From Worn-Out Junk to Brand New? Hardtop Install Breakdown
Summary
Hardtop playfield install and restoration of a Bally Captain Fantastic EM pinball machine, with cabinet and Kiss updates.
CaptNRetro documents installing a new hardtop playfield on a Bally Captain Fantastic EM pinball machine, covering sanding old inserts, cleaning, clear coating inserts, fitment testing, and repainting pop bumper and post parts. He also shows an in-progress cabinet restoration and a finished Kiss machine, and gives opinions on EM games.
Bringing a dead playfield back from the grave—WITHOUT a full swap? Yeah… we’re doing it. In this video, I walk you through installing an Outside Edge Playfield Hardtop step-by-step. If your playfield looks like it went through a bar fight in 1987—worn inserts, chipped art, ball trails from hell—this might be the best upgrade you can make without tearing the whole machine apart. Full prep and teardown (what you NEED to remove… and what you think you can skip but shouldn’t) Surface cleaning and getting the playfield ready for install Laying and aligning the hardtop (this is where people screw it up) Reassembly tips so your game actually plays better—not worse Honest thoughts on durability, feel, and whether it’s worth the money This isn’t some sterile “perfect world” install either—I’ll show you the real-world process, mistakes to avoid, and how to get it done right the first time. If you’re restoring a pin, flipping projects, or just trying to make your game not look like it survived a house fire… this is for you. Why a Hardtop? Because original playfields are getting harder to find, more expensive, and let’s be honest—most of them are already cooked. A hardtop gives you: ✔ Brand new surface ✔ Updated artwork ✔ Faster, smoother gameplay ✔ Way less headache than a full swap Got questions? Drop them in the comments—I actually read them (and yeah, I’ll call you out if you’re about to do something dumb 😆)
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