Hey all!

  As I mentioned a while back, a friend of mine found a pinball machine in the garbage and picked it up for me. I went to pick it up today, and the best part... FREE!!! Well, let me tell you, my jaw dropped when I saw it...

It's a Williams Laserball. One heavy mother. But it is because of it's condition that it has me wondering why someone threw this out. Here's a breakdown of the condition:

Bottom cabinet is very solid, VERY minor acratches, as if this pin was pulled off a route after barely a year, but not cleaned since. Coindoor doesn't have a scratch. No signs of rust anywhere. Only thing is that the legs are missing... but oddly enough the guy put the bolts back in their holes!!!  

Playfield is quite dirty with some minor wear around the "AE" lights, but otherwise I didn't see any other wear... Body is still in my van so I haven't opened it yet, but gazing through the coindoor opening with a flashlight, even the light sockets don't have any corrosion on them at all!  

Backbox is also solid with barely a paint chip missing! I brought the backbox inside tonight to take a look at the inside, thinking the reason they junked it is in there... Well, it gets even better!!!

First off, the backglass. O....M....G! Apart from 5 or 6 minor "manipulation scratches", all of them being where solid colors are so EASILY retouched, it doesn't even have a single bubbling area or even a heat-crack in the paint!!!!! Red color is vivid and uncracked!!! I have never seen this on an old Williams!!!!

And now ... the boards... well, believe it or not, apart from the typical 3W resistors having gotten quite hot, and the F2 fuse blown (probably a stuck coil under the playfield), not a damn thing!!! Not even a single spot of battery corrosion. They even have been changed recently... the expiry date on the batteries is 2013!!! And there even have been some repairs done by a professional (there is a vendor sticker on the front of the glass) as some connectors have been changed... and a nice job done as well!

This pin will DEFINITELY get a royal treatment!!! It is unbelievable!!! I will post pics tomorrow, and give a better breakdown once I get the body out of my van and into the shop!

I am happy to say that this is one gem the trashman won't get his hands on!!!


Sparky

Does this mean you're back?

Mike

I think this a sign  

Quoted from MrMikeman

Does this mean you're back?

Mike

Yes and no. The only reason I posted was because of thr sheer luck of it. Yes, I am still in the hobby, but mostly for myself now. Like I stated before, it's about time I take care of Ian a bit more, it's why I went from lots of nice pins to next to nothing.

Yes, Lightning is still here, and will be finished.
Yes, I will clean up this Laserball and make it 100%.
Yes, I will buy more pins (at least one on the way now).
But no, I will not implicate myself as fully as before (30+ hours a week...) and help others as much, but I will still do it.

I am currently on vacation now for 2 weeks and I intend to have some fun again in the hobby. Time to recharge the batteries.

Besides... I could never let you guys down. I couldn't live with myself!  

OK... here are some pics... Azatotht saw them and doesn't seem to believe it either!!! To start, here are 2 pics of the backglass... I haven't seen an old Williams backglass this nice... uh... pretty much ever! The black marks on the back are mostly crud. VERY minor scratches, easily fixed. I will probably seal it and retouch it. Dunno yet about retouching though, but sealing, yes.

Back of backglass...

In my best Borat voice.... "WOWAWEEWA!"

'Bout time things started coming up Sparky.....

Good score!  (this must be deal week)

D.

Playfield has minor insert damage in the center... but thats it!!! Not a damn wear spot between the pop bumpers!!!

Close up of the bumpers

Jeez... even the stickers are on all the targets...

...And the coindoor is near pristine... as are all the metal parts under the playfield. Christ, even the game manual, parts manual and score insterts as white as the day they were printed are in it!!!

And as stated, the boards... not much to do!!! I will bring them to Bruno soon.

The backbox condition reflects the rest of the cabinet. Minor scratches, but in very surprisingly good condition for it's age. I will fix this pin up REAL nice. Even considering a clearcoat job, even done externally. Why not... the damn thing cost me zero, zilch, nada!!!

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.  Glad it got saved.

Quoted from websherpa

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.  Glad it got saved.

I went even farther... I emailed NWOJedi... I want this thing retouched and clearcoated.

I heart Laser Ball.

Excellent score, Ian.

"minor" insert damage ?!

Nice!! glad it went to someone who will keep it alive.

Quoted from Mrhide

"minor" insert damage ?!

I've fixed MUCH worse.