Supposed to be getting one of these soon. Anxious to join the club. Played one once and it has all the things that make early Bally SS's great - spinners, drop targets (linear and side-by-side), great layout, pf art. Not a big fan of the backglass, but it is one of those challenging games that makes you shoot better and attempt some strategy.

This is the title that got me hooked on pinball in High school! Fast table, bit of a drain monster but once you got the feel for it you could max out the credits off a single quarter. Drop the ball targets, then the Eight ball to qualify one Special, hit the multiplier in-line drops to get to a second Special, hit the left orbit enough times for the THIRD Special, it all adds up pretty quick on EBD!

The only thing I don't like about this title is trying to keep the original linear flippers working right. I've rebuilt everything on them, including PBR's special endstops but mine still stick in the up position all the time. I have about resigned myself to swapping them out for some standard flippers.

Doesn't have any spinners man.

I've got one I have been fixing forever, but it's 95% back to life which is great. Great game.

Oops! Forgot that thinking about the outer roundabout lane. I was really thinking about the linear targets I mentioned. Still a great game.

I love my EBD! My playfield is worn to the wood around the drop targets. I recently got a REALLY good playfield so after a few touchups a PF swap will be in order. I don't have any other pin I like well enough to go through the effort required for a swap. Quit talkin' start chalkin'!

EBD was the game we played in college. It was in the student union and would get played all day long.

The game can be brutally hard with short game times BUT in a hot game you could win 6 or 7 credits. There are specials all over the place. Even though relatively simple by today's standards there are several different strategies to winning credits. This game was all about trying to win replays and spending quarters to do it. A little of that is lost in the home environment where there is only one main strategy for high scores (bonus and multipliers).

We would wait in line to play and stack our quarters on the glass. We always played winner gets to stay and play and the other 3 players move to the back of the line. Winners and players leaving could "sell" credits they earned to those in line. We had GREAT fun with this as when you were on a hot streak you could actually make money playing it!

The operator did great with it even with the selling of credits between us. The game was there for 3 years and he put NOS populated playfields in it - twice.

It brings back so many good memories. I have one now with a touched and recleared repro playfield in it. Still a blast to play.

Sure, it is simple compared to newer games but was an incredible earning and selling (3rd highest selling game of all time, IIRC) machine from a time when pinball was doing well.

If I could only have one machine it would be Eight Ball Deluxe.

Parker

I just picked up this game... the 1984 model specifically. Would another owner be willing to PM me a pic of the right flipper wiring at the coil? Thanks

Well I guess I get double membership, because I own two of them. Both LEs. One with a brand new playfield, and the other is a project beater. EBD is a fantastic game. Simple to explain, and an absolute bitch to master.

And on the flippers... Swap them linear crap flippers right out of this game. The parts to do it are cheap, and it is a great improvement.

My favorite pin of all time. It was my first purchase.

Played it in the arcades, bars and student center. Logged in more plays on that game than any other.

Hope this helps, let me know if you need anything else.

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We have EBD. LE... ..Love it.. Getting it working better every day.... Hope we can still be in the group.. LOL..DSCF0210.JPG

can i be in the club?
i also have an extra cpr playfield (first run) brand new maybe for sale. how much do you guys think it's worth? (the playfield)

pictures after i did the playfield restoration.

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_{Post edited by beatmaster : more infos}

Got an EBD LE recently, really like it all around greaIMG_20130915_104317-781.jpgt game.

Looks like that EBD-LE is in great shape. Now, perhaps the MMR-LE should have a Rapid Fire cabinet as well!

I remember beating on EBD in the arcade in 1982ish. I was in my mid teens and we loved this game back then. We almost got thrown out of the arcade because we had too much fun if you know what I mean. I remember that game vividly. It had the cream colored back box trim as opposed to the black. I'm not sure if any came black from the factory but I have restored 2 of these and I go with the beige trim, just preference I guess. I currently still have the second one I restored. I have enough parts to restore another, NOS pf cleared by Ron K and an NOS bg. I have all the mechanical parts, I just need a decent game that has a solid cab and wiring. I also picked up a rare, if not the only, white bumper cap and ring with red art instead of black. The guy worked at Bally when these games were being built. He made a small collection of bumper caps from the games he helped work on. He would sneak one home after his shift. DSC02001.JPG

http://southjerseypinball.com/gallery/v/lovef2k/Bally+Eight+Ball+Deluxe/

Does anyone know of a good quality repro clear plastic set available? Thanks in advance.?

Pinball Resource has them - http://www.pbresource.com/pfbumper.htm

Dave, do you have suggestions for part #s on replacement pawl & link flipper assemblies? What machine would have what I should replace them with?

Thanks

I want in on the action! Here's proof...

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I'm looking for a nice EBD. If anyone has a lead, please let me know. Would love to join the club.

Anyone here buy a set of new plastics and still have the old plastics? I am looking for the large plastic in the upper left that covers the 4 bank drop targets and left lane leading to the top of the playfield. I know that Bay Area carries new ones, but they don't have the plastic over the 8 Ball target....and I think a clear window plastic and a slightly yellowed plastic on the same game would look funny. I am also open to buying both these plastics new if you have them.

Thanks

Sent you a PM days ago. Let me know when you want to come take a look at it..

Just saw this thread and thought I'd join the club. EBD was the first pin I played frequently in a bar I worked in after college. Up to then I was pretty much a video game player.

I got this one from Craig in Texas several years ago. NOS playfield and backglass (signed by Margaret Hudson) and restored to awesome playing condition.

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Bally Eight Ball Deluxe is hands-down the best SS pinball machine ever made (and the most sought-after).

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There's a guy a bit north of you who might like to help you with your double vision problem.

I've got an LE with a blown-out playfield and a cabinet that needs repair. I'm hoping to fix it some some day; it's far and away the roughest game I have cosmetically. I didn't think too highly of it when I first got it... I bought it from a family friend, and things they said made it sound like it was HUO or hadn't been on location since about 1984 (which is possible, but man, it's rough.) It seemed like any other early SS game at first, but I've recently come to realize just how complex the scoring can be. Definitely one of the greatest games ever made!

Here's what it takes to properly rebuild linear flippers from a 34 year old pinball machine. It might cost a little to do it right but it's worth it:

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My guess is if you are having problems with the flipper sticking in the up position, you need to look at the coil sleeve, the plunger, the nylon bushing and the plunger stop. Another thing to look at is binding on the nylon bushing or if the bracket is cocked or bent. It sounds like something pretty-simple to me. I think I've had a problem like that once but was able to eliminate it after proper diagnosis.

I'm pretty anal about having all of my pins working 100% right down to every bulb.

If these flippers were as unreliable as they have been for you, EBD wouldn't have lasted a week on location because they got the crap played out of them back then.

I ought to know. As a kid in 1981 I fed EBD more quarters than I ever fed any other pinball machine.

I know my issues with a flipper sticking up were primarily related to the bushing, sleeves, and plunger.

Everybody wants an Eight Ball Deluxe. For me it's #1. The two pins in the picture in my previous post are two of the best I've ever had. Keepers with super-nice original cabinets and playfields both as clean as a whistle. One was HUO and the other is just as clean so I don't know what its story is.

I've had a bunch of these. Here are a couple more. A pimped-out 1981 model next to a pimped-out 1983 "Classic" edition:

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Here's some Eight Ball Deluxe trivia for you guys who were born too late to have experienced these pins during the pinnacle of pinball's popularity. There were three versions of EBD. The original from 1981, the Limited Edition from 1982, and what has come to be called the "Classic" edition from 1984.

The most-popular version is the original from 1981. The 2nd most-popular is the 1984 Classic edition from 1984. The Limited Edition comes in last because of the goofy cabinet and displays. However, all three versions play exactly the same.

Here's the trivia part. Back in the days when these machines were new, we used to call the 1981 version the "Bad Guy" because it has an evil-looking ghoul on the backbox.

The 1984 version was the "Nice Guy" because it had a normal-looking dude with a wedding band on his finger.

So the picture above is of a "Bad Guy" sitting next to a "Nice Guy".

This is one of all all-time favorite pins. Total holy grail restoration-candidate pin..

Awesome game. Love me some ebd. The replayability is thru the roof.

Trivia: Does anyone know who the 70's actor is on the backglass?

http://rymimg.com/lk/f/a/9f5b2c7561fc7162199b77a23fc63091/3417745.jpg ???

or is it this guy?

http://cinetechnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/great-mustaches-of-cinema-bruce-mcgill-daniel-simpson-day.jpeg ???

thanks!
-mof

I don't think it was D-Day. Wish it was though

It wasn't Stacy Keach or Daniel Simpson Day.

The artwork was created by Margaret Hudson and as far as I know, it wasn't based on any living person.

I will have one of these someday and want to completely restore it. There are few pins that are as pretty as a fully restored EBD.

My EBD wil be for sale VERY soon if anyone is interested. Shoot me a PM. I will have some pics soon.

I saw one that a guy had done on ebay I think. It was absolutely a thing of beauty but the price was very steep. I ended up getting one in decent shape and sending it off to HEP instead.

Can I join the club? Picked up this EBD a couple of weeks ago, just started working on it. So far changed out the old battery that thank goodness never leaked.

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Like Madpole, and especially Gatecrasher, EBD >IS< my favorite 80's early SS pin. It was one that I went searching for when I first got into the hobby in 1998. I have the most popular design, the 1981 style. I also have an EBDLE in my shop that I use to test repaired boards.

My EBD was fully restored. I completely airbrushed the cabinet (this was before stencils, so I had to tape the cabinet off three times); it took 120 hours to paint, I sprayed it with hobby paints (Santa Fe catwhisker yellow for the light yellow, and an "I don't remember" aircraft paint for the darker yellow/orange). Purchased 1999, $400. Found NOS playfield, $400. Clearcoated with six coats of polyurethane, have mostly NOS plastics (found a set but was incomplete so mixed with repros).

Game is slick, fast, beautiful, and if I had to have ONE pin from this era, I'd choose it over my fathom and Centaur. Yeah crazy, I know. But I have such great memories of playing it back in the day....

Chris

My EBD is now for sale. I am going to post an ad up hopefully later today, but i'll throw up a couple pics now. Price is 1800.00 Playfield is mylared. Has a few wear spots in the normal areas. There is a small piece of mylar missing that started to come up so I removed it by the right sling. Doesn't really affect gameplay now. This is the 1st version. Cabinet has some typical wear but presents fairly well, overall about a 7. Repainted the trim on the backbox to match, looks good. Backglass is nice except for one small spot, only visible when all DELUXE letters are lit. Will add more details later. Overall pretty nice looking machine. Been almost completely trouble free for 8 years. Hate to sell, but have BR on the way and need room. Sorry for the bad pics, looks better in person. PM me for more details or pics.EBD 1.jpgEBD 6.jpgEBD 5.jpgEBD 2.jpgEBD 8.jpgEBD 4.jpg

Crazy? I don't think so. I have a Fathom too but Eight Ball Deluxe is a better pin (and was ten times more popular in the day).

I remember when both were new in the arcades. There were a couple guys we would always see on Fathom. That's all they would play and we liked it too but if it came down to a choice between Fathom and Eight Ball Deluxe it was pretty-much a no-brainer.

Stop Talkin' and Start Chalkin'!

EBD was my first pin and it'll be my last pin when I retire from the hobby.

Ron at PinballClinic.com just sold a glorious restoration.

http://pinballclinic.com/gamepages/EightBallDeluxeHE.htm

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It's very nice but I would have painted the cabinet the correct custard color if the goal was to make it a "collector's piece".

Just found this club. I have two EBDs, both are project pins.

I will be digging into them soon, I hope. My plan is to pirate the best parts, to build one decent player's machine. A full restoration would be nice, but I want to get one up and running as soon as possible.

I'll try to post some pictures, soon.

EBD was my first pin purchase after playing it to death after hours in the pool hall I worked at in college. Working on adding to the collection this year.

I want to clean up my machine and replace the blue posts, plastics and pop bumpers. Does any know where some can get these?

Thanks

Jim

Gettin in the club.

I am in the process of restoring two 1981 machines, but I have no idea what I am doing. I bought a second one so I can see where I miswired my first one when I tried a playfield swap. The second one has been spray painted black. What brand and color of paint would work to get it back to the yellow color? Also, the rollover switch (upper left hand corner) fell apart during the swap. I can't find a replacement switch. Any ideas what I can do?