The Find
I almost drove right past the garage sale. But sitting there, half-hidden behind a rusty lawn mower, was a 1982 Galaga cabinet. The marquee was faded, the side art was peeling, and it absolutely did not turn on. I offered $50 and loaded it into my truck before the seller could change their mind.
Assessing the Damage
Back in the workshop, I cataloged everything wrong with it:
Power Supply Rebuild
I started with the power supply — a Switching Power International unit. I replaced all the electrolytic capacitors with modern equivalents (matching voltage and capacitance ratings). After a careful power-on with an isolation transformer, the supply came back to life.
CRT Restoration
The CRT was the biggest challenge. The flyback transformer was shot. I sourced a replacement from a fellow collector on the KLOV forums. After swapping it and adjusting the neck board, the tube lit up — and the picture was gorgeous. There's nothing quite like a real CRT for arcade games.
Control Panel & Cosmetics
I ordered a reproduction control panel overlay from ThisOldGame.com. New leaf-switch buttons (the originals used leaf switches, not microswitches) and a fresh Sanwa-style joystick with a bat top. For the side art, I went with reproduction vinyl decals.
T-Molding
The old T-molding was yellow and cracked. I pulled it all out, cleaned the channel with a flathead screwdriver, and pressed in new 3/4" black T-molding. Simple but it makes a huge difference.
The Moment of Truth
With everything reassembled, I powered it on. The Galaga attract screen appeared, the familiar music filled the workshop, and I spent the next two hours playing instead of cleaning up. A perfect restoration.
Total Cost Breakdown
Not bad for an authentic 1982 Galaga cabinet.