I have now begun the process of totally refurbishing the Double Dragon arcade game that I bought over the weeked.

I have stripped down the cabinet. I then proceded to remove the top coat of black spraypaint. Underneath that was the original Defender painted sideart, (this game was originally a Defender). The Defender graphics were surprisingly intact. I could have masked them off and resprayed them. But a quick check on Ebay for prices for the other Defender parts I would need killed that idea. So this game will have to remain as a Double Dragon.

I have nearly finished the bodywork on the cabinet itself, (you never notice how many scratches something has until you start sanding it). I had to completely replace the back door and the front piece of wood, (the one the coin door is on), due to water damage. After 18 hours of sanding I now have an empty Defender cabinet that is as smooth as glass.

Tommorrow I shall paint it. This game is going to be gloss red. Now a dedicated Double Dragon machine is black, (with a huge Taito logo on the side). But since this machine was a conversion, I can be a little more creative with the restoration.

I have ordered new red joysticks from Happs, along with new red buttons, (one of the original leaf switch joysticks was broken, and neither one had a good "feel" to them anymore). I also had to change the dip switch settings from "hard" to "easy", (that makes it more fun for visitors).

Before I put it back together I am going to find a couple of huge stickers of Chinese dragons for the side. I will probably replace the ancient speaker with a new one also.

This one is going to look great next to my MAME Cabinet and Vs. Golf machines. (The Vs. Golf will soon be restored also).

(If anyone knows of a place that sells huge stickers, please send me a /msg).