Out Run Resto 2024

[iamjimmi]

Sharing details of my latest restoration – OutRun.

Unfortunately it was damaged during shipping from the US… One of the wooden “legs” had been broken off, the top marquee retaining bracket was badly bent and both the top wooden panel and the speaker panel had been damaged.

Further inspection revealed that the other wooden “leg” had previously been knocked off and repaired crudely and more seriously the base had evidence of water damage and had completely warped.

At first inspection the side art looked ok but closer inspection revealed that the best side had been subject to a poor restoration – half the original side art had been removed and then new artwork applied over the remaining art work. And the new art work hadn’t been applied straight.

Inside was all complete although I could see at least one gear had cracked.

The gear stick housing had been bent (very common on Out Runs) and cracked the plastic dash.

 

[iamjimmi]

Given the damage, I decided to full resto on this one. First thing to address the broken marquee and speaker panels.

Thanks to Russ J for help with wood work and Gary W for help sourcing a replacing metal retaining bracket.

One of the speakers was damaged, so I upgraded the speakers and changed the fluorescent tube to an LED tube to run cooler.

 

[iamjimmi]

Water damaged base removed and replaced.

 

[iamjimmi]

The wooden panel that supported the power supplies and sound amp was very weak due to the water damage, so I replaced the panel, replaced the caps, cleaned everything up, added some handles to help future maintenance and added a 240 - 120 V transformer.

 

[iamjimmi]

Pedals next. I went for a Nickel plate that is less of a mirror finish than a chrome finish.

 

[iamjimmi]

The plastic dash had been bent by pressure from the changing gears too enthusiastically and a few cracks were showing where the retaining bolts held the dash in place. There were a few cigs burns and other bumps, but I thought the dash condition was too good to replace, so I straightened and strengthen the dash with carbon fibre and fibre glass.

 

[iamjimmi]

Gear stick next. I replaced the bent housing, decal, bearings, springs and one side of the housing where the ball bearings had gauged a groove into the metal.

 

[iamjimmi]

Now the steering mech. I went to town on this one... chrome plated most of the parts and replaced anything that had worn out including all of the bearings, gears and bumpers. The result is a really tight steering column and a shaker motor that doesn't sound like a shaken rattle can.

 

[iamjimmi]

Coin Door... mixture of powder coating and spraying.

 

[iamjimmi]

Time to get naked. Sides stripped back to bare wood, wood repaired and edges now 90 degrees. Opted for a laminate finish before applying new decals from Olly. The laminate is Formica with a black core - it is a very close finish to the original finish. Because it adds slightly to the width I used 13/16" from T-molding.com (40ft) - thanks to Parism on KLOV for that tip. Also thanks to Parism for tip to build a template for the front to help route the coin door. I painted the rear using a foam roller and slightly watered down BEDEC Multi Surface Soft Satin Black - thanks to itruk for that tip - finish was much less patchy than the spray paint I tried.

 

[iamjimmi]

New fan fitted (but original fan cover kept and chromed), zinc plated the zinc parts and finally a new floor mat from American Floor Mats (Kleensweep Runner Mats Color: Grey) - it's a perfect replacement for the original mat. The cost of shipping the mat to the UK from American Floormats was insane, so I used to mail forwarding company. Grant worked his magic on the monitor chassis although I might replace the monitor - even after a recap the colours don't really pop and there is some "After Burner" screen burn. And it's finished! Only took a year....

 

[pooman2084]

Good lord! Incredible work!

 

[iamjimmi]

Inside...

 

[Mr20to5]

I mean, it's ok, I guess....

Ha! Seriously, what a beauty. Got to love Jim's restorations, a proper nuts and bolts resto, with even those chromed!

Truly tremendous stuff pal. Cannot wait to have a go!

Now, put all those tools away and enjoy the games room this year!

 

[Bods]

Blimey, you have been busy Jim another classic addition

Sort of machines I usually get this, there is a lot to do on driving games with steering mechs, pedals, shifter. Brilliant Resto mate, looks superb

The Nickel plate is perfect on Pedals, they don't need full chrome.

when I was building my Mongoose BMX replica from BMX Bandits there were some experts saying it was a Supergoose not Mongoose, how you can tell on an 80's movie I don't know, plus there was more than one bike used in the movie
The Mongoose is Nickel plate so yeah it needs polishing to make it really shine, the Supergoose is full Chrome finish, which ever, it's same frame and you wouldn't know when cleaned up

Steering mech looks awesome, what finish is that?

 

[Fantazia2]

As Bernard Manning would say F**king Bootiful.

 

[qjuk]

Full credit to you, what an amazing restore and a massive turnaround from the state it was in when you received it.

Excellent

 

[pooman2084]

Man you just have been heart broken when you saw the state of the game on arrival. Was their any shipping insurance to soften the blow and help with the costs of parts etc?

 

[iamjimmi]

I mean, it's ok, I guess....

Ha! Seriously, what a beauty. Got to love Jim's restorations, a proper nuts and bolts resto, with even those chromed!

Truly tremendous stuff pal. Cannot wait to have a go!

Now, put all those tools away and enjoy the games room this year!

Thanks Neil - great to hear such positive feedback from a man who knows his restorations!

And you are absolutely right, no more tinkering for a while - I'm going to enjoy playing some games now... Unless a well priced Time Traveler or Holosseum comes up in need of some lovin....

 

[iamjimmi]

Blimey, you have been busy Jim another classic addition

Sort of machines I usually get this, there is a lot to do on driving games with steering mechs, pedals, shifter. Brilliant Resto mate, looks superb

The Nickel plate is perfect on Pedals, they don't need full chrome.

when I was building my Mongoose BMX replica from BMX Bandits there were some experts saying it was a Supergoose not Mongoose, how you can tell on an 80's movie I don't know, plus there was more than one bike used in the movie
The Mongoose is Nickel plate so yeah it needs polishing to make it really shine, the Supergoose is full Chrome finish, which ever, it's same frame and you wouldn't know when cleaned up

Steering mech looks awesome, what finish is that?

Thanks Chris. I had the steering mech chromed. Quite a few parts in the steering mech replaced with NOS parts to get the shaker mechanism working as intended. Over the years the shaking wears the pins, bushes and retaining holes. The result was a lot of rattling - the reason most people unplug the shaker motor.