Protecting Older Pinball Machines — Bally, Williams, Gottlieb & More

Older pinball machines occupy a special place in the hobby. The artwork is often hand-painted or screen-printed in ways modern manufacturing can't replicate. The themes are unrepeatable. And for many of these machines, the playfield is irreplaceable — original replacements either don't exist or sell at premium prices when they do.

Protecting these machines is therefore not just about extending playability; it's about preserving genuine pinball history. Here's how to approach it.

Three factors set pre-clearcoat-era playfields apart from modern ones:

No modern clearcoat layer. Most pinball machines from before approximately 1990 don't have the thick automotive-style clear lacquer that protects modern playfields. The artwork is sealed only with a much thinner factory finish. This makes them more vulnerable to wear, but also more sensitive to anything you put on them — including Mylar adhesives.

Different artwork techniques. Older playfields used a mix of screen printing, hand painting, and decals. The layers interact differently with chemicals and adhesives than modern printed-then-clearcoated artwork.

Insert construction. Many older Williams machines have insert labels that are essentially separate printed pieces sitting on top of the plastic insert. These can lift off entirely if exposed to adhesive removal.

Bally machines from the 1970s and early 1980s often have surprisingly tough paint but no clear protection. Inserts in this era frequently develop cracks (heat-cracked) and may push out easily during restoration. Wear typically appears around slingshots, pop bumpers, and high-traffic shot returns.

Williams machines from the 1980s are a mixed picture. Some have very good factory finishes; others have notoriously fragile paint. Insert labels are particularly delicate — applying or removing anything adhesive over them is high risk.

Gottlieb machines typically used a 2K hard-sealed finish on some models, while others have no hard finish at all. Identifying which type you have matters before any cleaning or protection work.

Early electronic machines (1975-1985) often have the most fragile artwork and the most valuable themes. These are usually the machines that benefit most from protection.

Late WPC era (1990-1999) Williams machines are the transition point. Diamond Plate clearcoat was introduced around 1990. Machines with Diamond Plate are more robust and more like modern machines in terms of protection options.

Mylar was historically used on older machines, and many vintage games still have decades-old Mylar somewhere on them. But applying new Mylar to a vintage playfield today carries significant risks:

The adhesive bonds directly to the paint, not to a clearcoat layer. Over years, this bond strengthens.

When eventually removed, the adhesive often takes paint with it, especially in high-detail or thinly painted areas.

Insert labels can lift entirely, leaving inserts with no visible markings.

The risk grows with time. Mylar applied today may seem fine, but in twenty years when a future owner wants to remove it, the damage could be substantial.

For these reasons, many experienced restorers now recommend against new Mylar applications on older machines. See our guide to safe Mylar removal if you're dealing with existing Mylar.

A non-adhesive playfield protector solves the older-machine problem elegantly:

No adhesive means no bonding to fragile artwork. The protector sits on top of the playfield surface without touching it chemically.

Removable at any time without damage. Future owners can take it off, restore the playfield, fit a different protector — whatever they choose.

Bridges over sunken inserts. Many older machines have insert dropping issues; a protector provides a flat playing surface regardless.

Hides minor existing damage. Light wear and ball trails are visually masked by the protector layer.

For most older machines, this is the most appropriate protection strategy currently available.

Before any protection work, the playfield needs to be clean. Older playfields require extra care:

Avoid solvent-based cleaners that work fine on modern clearcoat. Isopropyl alcohol is generally safe in moderation, but test in a hidden area first.

Skip the Magic Eraser on hand-painted areas — it's too aggressive for fragile inks.

Use Novus 1 for routine cleaning. Save Novus 2 (which is mildly abrasive) for specific problem areas, and apply minimally.

Decades of nicotine residue is common on machines from arcade or bar use. This responds to isopropyl alcohol applied gently and patiently — don't try to remove it all in one go.

See our cleaning guide for more detail.

Many older playfields have wear that's progressed beyond simple cleaning. Touch-up work can stabilise the damage and improve appearance:

Acrylic paints designed for airbrush work are the standard for restoration. Hansa Pro Color is widely used in the European pinball community.

Pinpoint touch-ups with a fine brush can work for very small areas — chips, screw holes, edge wear.

Larger areas benefit from airbrush work. This requires skill and equipment most owners don't have at home.

After any touch-up, the area needs to be protected — either with clearcoat over the touched-up area, or with a protector covering the whole playfield.

For machines with extensive damage, professional restoration (touch-up plus full clearcoat) may be more appropriate than DIY work. See our clearcoat vs protector article for that comparison.

Older pinball machines often appreciate in value over time, particularly those with desirable themes (1970s and 1980s classics, Bally Black Hole, Williams Black Knight, Gottlieb Rocky, and many others). Protection becomes a financial decision as well as an enthusiast one.

A machine in original, well-preserved condition typically commands a premium over one with wear damage, even if the wear is "honest." For machines in collectible territory, protection from day one of ownership often pays for itself many times over at resale.

The other side of this argument: some collectors specifically prefer "untouched" original machines and view protectors as compromising originality. This is a real perspective in the hobby. The counterargument is that a protector is fully reversible — if a future owner wants the bare playfield, they can have it.

If you've just acquired a 1970s or 1980s machine in reasonable condition, a sensible protection approach looks like this:

Begin with a thorough but gentle clean. Don't try to make it look new — try to make it look its best with what's there.

Address obvious mechanical issues — loose inserts, degraded rubbers, damaged hardware. These cause damage during play.

Replace the balls. New balls on an old playfield make a huge difference.

Wax the playfield with a quality carnauba.

Consider fitting a playfield protector if one exists for your machine. This is where you preserve the current state — whatever that state is — against future deterioration.

Keep up routine cleaning and ball checks during ownership.

For machines with significant existing damage, the protector approach effectively "freezes" the playfield in its current condition, preventing further wear without the cost and irreversibility of full restoration. Many owners find this is the right level of intervention for machines they enjoy playing rather than display pieces.

Older pinball machines are more vulnerable than modern ones and harder to restore if they're damaged. Protection is therefore often more important on these machines, not less.

The reversible, adhesive-free approach of a custom playfield protector is particularly well-suited to vintage machines, where the risks of adhesive Mylar are real and the value of preservation is high.

We make protectors for a wide range of older machines — browse the catalogue to see if yours is covered. For general principles, see our complete protection guide.