I spotted this vintage pinball machine stored outside under a tarp! This old machine spent the last days in the backroom of a bar and was given away to one of the loyal patrons. Cracked glass, peeling backglass, “remuddled” previous repairs, melted plastics, this old beauty needed a lot of work!
These old “woodrail” single-player pinball machines are considered petite in the pinball world. This 1959 Gottlieb Universe pinball machine easily fits inside my Mazda CX5. Notice the black painted rails and the woodgrain contact paper from a previous “restoration”. This poor old machine has had a tough life!
The play meter keeps track of how many times the machine was played. Handy for the operator to double-check the coin count and determine well the game did on location. Low plays and the game would be replaced with a different game.
The play meter shows 683 plays, no doubt this has been rolled over a few times!
Inside the pinball machine was all kinds of junk – old rusty pinballs, burnt-out lightbulbs, random telephone parts, burnt fuses, screws, dust and grime.
There were tools used by telephone repairmen – probably the last person with electrical experience who attempted to fix this vintage pinball machine.
Before the last 1970s, vintage pinball machines contained hundreds of switches, contacts and coils with miles of wires. An “electro-mechanical” pinball machine is basically a hardwired computer built to run one pre-set program. Any one of these wires can come loose, a contact can get dirty or a mechanism can become gunked up.
Burnt coils such as this are a sign of trouble! Coils burn when they get stuck on and heat up.
I also replaced the crispy power cord and routed it the proper way. Replace some sketchy repairs and cleaned the entire machine from top to bottom.
The score motor (round disk) spins and triggers switches for scoring. Don’t spray flammable WD-40 anywhere in a pinball machine! Lots of potential for sparks inside a pinball machine.
Plastic was newer technology back in the day and these early polymers tend to sag and lose shape over time. Fortunately, replacement reproduction plastics are usually available!
The paint on these old playfields usually holds up after a good cleaning! Good old lead paint!
The cabinet was in bad shape! Coming apart at the seams and covered in woodgrain contact paper. The contact paper came off easily with a heat gun but the paint underneath came up with it! I had to make some stencils for a sand down and repaint.
Gluing and clamping the 60+-year-old pinball machine which had taken a beating over the years.
The backglass paint was barely hanging on! Glad there was a reproduction available from Shay Arcade Group.
Playfield was cleaned up, new plastics from The Pinball Resource were installed, new rubbers, cleaned, and adjusted 400+ electrical contacts and rebuilt pop bumpers and flippers!
Beautiful artwork by Roy Parker by the way.
A short video of Universe in working condition!