RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE!!!!!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!! The Altered Beast arcade machine has risen from the grave! I was finally able to get the monitor up and working and it looks GREAT! Had to do the following: cap kit, new flyback transformer, H.O.T, voltage regulator, x901 transistor, IC501, new neckboard & unicorn tears. Ok, I may have substituted on the last one. i think i used phoenix tears instead. I know it sounds like a lot but, I had like maybe $65 or so wrapped up in all of it, give or take a few bucks. I had been struggling with this monitor and was down to the last item on the troubleshooting flow chart so I was really starting to get nervous but, everything worked out for the good! So what did I do immediately after getting it fixed? No I didn't sit there and have a gaming marathon. I stripped that MOFO down to the frame! I removed everything from the cabinet. Wiring, pcb's, power supply, coin door, controls, ...everything. Once I was able to verify that the cabinet was playable (fully functional controls, lighting, etc.) it was then time to start concentrating on the restoration of the cabinet. I started off last night with some sanding and 'ding' removal. What made me laugh was pealing the vinyl off of the control board. Does anyone ever remember the movie "Johnny Dangerously" with Michael Keaton? Remember the scene where they are driving in the getaway car and he's pealing away layer after layer of vinyl? that's what it was like. I think this game must have been used for about 4 different games or so at one time or another. What was kind of neat to find though, was underneath all of that paint and vinyl I found the games true original purpose..JOUST! I started cracking up while i was sanding and found that stencil-painted logo on the side of the cabinet! Too funny! Other than that the progress is going by pretty well. I have some serious work ahead of me for the restoration project but, nothing a little filler can't fix. :) Well, all except the control board. That thing looks like rats chewed out the control button holes! it's the only part I'm really going to have to fabricate from scratch.

Well i better go for now. I'll try and get some pictures posted tonight if I get a chance. I also took some video. We will have to see how things go though. I have a swing set to put together for my daughters 3 birthday on sunday!

Later!