SKILL_SHOT
Banned
- Jul 11, 2012
- 3,659
- 1
So after playing this game for months and looking for real pins to play I volunteerd to the Pacific Pinball Expo where I helped set up hundreds of machines. I learned my way around a pinball machine enough to feel more comfortable buying one, by this time I had already told myself I wanted to buy a REAL PINBALL MACHINE and now my confidence was higher in atleast moving it and seting one up. I set my parameters for what i was looking for first how much did I wasnt to spend I decided $1000 max then did I want something working or a fixer upper? Well not knowing yet how to work on a machine I decided it had to work. Then with that in mind i started trolling craigslist every day and i passed on a couple that I should have snatched up they were a steal, Originally this machine I just bought was listed at $1300 and from the pictures looked really good but it was out of my pricing so I kept on looking. Friday night after a few suds I looked on craigs list again and there was the same machine now selling for $900 thats the price that machines get snatched up quickly I noticed as a few others at that price only were posted 3-5 days then gone, so i wasnt going to let this one slip away I called the seller and told her i wanted it but would give $875 because the reccent gas price spike they were cool with that and sent me the info where to get it. It was late so Id check my email in the morning and when I did i noticed the address was not where I thought it to be as the original craigslist posting said sacramento but the actual address was in placerville wich is about an hour past sacramento this is where it gets goofy...I had originally planned to rent a truck because my 4runner has a front cv joint issue turns out after looking at the price of the rental $19.95 not bad but $.69per mile over 300 miles uhhhhh NOPE! So i called another place $60 a day at first the guy said he didnt have a truck then he said "Oh wait one just pulled in" Sweeet! So I go there and it turns out the guy was stopping in to say hed keep it another day.....fuuuhhhhhh.....after mulling it around I decided F-it! The 4runner will make it or die trying after I messured the opening to the back I was nervous that it might not fit still determined I started my journey first to the BANK, then get gas and I was off! The 4runner ran like a champ all the way there where I met the seller examined the machine and concured $875 was fair, money exchanged hands and I began preping it for movement. I propped the backend up on a stand they had removed the back legs then lifted the rear on the tailgait of the 4runner slid it in with 2"inches to spare removed the from legs and it was in like FLYNN
The drive home was a little scary as the CV joint problem reared its ugly head causing the front left wheel to shake and pull to the right suddenly then stop I pulled off and took a look and to my shock bearings had fallen out! I told myself theres nothing I can do except go on and this was in sacramento still 100+ miles from home. ran into traffic after sacramento so it was a non-issue at slow speed or high speed but inbetween OMG! Finally got home and unloaded the machine and found that the key I got only opend the backbox not the coin door, good thing my dads a locksmith i gotta get him to show how to pic locks. Got the coin door open wich is essential for removing the lockbar and glass. After thouroughly going over the machine i feel i mad a good buy even though pinsiders list this machine waay cheeper. This machine came from minnasota with the seller and even had a tag to confirm that. Inside a little dusty but to my supprise had every tag inspector sticker and all numbers mached. So without further blabbing I present you my first REAL PINBALL MACHINE a Williams 1987 BIG GUNS
The drive home was a little scary as the CV joint problem reared its ugly head causing the front left wheel to shake and pull to the right suddenly then stop I pulled off and took a look and to my shock bearings had fallen out! I told myself theres nothing I can do except go on and this was in sacramento still 100+ miles from home. ran into traffic after sacramento so it was a non-issue at slow speed or high speed but inbetween OMG! Finally got home and unloaded the machine and found that the key I got only opend the backbox not the coin door, good thing my dads a locksmith i gotta get him to show how to pic locks. Got the coin door open wich is essential for removing the lockbar and glass. After thouroughly going over the machine i feel i mad a good buy even though pinsiders list this machine waay cheeper. This machine came from minnasota with the seller and even had a tag to confirm that. Inside a little dusty but to my supprise had every tag inspector sticker and all numbers mached. So without further blabbing I present you my first REAL PINBALL MACHINE a Williams 1987 BIG GUNS
