Every now and then, you hear a story that makes every pinball fan a little jealous. Recently, I was called out to Pontypool to look at a Gottlieb Class of 1812. The amazing part? The owner had wanted a pinball machine for a long time and was incredibly lucky to be gifted this one by someone clearing out their garage!18

The Assessment

Having sat unused for years, the machine was covered in a thick layer of garage dust, and the original pinballs had completely rusted. However, underneath that grime, the playfield and plastics were surprisingly well-preserved. It was a diamond in the rough that just needed some professional TLC to shine again.

The Resuscitation Process

My main focus for this visit was a thorough mechanical and cosmetic service to make it safe and fun to play:

• Deep Cleaning & Waxing: I stripped away years of dirt from the playfield and applied a high-quality wax. This not only protects the artwork but dramatically increases the speed of the ball.
• Fresh Rubber & Lighting: All the old, brittle rubber rings were replaced with fresh ones for proper bounce. I also installed some targeted LED lighting to make that fantastic, spooky Gottlieb artwork really pop.
• Shooter Lane Rebuild: The ball launcher was feeling very tired. I installed a brand-new shooter spring and rubber tip to give it that crisp, factory-fresh plunge.
• New Pinballs: Rusty balls act like sandpaper on a playfield! Those were immediately thrown out and replaced with brand-new, mirror-finish pinballs.

The Final Polish

Before wrapping up, I test-played a few games. The machine fired up beautifully, though a couple of switches had become slightly misaligned over the years. A quick adjustment sorted them out, ensuring every target registered perfectly.

There is nothing quite like seeing a machine that was gathering dust finally being enjoyed. The owner was thrilled to have her dream of owning a working pinball machine come true.

Do you have a machine sitting in a garage or shed that needs some love? Don’t let it gather dust! Get in touch at lyonpinball.co.uk and let’s get it flipping again.