Whirlwind

Bench check

Boards, playfield, toys and the trip home

Boards and batteries

Whirlwind runs on System 11B with 3 AA batteries on the MPU board, and leaking alkalines are what kill System 11 boards, so ask for a photo of the MPU around the holder. Two boards are particular to it. A C-13287 sound overlay solenoid board, used on Whirlwind only, runs five extra devices, and a C-13088 triac board runs the topper fan.

Display

Scores show on two 16-digit alphanumeric plasma displays. A tired glass outgasses and goes dark, and an internal short makes segments light in sympathy. Ask for a photo of both lit in attract mode.

Playfield

The three discs are covered in a rubber mat that puts spin on the ball, so look at the disc surfaces as well as the flipper and inlane areas. Ask for raking-light photos of the whole playfield.

Toys and mechs

One motor drives all three counter-rotating discs. Its drive side connects between backbox and playfield through a single bullet connector that can pull apart when the backbox is lifted after a move, so check that first if the discs don't spin. The topper fan should blow when the discs spin.

Cabinet and art

The backbox art is a translite. On early ones the kid in the truck wears a Cubs C with a Williams W sticker over it, and later ones were printed with the W. The fan sits on top of the backbox, so make sure it's there.

Moving it

Unplug the disc-motor bullet connector before the backbox goes down, and plug it back in after setup. It's a standard-size cabinet with no weight on record, so bring a second person and a dolly.

Parts and code

The C-13287 overlay board is Whirlwind-only, so check it's present. Pedretti Gaming sold Whirlwind: Total Chaos in 2023, an upgrade kit with an LCD, new boards and new rules that installs on an original game and still lets you pick the original rules.