The first issue I wanted to look at was the lack of sound. Although I could play a game on the machine, I got no sound at all in most cases. When I could hear sound it was very very quiet or distorted.
I went into maintenance mode using the switch inside the coin door and to the sound test mode. I couldn’t hear anything.
There is a volume control inside the coin door which I adjusted. Again no sound.
Next up I wanted to check the plugs and sound board in the head box.
I enjoyed working on my Nugent so much that I had to get another machine to work on.
I knocked back a few machines in the process of searching which I’d love to own (and had the funds for) – but they required no work.
I wanted a machine that was in need of some love. After a few false starts in the hunt for a project machine, I ended up getting a Fireball Classic by Bally (1985).
As a game, it ticks many of the boxes I was looking for. Pop bumpers? Check. Multiball? Check. Messenger ball? Check. Ball save? Check. Early Bally/Stern SS? Check.
As I’ll show shortly, the machine does need some cosmetic love, along with some fixing up to the game play. I will be able to apply much of what I learnt while working on my Nugent here, and also extend myself into areas not yet explored. Perfect 🙂
I expect my work on this project to take a few months at least as time and funds permit. Given I now have two other machines, getting this finely tuned is less critical as I can always turn to my Nugent or Space Orbit for some awesome fun.
To start with, the machine boots up and does allow you to start a game. This wasn’t a requirement in my search, but is a bonus.
