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From Data East Pinball:
Lethal Weapon 3 |
- Price: See price list
- Manufacturer: Data East
- Date Produced: August, 1992
- Units Produced: 10,350
- Design/Concept: Joe Kaminkow, Ed Cebula
- Dot Matrix Animation: Jack Liddon
- Mechanics: John Lund
- Sound/Music: Brian Schmidt
- Musical Score: ZZ Top, C&C Music Factory
- Software: Kristina Donofrio
- Speech Clips: Mel Gibson, Joe Pesci
TRIVIA: Lethal Weapon 3 features speech clips from actors Mel Gibson and Joe Pesci who starred in the Lethal Weapon films. The game features a player's choice of 3 high-energy background musical scores to hear during play- two of them by ZZ Top and C&C Music Factory
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Page Contents:
- Game Description
- Game Condition Details
- Game Images
- Game Sales Information
 Game Description:
The boys are back in action with this fast-playing, action-packed pinball. Enjoy features from all 3 motion pictures combined into this one game, with lots of great gadgets like a pistol-grip ball shooter, wild ramps, drop targets, spinners, 3-ball multiball, and fast-paced "on your toes" play! Great rock-and-roll musical score featuring 3 different background tunes that you get to choose from each time you play. Voice clips and sound effects from the original actors and films.
Game features high-energy background musical scores from ZZ Top and C&C Music Factory- you choose your favorite tune at game start!
Game Play: Use the pistol-grip shooter to launch the ball and hit one of 4 lit targets for the "skill shot". Complete both 3-bank drop target banks to light the ICS Building for 3-Ball Multiball play. The wild ramp scores Jackpot points during Multiball mode and returns ball to the right flipper lane. Shoot the 1-2-3 holes during Multiball to collect Double Jackpot, and again all the way up to Quadruple Jackpot! Shoot playfield loop, or "orbit" shots to light all the bullets in the Uzi gun on the playfield. When full, watch the "video mode" where you try to shoot the bad guy at just the right time! Complete the 1-2-3 holes to collect "stunt value" and watch an actual stunt from the movie played out on the dot-matrix score display!
This game features gadgets such as 3-ball multiball play, two wild wireform ramps that return the balls to the flipper lanes, two banks of drop targets, 3 pop bumpers, 2 spinners, a vertical up-kicker, and two kickout holes. The ball launcher sends the ball across the playfield, similar to famous games from the past and future like High Speed, Flash, and Getaway.
This game is one of the most energetic, fun, and challenging games ever designed by Data East, and even though the multitude of rules and modes on this game will be more than enough to keep you busy, the game play is fun and straightforward enough to be entertaining and fun for any players, regardless of skill and age. These are the true signs of a well-designed pinball, and we're sure after a game or two, you'll agree!
Game Condition:
Overall:
Over 40 hours have been invested in the full reconditioning of this game. It easily meets our criteria for an "Excellent Condition" rating, which is near our top rating for a used, reconditioned, restored game.
This game is a domestic (U.S.) model and is not a re-import from overseas. This game originally came to us from a rural operator who operated the game commercially for most of it's life and rarely moved it from location to location, so it has seen below-average handling and below-average play for a game of this age and popularity. Consequently, it has had it's original condition preserved very well over it's lifetime and still retains a very fresh and "like new" appearance, inside and out.
Cabinet and Backbox: All exterior surfaces on this game are in great shape, showing very few signs of previous use or handling. All colors and artwork on the game have been preserved very well and are still bright and vibrant with no signs of UV color-fading.
Very few signs of previous use or handling were present on this game when we received it- only a few small nicks, chips, and scratches here and there- the majority being confined to edges around the cabinet and backbox sides- not negatively affecting any of the actual detailed artwork on the cabinet. Most all of these signs of previous use were touched-up during the restoration of the cabinet, to make them less apparent and to help restore the original look and finish to the game as much as possible. As with any used/reconditioned game, some signs of previous use will naturally still be visible on parts of the game upon close inspection, but we have done our best to restore the original look and finish of this previously-used game as much as practically possible.
All touch-up painting that has been done on this restored game has been done professionally with no unsightly "overspray" onto nearby parts, and no "sloppy work", as is common to see on a lot of average "fixed up" used games.
Front "bezel" or "frame" around the backglass and speaker panel has been repainted with matching gloss blue enamel paint to restore a clean original look. Inside walls of main cabinet have also been cleaned and repainted with matching blue paint for a "day one" fresh new look.
All circuit boards inside the backbox have been inspected, and have no burned, scorched, or overheated wiring connectors, as is often common in many used games that have been run hard for many years. This game's original components still appear remarkably fresh and healthy due to the better-than-average care it has received over the years. We have replaced the general illumination light wiring connectors at the transformer and running to the backbox insert panel, as they showed some signs of aging, and the new connectors and pins will provide "good as new" connections and provide reliable operation for many years to come, if not indefinitely.
The original coin door on this game has been completely restored, including a full tear-down of all parts- inside and out- with full cleaning and reconditioning of all parts, and full repainting of all metal parts with original semi-gloss black enamel paint to restore that "day one" fresh new look. No cheap "mask-off" job here- our coin door overhaul process involves disassembling the door into every conceivable nut and screw, with each individual part being reconditioned and reassembled- the way they did it at the factory.
The rest of the front of the game is in excellent condition and with no unsightly marks or damage other than a few small spots of paint that have peeled up under the gun handle- probably from an operator's sticker that was removed at some point in the past.
The exterior bottom panel of the main cabinet has been restored as well- cleaning and sanding of the wood edges and bottom panel to restore the original appearance. New white nylon cabinet gliders have been installed on the back of the main cabinet to restore original condition.
Some small signs of wear and rubbing from the legs were present underneath the legs on each of the corners of the main cabinet, where the legs mount directly to the cabinet. These are common to find on any used game and are the result of use and vibrations from operating the game. This wear was touched-up and repainted on each of the 4 corners of the game, and brand new leg protector pads were installed to help cover and prevent against any damage (scratches, scuffs) and help preserve the finish.
Backglass on this game (mylar translite behind clear tempered glass) is in very good condition. Only a few tiny pinhole marks are present on the back side- mostly near the upper left corner- from normal use/handling over the years- but these are very small and inconspicuous and don't detract from the overall look of the backglass artwork. (see images below). Black plastic trim on the backglass edges is all original, clean, and in great shape.
Playfield on this game is in overall excellent condition from top to bottom. It features the factory original clearcoat finish which helps preserve and protect the artwork and it's surface. There are no obvious signs of "wear" spots currently present in the artwork that many popular used games often have from years of hard play and neglect- this game has honestly been preserved extremely well over the years- a very "low mileage" example. Some small signs of wear were starting to develop around the edges of some of the light "inserts" (or "lenses") on the playfield around the "Uzi" gun and were lightly touched up. But no damage was present to any of the actual artwork or lettering on the inserts themselves- something that is very common to find on most average or heavily-used Lethal Weapon 3 games. This game's playfield has been preserved very well in relation to most average Lethal Weapon 3 games still in circulation. Original factory Mylar covering is still present in the pop bumpers area is in great shape.
Playfield plastics are all present and in good condition. A few have had some cracks, breaks, or chips from use over the years (common on all pinball games), but we have cleaned these up to make them less conspicuous and give a more original "factory" appearance, whereever possible. All plastics have been cleaned- top and bottom sides- and installed and secured with brand new nylock nuts, just like originally designed.
All mechanisms on the playfield (including kickers, bumpers, flippers, drop target units, and more) have all been painstakingly overhauled and reconditioned/restored to new condition for good looks and proper reliable operation. Brand new drop targets with target decals have been installed in both drop target banks.
Here is a detailed list of work that has been done on this game, followed by more details on condition:
- We have invested just over 40 hours in the restoration of this game.
- Playfield top and bottom surfaces stripped of parts and assemblies for proper cleaning- right down to the bare wood and paint. Playfield surface hand cleaned and polished.
- All playfield parts have been removed and hand cleaned, or replaced with brand new parts where necessary. This includes light bulbs, posts, ramps, pop bumpers, wireform ball guides, flipper assembiles, under-playfield ramps, target banks, bumper assemblies, lamp PC boards, ball trough and associated parts, and any other parts that are installed on the playfield.
- All metal parts removed from playfield have been hand cleaned and polished for original bright shiny finish.
- Metal posts polished/shined including hex posts and standoff posts used throughout playfield.
- All playfield plastic posts cleaned by hand with detergent and brush to remove any wax, dirt, grime, or leftover cleaner. Worn or cracked posts replaced with brand new posts where necessary.
- All playfield metal posts cleaned and polished for like-new look.
- New ramp entrance flap screws installed on main ramp entrance.
- Both flipper assemblies have been removed, torn down, cleaned, and rebuilt with brand new rebuild kit to restore new operation and performance. New parts installed where necessary include new coil stops, coil plungers, nylon plunger sleeves, plunger links and roll pins, springs, and cranks. Flippers tuned and adjusted for optimum performance. They once again work like new!
- Brand new nuts/screws installed throughout playfield for plastics, rails, assemblies, etc. to restore new appearance.
- Full rubber ring kit installed on playfield, including all regular round rings, flipper rings, and post bumpers.
- All light bulbs on top and bottom of playfield, and elsewhere in game, removed, cleaned, and replaced. Brand new light bulbs used as replacements for old worn, discolored, or burned out bulbs and flasher bulbs.
- All light bulb inserts (or "lenses") in playfield surface cleaned and polished for maximum shine and light penetration.
- Brand new chrome steel pinballs installed in game (game uses three total).
- Playfield flat plastics (screened artwork) all removed, cleaned, and replaced. Cracked or chipped plastics repaired/refinished as required.
- Fender washers installed under top and bottom edges of slingshot bumper plastics to protect them from cracking/breaking from airborne balls.
- New standup targets installed for 4-bank skill shot targets. Original targets and assembly are discontinued, so these were upgraded using later-model Bally/Williams style targets with similar design.
- Score and instruction cards have both been reproduced for clean clear looks, and hard-laminated for durability, and to prevent against damage in the future- these look great!
- Both slingshot bumper assemblies have had their detector switches removed and hand-cleaned with tarnish remover for nice bright brass shine!
- New coil sleeves installed in coil devices (flippers, kickers, bumpers, etc.) to restore like-new operation and add reliability.
- Solder joints on light bulb, motor-control and driver PC boards under playfield all reflowed and reinforced with fresh solder to prevent cracks and intermittent operation in the future.
- Inside and outside of main cabinet and backbox completely stripped of parts, cleaned, parts individually hand cleaned, and reassembled.
- Coin door fully overhauled, all parts cleaned/replaced. Metal parts repainted in original semi-gloss enamel paint. It once again looks new!
- New coin door lock & keys installed on coin door.
- Playfield glass lockdown bar cleaned and refinished to restore original look.
- New "Install 3 Balls" decal for lockdown bar latch.
- Brand new heavy-duty leg levelers installed for all 4 legs.
- Brand new leg protector pad set installed for all 4 legs.
- Cabinet nicks, dings, scuffs and scratches patched up, touched up, and repainted, where necessary.
- New white nylon gliders installed on cabinet back.
- All electronics (PC boards) in backbox cleaned, checked, and tested for proper operation and good looks (no burned connectors, etc.) Fuses all removed, checked, and proper values verified- replaced where necessary.
- New A2.08 game ROM revision installed for latest game feature software upgrade.
- New A2.06 display ROM revisions installed for latest game feature software upgrade.
- New grounded line cord end installed.
- New remote-mount battery holder with quick-disconnect installed for MPU board in backbox. This prevents damage to the valuable MPU board from accidental battery discharge or leakage, which can destroy the board. Batteries are now mounted off-board and risk of damage is eliminated. Brand new fresh batteries installed.
- Backglass translite (artwork) removed and glass cleaned/polished (both sides). Translite cleaned/polished (both sides). Molding pieces cleaned and reassembled.
- New coils installed in various devices, as required.
- New drop targets installed (6 total) along with brand new drop target decal set to restore brand new appearance.
- General illumination connectors replaced at transformer and in cable to backbox insert panel to improve connections and reduce heat buildup. Heavy-duty trifurcon pins used in new connectors.
- New backbox wrench installed.
- Legs and leg bolts removed, cleaned, and repainted for original look.
List of New Parts on This Game:
A lot of large and small parts are typically replaced anytime a game is fully restored like this one, and this list may not reflect all of the actual parts used in the process, so should be considered an incomplete or "partial" list. Shipping/freight costs for obtaining many of the parts listed below may also not be included, so would be considered additional costs invested.
NOTE: ("NOS" means "New Old Stock", and indicates a part that is of original manufacture, new (never used), and authentic (not a reproduction, look-alike, or "aftermarket" part). Most "NOS" parts are discontinued and no longer available from the manufacturer, and can consequently be very hard to find, or expensive if they can be found.)
New Parts Total Value: $349.14
Custom Modifications & Upgrades for Added Performance and Reliability:
- Protective fender washers added under slingshot plastics to protect against damage.
- This machine has had it's software upgraded to the latest game ROM revision A2.08, and latest display ROM revision A2.06.
- Remote-mount battery holder for MPU board added in backbox. Includes quick-disconnect for easy MPU board removal from the game, if ever needed.
- Solder reflowed/added to connector pins on lamp and motor PC boards under playfield for added reliability.
- New reproduction hard-laminated score and instruction cards installed.
Game Images:
Playfield:
Thumbnail
(Click for larger view) | Description |
 | Playfield overall view. |
 | Playfield during restoration. Playfield removed, completely stripped of all parts- top and bottom sides- cleaned, polished, restored, and ready to be put back in the game and reassembled. Many more days of work to go from here! |
 | Detail- lower playfield area. Note the excellent condition of the original playfield finish in this game. This game has been very well preserved over it's lifetime and obviously never subjected to harsh conditions or excessive play- a very "low mileage" game.
Note new protective fender washers under the top and bottom edges of the slingshot bumpers. Also the new white rubber rings. This game originally shipped from the factory with black rings, but the white just look better on most games and give more "bounce" so we've opted for these on this great-looking game. Note also that we have removed and done-away with the short black post bumpers that are typically on the lower half of most metal posts on Data East games. These bumpers were only used by Data East and tend to absorb ball energy and slow down the play of the game, so we've removed these and noticed a substantial improvement in ball speed and overall game play.
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 | Another view of the lower playfield looking across to the left.
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 | Detail- right side of playfield. Both drop target banks and plunger lane exit seen here.
Note the brand new white drop targets that have been installed (including drop target decals).
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 | Detail- left side of playfield. Left eject hole, skill shot target bank, and ramp entrances seen here. Skill shot targets (4 total) were replaced with brand new green "3D" targets, as original yellow targets were broken and no longer available new. Same look and functionality- just brand new, and a different color! |
 | Detail- upper right playfield area. Center drop target bank, pop bumpers, and left lanes seen here. |
 | Detail- upper left corner of playfield. This is the "ICS Building". Completing both drop target banks lights the up-kicker in the building for Multiball play- shoot here when flashing!
Note the finish on the stainless steel ramp that leads up and around the building- no unsightly ball marks or signs of use on this unit- fully restored! |
 | Detail- upper right corner of playfield. Top 9-1-1 rollover lanes and pop bumpers seen here. Complete rollovers to advance bonus multiplier. Great condition here- one of the most high-traffic areas on any game, but well-preserved. This game has a protective Mylar covering around the pop bumpers to protect the playfield finish.
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 | Playfield underside- flippers area.
Note the cleanliness of the components and entire underside of the wood playfield. Everything you see here has been removed from the game, reconditioned, rebuilt, and reinstalled- just like they did at the factory when the game was new. Super-clean and gorgeous. |
 | Under-playfield view- top section of playfield.
Again here, note the "like-new" cleanliness of playfield and components. |
Cabinet/Backbox:
Thumbnail
(Click for larger view) | Description |
 | Game overall view.
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 | Main cabinet- right side.
A few minor nicks, chips, and scratches have been touched up on this, and other exterior surfaces of this used reconditioned game- most of which have been along the edges of the cabinet surfaces and all very minor (superficial scuffs and abrasions from below-average use/handling over the years).
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 | Main cabinet- left side. Great shape here as well. A few small minor superficial blemishes were touched up in some areas here as well. Wear marks under the legs- from normal use over the years- were also touched up and repainted, and these signs of use are not visible when the legs are mounted on the game. The brand new leg protector pads also help to cover these areas and protect against any future wear from the legs. |
 | Backbox- front and right sides. Overall great condition. A few nicks and scuffs were touched up here as well- most confined to small chips on the edges of the backbox. Note that the entire front "surround" of the backbox has been repainted with matching blue gloss enamel for a "day one" fresh new look. |
 | Backbox front and left sides. Also in great overall condition, with a few minor touch-ups done. |
 | Main cabinet front, coin door. Great shape here, with only one small superficial blemish area just under the gun- some paint that was marred probably from the removal of a previous operator's sticker. This spot is in an inconspicuous area and is only cosmetic.
Note fully restored coin door. Coin door has been fully removed, disassembled into every conceivable part, nut, and screw. Metal parts have been cleaned and repainted with original style semi-gloss black enamel. And all parts reassembled like new again. |
 | Backbox insert (light) panel. Note the cleanliness of the panel here, which is behind the backglass art. No signs of stains, smoke, or nicotene- all fresh like "day one" new. |
 | Translite- back side. Translite in this game is an original- not an aftermarket reproduction. It has only a few tiny superficial "pinhole" type marks on the back side from normal handling/use over the years, which are not obvious and are actually so small that they don't even show up in the digital image seen here- very minor.
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 | Backbox interior. Also very clean. All circuit boards in excellent condition with no burned connectors or wiring. Note remote-mount battery kit installed for MPU board (mounted in top right corner of insert panel). |
 | Main cabinet interior. Entire cabinet interior was stripped of parts for complete cleaning. All parts were removed, including transformer, wiring harnesses, hardware, and more. All parts fully cleaned, reconditioned, and reinstalled. Interior side walls of cabinet have been repainted with a fresh coat of matching gloss blue enamel paint, for a "day one" new look.
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Like all pinballs we sell, this machine also comes complete with fully functional coin door & mechanisms with all parts present and working, and full game manual and schematics (wiring diagrams) for this game.
For our local customers, game sale includes delivery, setup, and a full warranty on parts and labor, at no additional charge.
For out-of-town customers, we offer Game Packing and Shipping services (at additional cost), and our Limited Warranty at no extra cost.
For more details on our work on this particular game, see our restoration information page.
For game sales, shipping info, and more, see our Game Sales Info page.
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