Parallel Universe

[Husky500evo]

Stumbled upon what seems like a parallel universe to VMX today when I took my trusty old pinball machine to the local guru for a refurbish. I had my eyes opened up to a nostalgia based hobby that followed amazingly similar lines to vintage motocross. There is a pinball forum just like this one , with collectors, restorers, wheeler dealers and even competitors. There is a World ranking list of competitors, with possibly even more participants than VMX and unfortunately only one Aussie makes it into the top 100. Machines are valued according to rarity and how much fun they are to play . There are guys doing modifications and bling, like LED lights. They even have machine era categories for different technology types. My "Getaway" machine, that I have had a ton of fun out of over the last 20 years or so, seems to be a common and popular model and is probably the equivalent of a YZ465 in VMX terms . I am now interested in collecting another one and just have to do some research and testing, before I decide what I want. Although I have only just scratched the surface, the only difference to bikes that I have noticed so far is the lack of a dedicated magazine like VMX Mag. I am sure there are also a lot of other niche hobby groups out there, like guitar enthusiasts etc, that have similar followings.
[/URL][/img]

[PEZBerq]

Quite some collection of trophies there Mark. Look like bike related rather than pinball Courtesy of the mighty 500AE?

[Husky500evo]

Quite some collection of trophies there Mark. Look like bike related rather than pinball Courtesy of the mighty 500AE?

Just dust collectors that you seem to accumulate over the years. And yes, the 500 Auto would have earned a few of them for me.

[Iain Cameron]

Awesome speedway poster . Mark  if you ever make any copies I will put my name down for one ,. Iain

[firko]

Just dust collectors that you seem to accumulate over the years.

Yeah I know your problem Mark, I've literally got thousands of the buggers taking over every flat surface in my house. Success is indeed a curse .

[Husky500evo]

Awesome speedway poster . Mark  if you ever make any copies I will put my name down for one ,. Iain

It is a good picture alright. It is USA rider, Dennis Sigalos at the Intercontinental final in the UK, from I think about '82. He causes Danish multiple World champion, Hans Nielsen, to lay his bike down about 2 second after this pic was taken and Sigalos gets excluded from the rerun. Unfortunately, the poster was just a one off copy.

[bigk]

I wanted a pinball machine but was put off by the seemingly high prices for average condition machines, until one day I read the local classifieds (which I rarely do) & found a motocross themed pinball machine advertised for what seemed like a ridiculously low price. I thought it would haven been sold long before I read the ad, but it wasn't. Turned out to be a fully refurbished machine from 1984, complete with motocross bike sounds & graphics, which is VMX now. The guy even delivered it & set it up for me. Must have been meant to be.
K

[firko]

About 10 years ago a mate found two pinball machines on the footpath outside a house waiting for the council clean up. One was "Charlies Angels" and the other "Evel Knievel"....both in poor condition but fairly complete. He had the Kneivel machine restored by an expert and it's now got pride of place in his mancave, the Charlies Angel machine was taken by the restorer as part payment for the resto, a win, win scenario.

[smed]

AAAAH,the days of mispent youth,playing the pinnies at the local fish & chip shop waiting for my 70 cents worth of chips to cook(70 cents would get you half a chip nowdays if ya lucky)

[Iain Cameron]

The game I liked was Air hockey , many a bruised  knuckle . mmmm 50cents of chips and 20cents for a coke can . only one type of coke didn't have to worry about sugar or fat intake . Iain

[crash n bern]

There was a pinball machine on ebay a few years back based on the Blackwater enduro.  Nearly bought it but went for the Captain fantastic based on the musical Tommy instead.  Mainly because we had one when I was young and I prefer the old mechanical machines over the electronic ones.  Real bells and clackers just sound better to me than digitised sound.

But yes, as you say there is a whole pinball following out there.  Which is good, because that means you can get repo parts for all your old machines.  Not to mention all the repair info you need.

[pancho]

AAAAH,the days of mispent youth,playing the pinnies at the local fish & chip shop waiting for my 70 cents worth of chips to cook(70 cents would get you half a chip nowdays if ya lucky)

I used to go to a hamburger joint in fairfield (13 Yrs old.) after getting off the train from school (Liverpool jr.tech) while I was waiting for my mum to get to Faifield from work. My thing was a chocalate coated ice cream cone made on the spot and put in the freezer waiting for buyers, very few people had fridges at home in 1950 let alone a freezer (what's a freezer!)  Ice cream wouldn't last too long in an ice chest! After first lick of the Choc.I'd make a be-line for the Juke box and play the latest hit, probably something written by Hank Williams. Beaudy!
 
Years later I went looking for a Juke Box to own but they wanted big money for machines that you couldn't even see the records. And they weren't even 78s!
cheers pancho.

[Ted]

Try 8c for a piece of fish and 2c chips you wouldn't fit in a plastic shopping bag these days. 3c ice block 5c paddle pop ( only rich kids got these ) 5c movie ticket 5c harbour bridge toll 2c toilets in Sydney

[gt96]

You sure that wasn't tuppence for those chips, Ted?   Could have sworn those prices were pre-66 currency levels.
 

[pancho]

Try 8c for a piece of fish and 2c chips you wouldn't fit in a plastic shopping bag these days. 3c ice block 5c paddle pop ( only rich kids got these ) 5c movie ticket 5c harbour bridge toll 2c toilets in Sydney

Sounds like The Crescent pictcha show Fairfield Satdy arvo after Violin lessons! Sixpence ticket,  The Marx Bros "Go West." Thrippeny ice cream at interval.
       
 Perfect day.
 
 cheers pancho.