1976 Bally Night Rider EM

This was my first EM restoration after completing several solid states and I was really excited to pick up this project for a very reasonable price. The person I bought it from, at an estate sale, was the son of a gentleman who recently passed away. The machine had been in their basement since the late 80’s and to the seller’s best recollection, it last worked in the early 2000’s.

There were no keys to the backbox. At power-on, only a few GI lights came on. I had to drill through the backbox lock in the guy’s basement so I could fully dismantle the pin for transport. First stop - get it in my garage and fully assess what I’ve gotten myself into.

This was going to be interesting - while the backglass was original and in fantastic shape, most everything else needed serious attention. Burned coils, blown playfield, rusty brackets and legs, wiring hacks, and plastics that were either faded, cracked, or both. Cabinet was structurally sound but gouges, scratches, and corner damage needed repairs (along with a repaint). And tons and tons of dirt and grime. Everywhere.