctly. As with the left side, i'll be leaving the plastic piece off for now until I'm ready to get the ramps back on. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_middle_playfield_right_rebuilt_3.jpg The the major stuff for this update covered off. I'd like to include a few smaller tasks too. First up are the 2 subway ramps that live below the playfield. These ramps love to collect filth over years of use and are rarely cleaned. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_subway_ramps_dirty.jpg Nifti, Novus 2 and Novus 1 cleaned both ramps up nicely and they are ready to go back onto the machine. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_subway_ramps_clean.jpg While on the subject of the subway ramps, there are two metal catchers that collect the ball and feed it into the subway ramps. One of these has taken a ready belting over the years with one of the metal arms used to attach it to the playfield being broken. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_subway_ballcatch_broken.jpg On the underside, you can see a large visible dent made from the ball hitting it so often. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_subway_ballcatch_broken_2.jpg The arm was welded back onto the catcher (thanks to Dirty Daz for the help there) and is now ready to be installed back into the game. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_subway_ballcatch_fixed.jpg One last thing to round out this update is cleaning the lamp boards. These boards love to collect black dust, so each was removed and cleaned. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lampboards_cleaned.jpg While I clean the lamp boards, I also clean the underside of each insert. These also love to collect black dust. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lamp_inserts_dirty.jpg A quick wipe with some isopropyl alcohol and a cloth gets them looking clean again. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lamp_inserts_clean.jpg That's another long winded update completed. In the next update I'll be focusing on the upper playfield area and removing just about everything (if not all) that covers it. I'll be rebuilding the pop bumpers, ramp assembly and drop target assemblies. The three bank of targets need to be done too, along with playfield cleaning. I think there's enough work left to do on the game to provide content for another two updates.

I'm looking for a Gottlieb Big House manual to hopefully help sort out a lovely switch matrix issue. If anyone can help out, please let me know :)

Thanks for the offer mate! I spoke with the owner and he was happy to leave it as is with the red. Love how they look though and it's the sort of attention to detail you're well known for! This one is simply red Sharpie with slow and deliberate strokes. I've used a couple of different paints in the past for touching up faded red before and I've never really been happy with the results of paint on decals. I had planned to not touch the red since it's not a restore, but I was recommended to give a red sharpie a go since it's a small area. After trialing it on a small patch and leaving it for a few days, it seemed to look fine. How it lasts down the track - I'm not sure. I wouldn't use this for larger areas though. I've not used glass paint before, so thanks for mentioning that. I'll have to look in to it and perhaps give it go in the future. I printed up some spares so can send a couple your way next time I'm going to the post office. Hoping to get the next update posted sometime next week.

I recently fixed a couple of issues with the engine. Which version of Corvette did you buy? There were two models released, the second has a small adjustment pot beneath the engine that can be tweaked in test mode to get engine tuned. I'm not sure if there are other changes, but the later models have the adjustment pot and extra test feature T.18. If your game has the debug option T.18 - ZR1 Adjust, then you can give this a try - see page one of this document: https://www.ipdb.org/files/570/Bally_1994_Corvette_Manual_Amendment_16_9890.pdf Basically with the coin door closed and the game in the T.18 test, you adjust the pot. You will see the engine move left or right (depending on the direction you adjust). You want to adjust the engine back to the center. Then try the normal engine test. The second issue I fixed was replacing a faulty chip on one of the boards that was causing 2 of the engine coils to lock on constantly. Sounds like Ken would have sorted that out already though.

Thanks so much Daz & family for hosting a wonderful night. Great games, food, drink and company - everyone enjoyed themselves! Nice work with the fire drum too - was nice sitting around that at various points through the night.

Give this a bump as I'm still not sleeping well ;)

A comment on pinside today mentioned there is a code update coming with a setting to toggle the soft call outs - so hopefully that update also advances the ruleset further. Nothing official, but it makes sense to implement it and hopefully they use the opportunity to advance the rule set further. I posted some more thoughts on bugs/improvements over there last week and will post here too: Bugs -------------- - Extra Ball lit / Extra Ball awarded play out of sequence. If you get the ball into the lock behind the shield before the extra ball is lit animation plays, it will play the extra ball awarded screen first. In this scenario it doesn't make sense to play the extra ball is lit animation at all, but at a minimum they should play in the correct order. - On occasions the game will add a second player on a single press of either the start or lockdown bar buttons. - On occasions during multiball, the ball can drain on the left side while the ball save insert is lit and not serve up a ball (despite the insert lamp then switching off). - Lights off for mystery award during multiball. Not sure if this is a bug or something to be improved, but the lights off for collecting mystery during multiball makes it very easy to lose track of the balls in play. You could argue it adds some challenge, but it feels more like a punishment for collecting mystery during multiball - especially when you're potentially only getting 250K or 750K in some cases. - On occasions the auto launch coil will fire to launch the ball moments after I've lanched it by plunger. I haven't seen anyone else mention this, so maybe it's specific to my machine. - Average Scores audit value continues to show 00, so this is never updated. - Activating first mini wizard (retro) mode while completing a mode will have the retro soundtrack begin playing over the mode complete music and sfx. Improvements ----------------- - Soft call outs drastically minimised and/or ability to switch off completely. These happen way to much. They start at only the third realm. I almost want to list it as a bug since they are so frequent at this point. It's still a few boses away from the castle yet the Black Knight becomes incredibly soft only mid way through the journey. I don't mind the idea of them as a bit of an easter egg or joke right at the end. But it completely kills the bad ass image of the Black Knight to be cracking so early and so fast. - Better awards for mystery. The 250K and 750K awards feel worthless and need to be boosted. Some additional ideas: Advance Triple Knights ball lock, fill sword power, extra ball. - Two monsters per realm to increase variety. This is a big ask as it means additional graphical and audio assets along with additional monster "behavior" during the mode. But since the playfield inserts only reference the realm name, an extra monster could be added per realm and have it choose one at random to face without it feeling out of place. - Open up some forgiveness on the left/right drains straight off the central and light lock targets. If I drain from a missed shot off a post, then that's my fault. But so many times I hit the central knight target or the light lock target only to see the ball drain down the left/right side within half a second, I've got no chance to counter it. You could say "get better", but it happens so fast I feel punished for playing the shots to advance the game. Give me a health bar or something that to help counter those immediate drains off the targets. - The point reward for a successful magna save is only around 550K I think. I'd like to see this bumped up. Maybe even a high score screen for number of saves per game. - Add a call out from the Black knight if you try to activate the magna save when it's not active. Basically have him rub it in that you can't use it. - Display the Triple Knights Challenge lock status on the main screen. I think you can view it within the instant info pages, but it would be nice to see it on screen in a small section somewhere the can be viewed at any point. It would only need to display 2 small orbs for the lock status (no need for a third since that starts multiball). - A smaller 2 ball multiball mode. Something where you're encouraged to go all out attack on the Black Knight for 30 - 60 seconds. Unlimited balls. Attack the flail, Knight and shield as much as possible in the time limit. Orbits / spinners to increase hit value, etc. Perhaps a shot to extra boost sword power for the next monster. There are probably a few more things that don't come to mind at the moment. I haven't reached the second Knight retro mode or faced off against the black knight, so can't comment on improvements for those modes. I would like to see a little more done with the first retro mode in terms of scoring / rules. Not sure what exactly though. Spelling Knight twice feels like a huge ask (I think my best was 1 letter short). I think there is more that can be done with the game. It's a lot of fun though and has me coming back for more punishment almost daily.

The Black Knight topper looks great :D I love how it animates to the gameplay speech.

I have to wait until mid November for my Pro, but a nice set of art blades arrived today :D

I didn't get one. Luckily though, I know the way down to Death Save City, where the tilts are off and scores are pretty ;)

With work coming to a close on Corvette, it was time to start giving some attention to the next machine in the queue. Next up is a Bram Stoker's Dracula. The game was originally released back in 1993, with over 6800 machines made. This one has some great shots on it and plenty to do. I'll be giving the game a full rebuild, with all assemblies to be removed, cleaned and worn parts replaced. All playfield parts will be removed, cleaned and many new parts added also. There are some additional presentation things to do on the game too, so this one is going to keep me busy. Time to get started! http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_start.jpg Before starting work on cleaning the game up, I went over it looking at what parts would be needed to help lift its presentation. This resulted in a couple of orders with local suppliers and a nice pile of new parts ready to install. The owner came prepared with a set of red Titan rubbers which he wants installed, along with LED's for the headbox. Most of the inserts are already lit using LED's, but the few that aren't will be converted as I work through the game. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_parts_arrived.jpg As always, I like to start working at the lower section of the playfield and move my way up. So the first area to get an overhaul is the apron. The metal apron itself is in excellent condition and will only need a slight clean and new apron cards. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_apron_start.jpg Below the apron I found there was quite a bit of crap built up on all the metal parts. I noticed under the playfield some corrosion and rust on a few lamp sockets and metal parts too. I'll do what I can to clean it all up though. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_apron_removed.jpg There was a thin layer of dust across the surface. I've seen far worse than this though and this will wipe away easy. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_apron_dust.jpg The playfield area under the apron was stripped back, with all assemblies and playfield parts removed. The ball trough was also removed from under the playfield too. Lots of black dust and filth around the outhole kicker and ball launch assemblies. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_apron_stripped.jpg The metal parts from the apron were cleaned. When you compare them to the state they were in on the playfield a few photos back, they are looking much better. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_apron_parts_cleaned.jpg The playfield surface was next to be cleaned. Use of Nifti, Novus 2 and then Novus 1 got through the filth and now has the playfield surface looking great. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_apron_playfield_cleaned.jpg The 3 assemblies from the area were cleaned up next. New coil sleeves and rubber grommets were purchased to replace the old ones. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_apron_assemblies_clean.jpg I decided to replace the ball launch coil bracket. These things take a real beating over time and now seemed like the best time to replace the $1 part. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_shooter_bracket_replaced.jpg The assemblies were installed back onto the playfield, along with the metal parts making up the trough. Looks so much cleaner now. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_apron_rebuilt.jpg When the owner dropped the machine off, he made mention of wanting the lock down bar receiver to get a face lift. It's certainly seen better days. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lockbar_receiver_dirty_1.jpg http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lockbar_receiver_dirty_2.jpg The receiver was removed and the rust cleaned off it. It was then sprayed red and finished with a clear, which I felt works well with the theme. I also printed up a new voltage warning decal. The two metal arms from the playfield that rest in the receiver were also removed and the corrosion cleaned away. It's a presentation thing that you will rarely ever see - probably only you're lifting the playfield really - but it's nice to be greeted with when you do. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lockbar_receiver_rebuilt.jpg The apron itself was cleaned up next. The metal bar removed and scrubbed clean. New apron cards were printed up and laminated. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_apron_cleaned.jpg The apron was then installed back into the game to complete the work on the apron area. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_apron_completed.jpg I wanted to shift away from the playfield for a moment and look at the coin door. Since we had some nice weather, it seemed like a good time to freshen this up before the wet weather continued on again. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_coindoor_start.jpg The door was disassembled and removed from the game. It was then given 3 coats of satin black and two coats of clear. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_coindoor_painted.jpg I love adding custom pricing inserts to the coin reject buttons. It's a little something that helps a game stand out from others. After making up a couple, they were printed and installed. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_coindoor_buttondecal.jpg The coin door was then installed back into the cabinet and reassembled. The two red bolts are for the lock down bar receiver. I decided to do these in red to try and bring a little more colour to the front panel. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_coindoor_completed.jpg Time to switch back to the playfield. Next up will the flippers and sling shots. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lowerplayfield_start.jpg The plastics and return lanes were removed first. The rubbers are begging to be replaced. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lowerplayfield_start_2.jpg The lower playfield area was stripped with both the sling shot and flipper assemblies removed from the playfield. All posts and rubbers were removed too. The playfield surface is pretty clean, with just a thin layer of filth covering it. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lower_playfield_cleaned.jpg The flippers assemblies were up next for cleaning. New flipper bats, rubbers, plungers, sleeves, grommets and bushings were purchased to replace the old ones. When removing the assemblies from the playfield, I noticed that one of the EOS switches had already been replaced recently. So I only purchased one new EOS to replace the remaining old one. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_flipper_assemblies_clean.jpg It was the sling shot assemblies turn for cleaning. Metal parts went through the tumbler and new sling shot arms were purchased. The old arms both had some damage, so I felt it best to just replace them as they get a lot of use in game. New coil sleeves were also purchased. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_slignshot_assemblies_clean.jpg The playfield parts were next to be cleaned. All metal parts went through the tumbler. New star posts were purchased to replace the old ones. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lower_playfield_parts_clean.jpg The playfield surface was cleaned and then finished with Novus 2 and 1. I then started rebuilding the playfield. I also added clear washers at the pop bumpers to protect the plastics. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lower_playfield_rebuilt_1.jpg The red Titan rubbers were installed, along with the cleaned plastics. The flipper bats also went on to complete the work on the lower playfield. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lower_playfield_rebuilt_2.jpg http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_lower_playfield_rebuilt_3.jpg The owner requested back lit flipper buttons to be added to the machine, so I made up a new set up. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_backlit_flippers_parts.jpg They draw power from the coin door lamp. Once installed they light up nicely. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_backlit_flippers_installed.jpg Although the red on the sides of the cabinet is still good, the front panel was a different story. The red on the logo and "Love Never Dies" text had faded quite a bit. I decided to touch it up. Here I had done half of the logo and you can already see the improvement. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_front_red_start_1.jpg I continued on and once complete, it was looking a nice deep red again. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_front_red_end_1.jpg The "Love Never Dies" text below the coin door had been hit just as bad (if not worse) from fade. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_front_red_start_2.jpg This was touched up to bring back a nice deep red. It makes a HUGE difference. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_front_red_end_2.jpg It's amazing how much filth collects on the rear side of the translite over the years. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_translite_dirty.jpg The translite was removed from the class and gently cleaned to look white again. The glass and black trim were also cleaned. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_translite_clean.jpg To finish up this first update, I wanted to get the headbox LED's installed that the owner dropped off. I made two small changes, with a blue LED where the Williams logo is and an orange LED where the off colour moon is. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_headbox_lit.jpg Lit up, the translite looks excellent. There are a few small marks on the translite that keep it from being perfect, but they are minor. I need to return to this area in a future update and paint the black areas around the headbox to give it a nice clean gloss finish. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/dracula/dracula_translite_lit.jpg That's it for the first update on Dracula. Next up I'll be removing the ramps and rails to access the middle playfield section and then continue on up the playfield to the pop bumpers. I also want to clean the lamp boards below many of the inserts, along with cleaning the underside of each insert. I had hoped to squeeze that in to this update, but it missed out. Another thing I need to look at in the next update are the two subway ramps under the playfield. They are in the way of a few things, so I may as well remove those and clean them up next too. Still quite a bit of work ahead of me as the to do list grows every time I look at the machine. But it's progressing nicely so far - so, until next time!

Time for the final update on Corvette so I can get it back to its owner. At the end of the last update, I had removed everything from the pop bumper area and cleaned the playfield. The leaves just the upper left section of the playfield to strip and clean. This section is home to the engine. It's an interesting feature as the engine revs during game play by rocking left and right. It's used in a few different modes and also you can use the flipper buttons before launching the ball to have the game rev the engine. Beside the engine is also the 3 ball lock. It's normally covered by a large plastic engine piece, but I had removed that weeks ago so I get the rails and ramps off the playfield. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_engine_cage_start.jpg The cage around the engine is attached to a metal frame and is removed via 4 screws. You have to remove the cage to remove the ramp that makes up the rest of the engine area. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_engine_cage_removed.jpg The ramp was removed next, along with the metal rails, posts and globes. The playfield is quite filthy but there is no wear or damage. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_engine_ramp_removed.jpg Now that everything had been removed from the playfield, I decided to clean it. The usual steps of Nifti, Novus 2 and Novus 1 made light work of it and the surface was looking clean again. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_upper_playfield_cleaned.jpg The upper playfield parts were cleaned next. New red posts, lane guides and rubbers were purchased. All small metal parts went through the tumbler while the large rails were cleaned by hand. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_upper_playfield_parts_clean.jpg Only a few assemblies left on the playfield to deal with. First up for this update is the ramp diverter. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_ramp_diverter_start.jpg The spring on the ramp diverter arm was broken, so a new spring was purchased. To replace it, the roll pin needs to be tapped out just enough to get the old spring out and the new one on. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_ramp_diverter_arm_repair.jpg The assembly disassembled and cleaned. A new coil sleeve and bushing were purchased. It was now ready to go back into the game. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_ramp_diverter_clean.jpg The VUK assembly from the pit stop was up next. This was disassembled and cleaned. A new grommet and coil sleeve were purchased to replace the old ones. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_pit_vuk_clean.jpg The plunger also needed to be replaced as the tip was cracking, with a section already broken away. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_pit_vuk_arm_replaced.jpg The small kicker from the ball lock was up next. The metal parts were cleaned by hand and a new grommet and coil sleeve were purchased to replace the old ones. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_ball_lock_kicker_start.jpg http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_ball_lock_kicker_clean.jpg With all the assemblies and playfield parts out of the way, it was time to deal with the pop bumper assemblies. All metal parts went through the tumbler for cleaning. New bodies, caps, skirts, lamp socket, sleeves and yokes were purchased. I'll be putting LED's in the pop bumpers as they are more durable and it can be a real hassle to replace bulbs in pop bumpers that are covered by layers of ramps and rails. Interestingly, one of the pop bumpers does not have a lamp socket. This is by design as it's mostly covered by a large red plastic piece. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_popbumper_parts_clean.jpg The playefield parts from the upper section of the playfield were installed back into the game. The pop bumper assemblies were also installed back into the game. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_popbumper_rebuilt.jpg The engine cage needed a bit of a clean, so I wanted to look at that next. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_engine_cage_dirty.jpg The small metal parts went into the tumbler, while the large parts were cleaned by hand. New rubbers were sourced to replace the old ones. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_engine_cage_clean.jpg Now we're getting down to the final parts for cleaning - the ramps. First up is the skid pad ramp that sits opposite the upper left flipper. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_skidpad_ramp_dirty.jpg The ramp was disassembled and cleaned. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_skidpad_ramp_clean.jpg The large ramp was next up for cleaning. It too was disassembled and all parts cleaned. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_large_ramp_clean.jpg The plastics from the upper playfield area were cleaned next with Novus 2 and 1. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_upper_playfield_plastics_clean.jpg The two plastic pieces from the middle playfield section were up next for cleaning. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_middle_playfield_plastics_clean.jpg The engine cage was installed back onto the playfield, along with the skit pad ramp. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_skidpad_installed.jpg Then the first metal guide (from the pit VUK) was installed, along with the engine ramp. Now it's starting to take shape. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_engine_ramp_installed.jpg I noticed at this point that the red pit stop lamp was not lighting. I began by checking the obvious things like the bulb, the socket and connector. All looked good. I decided to put the game into single lamp test mode and have just the pit lamp triggering. As I cycled through the lamp numbers, I noticed that in several cases there were 2 lamps lighting. That's certainly not right and means something is shorting. I disconnected the Pit lamp and that fixed the issue of multiple lamps triggering. The molex connector on the pit lamp looked fine and no chance of shorting there, so I disconnected it and removed the whole wire. Then I spotted it - right at the very edge where the heat shrink on the wires ended was a nice cut through 3 of the 4 wires. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_shorted_lamp_wires_1.jpg I removed the lamp board and wire from the playfield to fix. There were 3 exposed wires - one of which was barely hanging on. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_shorted_lamp_wires_2.jpg The wires were cut, stripped, soldered and covered with heat shrink. I also changed how the wires fed below the playfield to ensure they would no longer be wedged between the ramp and metal rail. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_shorted_lamp_wires_fixed.jpg The race lamps were the last piece to be cleaned. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_race_lamps_cleaned.jpg With that, the final pieces were installed back on to the playfield and the game was ready for testing. http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_complated_1.jpg http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_complated_2.jpg http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_complated_3.jpg http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_complated_4.jpg http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_complated_5.jpg http://www.enteryourinitials.com/images/corvette/corvette_complated_6.jpg The game has cleaned up very nicely. I also repainted the black around the headbox with gloss black to freshen it up as it was looking worn. A few test games were played and a couple of small issues were found. Some switches needed slight adjustments (mainly the left sling), but other then that, the game was playing nicely. I'll give the game some more testing over the next few days and if everything stays good - it's ready to go home.

I just can't get in to the game :( I've played some nice ones that shoot well, but just can't get in to it. My comment about not playing this particular machine though is more about the extra balls it awards on tap. I remember a few games where Daz picked up 3 or more extra balls on ball one. By the time it was my turn I had restored a machine typed up a full repair thread ;)

Can't pass up a chance to beat Daz on his home turf - I'll be there :) (..will be avoiding games on Addams though).

I dunno, Cursed may be applying a solid bear hug to any offenders during the ejection proceedings. ;)

Indeed, with the movie coming out next year, the original is an 80's theme and it's also a theme Kaneda has mentioned several times as being a dream theme of his - it ticks a few boxes. Time will tell I guess.

I'm going to guess Top Gun. I'd love to guess The Warriors too, although that was released in '79 - so technically not an 80's theme. I love the Warriors movie and would be keen to see what they do with a theme like that.