Vintage Console and Handhelds restoration Projects

[kup]

Since recently I have been bitten with the Nintendo bug and restoring old Gameboys, I figured it would be good to share my restoration attempts with other members. It would also be good to see if there are others interested in this side of gaming culture :)

My latest restoration Project: Nintendo GBA Advance 'Glacier'

This GBA was bought from the Games Men at just $15. Encountered faults:
- Screen does not turn on
- Loose battery contacts (power instability)
- Buttons do not spring back
- Heavily scratched screen protector.
- No battery cover.
- Dirty

http://kupscigar.com/consoles/GBA_Glasier.JPG


Progress so far:

- Battery contacts cleaned. Unit is now stable.
- Screen was perfectly fine, the connection ribbon was just slightly out of place (Possibly due to dropping it). I discovered this as the screen would briefly come on if I applied pressure on the top screen frame before disassembly.
- Plastic case now washed and looking as new.
Current Operational Status: Games boot up with screen functioning and GBA can be played with some difficulties due to buttons not giving the appropriate feedback.

Preliminary Post Re-Assembly functionality Test:

With damaged screen Protector

http://kupscigar.com/consoles/cracked.JPG

Without damaged screen Protector

http://kupscigar.com/consoles/GBA_noscreen.JPG

Parts needed (and on their way):

- New screen protector
- Rubber pads for buttons
- Battery cover.

After this I will have an 'As new' fully functioning GBA :D

[5FDP]

That's great Kup. Was reading in the recent issue of the JB HI FI magazine 'Stack' that there is quite a market for second-hand games / consoles from the 70's, 80's, and 90's. Are you planning on selling these once you fix them up?

One of my prized possessions is my MIB SNES with MIB SNES arcade joystick. I would never part with it no matter what was offered.

[kup]

Thanks! :)

There is still more to do as today I am expecting to receive a purple GBA and an original grey Gameboy. I am waiting to see what their needs are for repair and then make an order to the fan ran Nintendo repair shop which uses legit parts.

I already have a GameBoy 'Play it Loud!' clear version from when I was a kid. That requires little restoration aside from an incoming screen protector.

When it comes to selling, I will see how I go. I may be willing to sell if I happen to come by more busted GBs/GBAs as two would be more than enough ;)

If anyone sees a GB/GBA cheap on ebay that you want me to fix up nice, let me know and I will be happy to do so. For a small fee of course ;)

I have already ventured into Console repair with the PS3 with great success but that is almost like repairing a computer and not indicative of a vintage console. I will see if I can get my hands on a cheap 'non-working' SNES/NES and see how I go.

[mknell]

Thats a great job there Kup, have you thought of any mods for it like a backlight for the screen?

[kurdt_the_goat]

You're making me regret not picking up a supposedly dead original GB at Nexus the other day! It was only $10 .. it had no battery cover and looked like something you wouldn't want to touch!

It's amazing how much you can repair just by cleaning up stuff though - you should check out this YouTube channel, he has a heap of amazing repairs: https://www.youtube.com/user/lukemorse1.

What's wrong with the rubber contacts on that GBA? They look fine in the pic, if they're sticking that'd normally be fixed by a decent clean i think.

[kup]

You're making me regret not picking up a supposedly dead original GB at Nexus the other day! It was only $10 .. it had no battery cover and looked like something you wouldn't want to touch!

It's amazing how much you can repair just by cleaning up stuff though - you should check out this YouTube channel, he has a heap of amazing repairs: https://www.youtube.com/user/lukemorse1.

What's wrong with the rubber contacts on that GBA? They look fine in the pic, if they're sticking that'd normally be fixed by a decent clean i think.

Did it look something like this? That's my next project :)

http://kupscigar.com/consoles/GB_Original2.JPG

http://kupscigar.com/consoles/GB_Original1.JPG

Since I am at work, I can only do a superficial visual analysis:

The Bad:

1 - As you can see, very dirty.
2 - No screen protector
3 - Battery cover missing
4 - Battery contacts have dried battery acid on them.

The Good:

1 - Structurally intact - No broken off or scratched bits.
2 - Not chemically discoloured (yellowed). Just dirty
3 - Buttons feel responsive
4 - No rust, just dirt.

Potential for restoration - Excellent. A nice clean will leave the chassis as new and provided it turns on once I clean the battery contacts (which I think it will), only the screen protector and battery cover are needed which are only a couple of bucks each.

Not bad for $10 :)

[kup]

What's wrong with the rubber contacts on that GBA? They look fine in the pic, if they're sticking that'd normally be fixed by a decent clean i think.


Oh, for the GBA, the rubber contacts are pushed in to the point that they are cut. You can't notice it on pics but basically, they don't spring pack or make good contact. You have to push down hard.

I tried using rubber glue but that was not good. Only a mild improvement.

[UltraMarginal]

Nice work Kup.

I have my original Gameboy still, unfortunately I have several columns of dead pixels in the screen.
it might just need a clean out but can you point me to this store run by console fans?

[kup]

Nice work Kup.

I have my original Gameboy still, unfortunately I have several columns of dead pixels in the screen.
it might just need a clean out but can you point me to this store run by console fans?

That may not be dead pixels. It happens when the data ribbon is not making proper contact. Removing and re-inserting it should be enough.

Here:

http://www.ifixit.com/Device/Game_Boy

http://www.nintendorepairhut.com/repairsupplies/Frame-20-gameboyrepairsuppliespage20.html?refresh=125368139 8558

[UltraMarginal]

Cool, I might see if I can get around to that tonight.
I love some of the games on that little old console.

[kup]

Bad news. I managed to power up the original GB despite some severe corrosion. It loads games fine and the sound is good. The horrible bad? It has the feared horizontal lines of death which cannot be fixed apparently :(

With the GB the screen is soldered into the front motherboard so it can't be replaced. You need to change the whole thing. Now I am left with having to find a junker with at least vertical lines which can be fixed.

[UltraMarginal]

Bad news. I managed to power up the original GB despite some severe corrosion. It loads games fine and the sound is good. The horrible bad? It has the feared horizontal lines of death which cannot be fixed apparently :(

With the GB the screen is soldered into the front motherboard so it can't be replaced. You need to change the whole thing. Now I am left with having to find a junker with at least vertical lines which can be fixed.

That link you left yesterday shows how to solder out and replace the screen. if you've got a soldering iron it wouldn't hurt to try, the worst that could happen is you still can't use it...

[kup]

That link you left yesterday shows how to solder out and replace the screen. if you've got a soldering iron it wouldn't hurt to try, the worst that could happen is you still can't use it...

Does't cover my needs unfortunately. I'll explain why:

The Screen is soldered to the front mainboard through two flex PCB connectors. The one connecting from the bottom controls vertical lines (Y) and this can be easily fixed with a solder to re-establish the connection as it's heat resistant. So if you have 'columns' on your GB, it's an easy fix. My GB above had that and it was easily fixed.

However the other connector coming from the side that controls the horizontal lines (X) is also a flex PCB but the end leading to the LCD is of this horrible flimsy material that is not heat resistant at all. As a result you can't really use a standard solder iron as it would burn right through the ribbon.

So now I have the GB all fixed up but it's got one very thin horizontal line in the middle and a large bar at the top (where the score would be in Mario Land). From what I can see online, no one has been able to fix this problem other than replacing it with a part of a junker. Apparently you can't buy screens on their own for original GB since they are hard connected into the front board through those flimsy connectors - Removing/replacing is instant kill.

Here is some visual aid:

http://blog.gg8.se/wordpress/2011/07/21/why-dead-horizontal-lines-are-harder-to-fix/

Two avenues are open to me now to fix this:

- Buy a junker and hope as hell the screen is ok or at least with dead columns instead of bars.

- From a bit of research, the (X) ribbon has a melt point of 200c so if I buy a heat adjustable solder, I may have a chance.

All in all, pulling apart that GB was one hell of a learning experience. I am now very familiar with how the system works. It is infinitely more elaborate than the GBA and most of it is easily repairable which is a shame about the screen issue. If it wasn't for that, the GB would now be in fully working condition.

I will see about buying one of those adjustable solders for $20 on ebay and hope for the best. Long shot at best but if it succeed - new gameboy :)

[Sam]

I think restoring these units take real time and dedication, and should be considered a form of art in their own right.

Well done, kup. :)

[kup]

I think restoring these units take real time and dedication, and should be considered a form of art in their own right.

Well done, kup. :)

Thanks Sam :) But so far I only had success with the GBA. That GB is proving to be a real pain in the A.

I tried baking the GB screen part to see if I can get the carbon fibers on the X ribbon to melt but nothing. All it did is melt the wrong contact which I had to re-solder. No harm done I guess as no further damage was done.

My last chance is still to try a solder with a variable temperature setting or get a junker. Too bad as although it doesn't look it in the photo, the case is real nice and everything else works superbly.

[kup]

Success :)

Yep, it's the same Game Boy as the previous page ;)

http://kupscigar.com/consoles/newgb1.JPG

http://kupscigar.com/consoles/newgb2.JPG

http://kupscigar.com/consoles/newgb3.JPG

[Hursticon]

That is absolutely brilliant Kup, this sort of thing seems right up your alley dude and a good application of your known aptitude for fixing things. ;):)

I look forward to seeing more of your efforts with various consoles as I too have an appreciation for older technology, especially vintage consoles which we've all sunk many hours into at one stage or another in our lives. :cool:

Definitely let me know if you ever start working on a Color Gameboy or Gameboy Pocket. :D

[kup]

That is absolutely brilliant Kup, this sort of thing seems right up your alley dude and a good application of your known aptitude for fixing things. ;):)

I look forward to seeing more of your efforts with various consoles as I too have an appreciation for older technology, especially vintage consoles which we've all sunk many hours into at one stage or another in our lives. :cool:

Definitely let me know if you ever start working on a Color Gameboy or Gameboy Pocket. :D

Thanks Hursti :)

I actually have started working on a Gameboy Color :)

Unfortunately the one I got is certainly beyond repair without finding new parts. A unique capacitor is damaged and there is no way to replace that so motherboard is gone. Everything else is fine however so hopefully I can find a junker somewhere which has bad screen and buttons and scavenge the motherboard or at least the component from it that I need.

[Deonasis]

^^Whole-eeeeee Shiiiiiiiiit - that restored GB is fantastic :cool:

[kurdt_the_goat]

That nice clean Gameboy is really making the cartridge look like it took a bath in a pot of tea!

[kup]

That nice clean Gameboy is really making the cartridge look like it took a bath in a pot of tea!

I have another nicer cartridge ;)

I have to have two Gameboys with Tetris if I want to play with the Link Cable ;)

[gamblor916]

Wow that Gameboy looks brand new!

[5FDP]

That Game Boy looks like it came straight out of an unopened pack. Well done kup. Ever thought of changing your user handle to Ratchet ;) :p

[UltraMarginal]

Nice work Kup, very well done.

[kup]

Thanks Guys :)

[kup]

Here are some shots of less involved restorations. One is just a clean up and replacement screen protector for my 'Play it Loud!' childhood Game Boy:

It is of identical specs as an original GB (DMG-01). This is what an original Game Boy insides look like.

http://kupscigar.com/consoles/myGb2.JPG

After clean up:
(flash can cause what looks like imperfections on the screen surface)

http://kupscigar.com/consoles/myGb1.JPG

Here is the finalized GBA from the first page with new buttons and screen protector

http://kupscigar.com/consoles/mygba2.JPG

This Indigo is a GBA that I won for like $8 on an Ebay auction. It was supposed to be a junker that doesn't turn on but when I placed batteries in, it did :) All that it needed was a battery cover. There are some scratches on the screen protector but they are rather minor, not worth replacing despite already having a spare.

http://kupscigar.com/consoles/mygba1.JPG

[kurdt_the_goat]

It's cool that you've managed to find junkers for cheap. My recently purchased Neo Geo unfortunately has a crack on the shell, so i've been keeping an eye on Ebay for potential replacements with no luck - USD $175 for a busted one! (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEO-GEO-AES-JUNK-Console-System-Only-Cartridge-connection-failure-JAPAN-2344-/360914962206?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item540835471e)

[kup]

It's cool that you've managed to find junkers for cheap. My recently purchased Neo Geo unfortunately has a crack on the shell, so i've been keeping an eye on Ebay for potential replacements with no luck - USD $175 for a busted one! (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEO-GEO-AES-JUNK-Console-System-Only-Cartridge-connection-failure-JAPAN-2344-/360914962206?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item540835471e)

Where is the crack?

I am in a somewhat similar situation. I bought an SNES for what seemed like cheap and I am counting on it being functional (you never know until you receive it). Unfortunately on looking at pics that I originally missed, it looks to be somewhat yellowed...Looks like I may have to try that Retrobright formula.

[kurdt_the_goat]

The crack's right on the front just above the controller ports, actually a piece looks to have fully come off at some point. Though a previous owner has glued it back in place about as best as you could have hoped for, some of the glue is starting to weaken.

A big knock and it could snap off, so i'm just being careful with it now. From a distance it's not really that noticeable so i'm not super-fussed about finding a replacement anyway.

[kup]

The crack's right on the front just above the controller ports, actually a piece looks to have fully come off at some point. Though a previous owner has glued it back in place about as best as you could have hoped for, some of the glue is starting to weaken.

A big knock and it could snap off, so i'm just being careful with it now. From a distance it's not really that noticeable so i'm not super-fussed about finding a replacement anyway.

Have you tried pulling it apart and re-gluing the shell? If it's a clean break and if you add the right amount of glue, it could end up nice and nearly invisible and strong. Specially with the black.

[kurdt_the_goat]

I thought about it, but don't think i could do a cleaner job than what's been done already so i'd rather not botch it up further :)

[kup]

Bought an SNES from this lady in South Australia. She forgot to include the power adapter and said she would ship it on Friday. On Monday she randomly said that she had actually sent it that day. It's now Thursday and the post man has come and gone.

I hate having an SNES at home that I can't check its working condition. It's a restoration project as I need to de-yellow some of it but I rather not pull it apart before I know it's current working state. The wait is killing me as I don't know if the SNES is a dud or not.

[kup]

Latest restoration Project: Game Boy pocket - Silver

Unlike the previous Gameboys, this Pocket is fully operational and although the screen has some scratches, it is still pretty decent. Nothing some clear plastic polish can't largely remedy.

Unfortunately the 'Silver leaf' paint is very faded at the front and scratched up all over. I can deal with the faded paint as it uses fairly generic silver paint color but the button labels are far more tricky.

'A & B' button labels practically don't exist any more and 'Select & Start'' is partially faded, the latter more so. If I spray paint on to restore the color, I loose the labels.
Does anyone know of any possible way I can 'paint stamp' labels onto the surface after spray painting? The only other choice is to use printed clear back stickers but that will not look that well.

As a last resort, I could always re-shell the unit into another color but It would be a shame to loose the silver as this version is fairly nice with it's shiny chrome frame.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t31.0-8/s960x960/10321061_10152451074763735_6796228613700955036_o.j pg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t31.0-8/s960x960/10271252_10152451074753735_1409299870295936076_o.j pg

[kurdt_the_goat]

I thought that was a rare Gameboy "Light" model at first! That'd be a nice one to have.

That repair hut site (http://www.nintendorepairhut.com/repairsupplies/Frame-20-gameboydsrepairitemspage20.html#GBP Repair Parts) you linked to earlier has replacement buttons... but in a bundle of replacement everything... you've probably seen it.
Fairly cheap though so maybe you could just use the buttons and keep the rest of the pieces for potential later restores.

[Hursticon]

Ooh! - Ooh! :eek: - I'll be looking forward to seeing what you do with this one Kup, as I mentioned before; looks like it presents some interesting challenges too. ;):)

[gamblor916]

You should look into dry transfers. They don't have any film around them and looks like tampo printing when applied nicely.

[Tfiguy]

This is awesome Kup! I found my old Gba the other day, it definitely is in need of a new screen protector.

[kup]

I thought that was a rare Gameboy "Light" model at first! That'd be a nice one to have.

That repair hut site (http://www.nintendorepairhut.com/repairsupplies/Frame-20-gameboydsrepairitemspage20.html#GBP Repair Parts) you linked to earlier has replacement buttons... but in a bundle of replacement everything... you've probably seen it.
Fairly cheap though so maybe you could just use the buttons and keep the rest of the pieces for potential later restores.

I need the printed paint labels not buttons. The buttons and everything else aside from plastic surface on this thing is great.

[kup]

You should look into dry transfers. They don't have any film around them and looks like tampo printing when applied nicely.

Thanks but I am not sure about how cost effective it will be.

Edit:

Nevermind, I know what Dry Transfer is now. It is certainly an option but very fiddly as I would have to spell the word 'Select & Start' with small letters and keep it straight. The letters also have to be the right size. Is there a way to custom print?

[kurdt_the_goat]

I need the printed paint labels not buttons. The buttons and everything else aside from plastic surface on this thing is great.

Ah sorry about that, i was thinking the buttons were those that have etched letters and that somehow they'd been worn out! Makes more sense that the printing underneath wore out instead! :o

[gamblor916]

It should be pretty easy to get the letters straight. Just cut them out individually and stick them on a bit of tape to align then tape the whole thing to the surface and rub the transfer. Fonts look pretty generic and you should be able to pick up a sheet from an art store or stationery shop.

[Sinnertwin]

I really enjoy reading this thread :) Great work there, Kup.
One question though, where were you when my xBox decided it could fly? :p

[kup]

It should be pretty easy to get the letters straight. Just cut them out individually and stick them on a bit of tape to align then tape the whole thing to the surface and rub the transfer. Fonts look pretty generic and you should be able to pick up a sheet from an art store or stationery shop.

I tried finding the letters, even ordered a sheet on ebay but upon arrival, the letters were 1mm too small and at that size, makes a huge difference and looks off.

Finding the font for this is much harder than expected, I may have to consider a re-shell which is a shame.

[kurdt_the_goat]

The font is Helvetica Neue Bold. I'm not sure if you're redoing Select/Start, but if you are, the letters are made slightly closer together than default for Select, and slightly further apart for Start.

[kup]

The font is Helvetica Neue Bold. I'm not sure if you're redoing Select/Start, but if you are, the letters are made slightly closer together than default for Select, and slightly further apart for Start.

Thanks but as it's the case, I cannot find any place that has the rub on tampos of the right size and font. As mentioned, I found only one provider of sheets with matching font but they were 1mm too small.

Yeah Select/Start is what I am doing as well as A & B labels.

[kup]

My latest addition - The Atari 2600 - Light Sixer model. Everyone knows about this console and it's place in gaming history but to me, it was my very first console ever as I think we had it before I was even born :)

Although I have a feeling that I owned a Sunnyvale Heavy Sixer model as a kid, this is likely the closest I am going to get as the shipping costs from US for that lead monstrosity would be horrendous. Plus the Light Sixer looks almost the same anyways.

All that it needed was a thorough cleaning. I also ended up with three old Quickshot/3P joysticks and two busted up controllers for parts.

This completes my vintage Console collection as I wanted it. With the addition of the Atari, I now have regained all the consoles that I owned and meant something to me as a kid .

Although I first gave it a go on an LG Plasma TV that is much newer than mine, it refuses to work properly on my Panasonic so I just used the old CRT I had for this sort of thing.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/t31.0-8/10926312_10153015585048735_6795071951003103705_o.j pg

[kurdt_the_goat]

My parents had a 2600 (clone i think) probably from before i was born too! I discovered it while rummaging through a box in the shed, and that was when it all began! Actually i'd say after Super Mario Bros. 3 which my cousin had... That cemented me as a gamer. A 7800 was the first console i remember my parents buying though!

My fav games on Atari... Circus Atari and Warlords (with paddle controllers), Adventure, Pitfall, Asteroids, Space Invaders, Ghostbusters (don't cross the streams!)... Midnight Magic, some wrestling game, Summer Games.. Shit i'm pretty much listing everything we had cause they were all good!

[CoRDS]

unlike transformers. i still have ALL my video gaming things from growing up


all the way from current back to atari 2600. and they all still work :)

[GoktimusPrime]

unlike transformers. i still have ALL my video gaming things from growing up
Heh, complete opposite for me. But I think it's because my interest in video gaming has dwindled since I was a kid, whereas my passion for Transformers has never ceased. :)

[kup]

Several months ago, I bought a junker 'Simpsons Edition' PSP with the intention of attempting a restore. This proved to be very difficult not so much due to the repair/restore job but more so because they kept sending me broken screens! Finally today I received a good condition screen and I can finally conclude this ongoing Project!

As can be seen by the earlier pics, the PSP had been taken through the mill. There were scratches everywhere, the silver disc at the back was scratch to crap (the camera flash makes it look better). The screen also had some distortion defects that got worse with movement. After a bit of a clean and polish, I got the shell to look respectable - Also replaced the worn silver disc. In addition, the button bar at the bottom of the screen was also broken and needed to be replaced.

At the end, I ended up with a pretty nice looking and fully functional Simpsons PSP. Yes, the only thing that makes it Simpsons is that it's yellow and it came with the game :)

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/t31.0-8/1082056_10153698716543735_415976234669319723_o.jpg

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xta1/t31.0-8/12140870_10153698716508735_7792823264489814938_o.j pg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xat1/t31.0-8/12141102_10153698716473735_1142615463295321451_o.j pg

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/t31.0-8/11224389_10153698716548735_1998068085413092057_o.j pg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xta1/t31.0-8/12113352_10153698716463735_4111389424298500558_o.j pg

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t31.0-8/11040610_10153698716378735_3928241553536221594_o.j pg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/t31.0-8/12045309_10153698716283735_3095434113773968233_o.j pg

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/t31.0-8/12109920_10153698716358735_3791927940191241348_o.j pg