Isle of Man Grand Prix Steer-a-ball

[howeinuk]

Has anyone got any photos of the playfield and / or the backboard for one of these machines? The cabinet is metal, and the playfield is a one piece aluminium casting.

Any info on the manufacturer, dates etc. would be appreciated.

[coin-op]

Does the machine have a steering wheel on the front or handle bars at the side? Have you got a picture of what you have to better identify it.

[coin-op]

Hi, I'm uploading pics I have come across which I took a while ago.

[livinginthepast]

What a nice machine! The closest motorcycle is supposed to be a Norton I think, and the further one is definitely a Velocette. They look like 1930s to me. I wonder if this could have been made by Max Meyers of Mile End Road London? His family ran several arcades here both before and after the war and he certainly supplied machines, including a Skill-touch which is in my possession.

[pennymachines]

My guess (for what it's worth) is that it's not a Myers. Maybe Coin-op can confirm if there's any manufacturer's mark on the flash. A tilting maze is much simpler than Myers Road Test machines. Myers games usually (always?) employ electricity in some form. Do you have a picture of your Myers Skill-Touch?

Myers Automatics machines listed so far: Bomb Dropper (anyone seen one?), Road Test (below), Double Road Test, Love Test, Tele-E-Test (below), Lighthouse Grip Test (counter-top) and your Skill-Touch.

[livinginthepast]

Here are pictures of the Skill-Touch..awaiting restoration.
I remember playing the Road Test as a child..showing my age?
Not really -it was an old machine in the 50s! We digress---
More information on steer a ball please

[JC]

Your Skill Touch looks very German to me. Could any Meyers mark be just a supplier's label I wonder?

[pennymachines]

Yes, I think although the paperwork claims it was manufactured by Myers, it was more probably just rebadged and distributed by them. The Germans made a host of these fingerschlager: Elite, Glorial, Derby-Automat, Hoppla, Komet, Olympia, Rolletty, Rolly and Saphir, to name a few, including forerunners of the Bell Fruit Cascade. The rebranding may be an attempt to disguise it's German origin.
It must have been made for export to the UK because it works on the old penny (which as far as I know had no equivalent sized German counterpart). I've seen a few of these over the years on the old penny and also Saxony Clowns that use a similar track-and-wheel system to pay pennies.

[coin-op]

I have checked both the backglass and the cabinet and cannot see any indication of manufacturer. However, someone out there must know who it is!

[scorpa163]

I know it’s 16 years old, but did this machine get restored?
Does anybody else have one?

[coin-op]

It got partially restored. There was a couple of bits misting. Unfortunately, although I provided information to someone who had another to assist with information on their restoration, my request for reciprocal information to assist on mine went unanswered. Then other project swamped me a little and so it’s now further on than it was, but not quite there - and time is moving on! thank you for highlighting the 16 year journey.

[bryans fan]

You are not the only one in that boat coin-op!! I have "one" or "two" projects that have been waiting a good few years! Hoping to get on with them soon
Mind you, I don't think we are the only ones!

[mr merrivale]

I know it's not the same machine but it is a steer a coin I have restored called Plane Crazy. Might be of use for inspiration maybe.

[coppinpr]

I hope it survived, it's such a great machine. Going by the manufacturer's names on the course would it date between 1929 and 1932? ( Excelsior closed down in 1931, but I guess they could still have been in use as late as 1939).
Other than modern computer games the T.T. races don't seem to have inspired many games of any kind. The only one I could find is this Chad Valley board game. At least the map is the same.

Interesting but useless fact about Chad Valley Toys, for those of us old enough to remember (and appreciate the genius of) the radio show "Round the Horn". Kenneth Horn was managing director of Chad Valley for some years while still continuing with his B.B.C. work, always putting the business job first until forced to give it up due to illness.

[coin-op]

I know it's not the same machine but it is a steer a coin I have restored called Plane Crazy. Might be of use for inspiration maybe.

I’ve got the same machine as yours to compare with (seems to have been marketed as ‘Joy Stick’ or ‘Transatlantic’) and unfortunately it’s totally different.

[special when lit]

Had to do a double take then. I thought it said Joy Suck, which I'm sure would've been a very popular machine, had it been made...

[coppinpr]

I thought it said Joy Suck, which I'm sure would've been a very popular machine, had it been made..

in which case that wouldn't be the coin tray then? more of an entry than an exit, It would mean moving the handle very quickly

[scorpa163]

Most of us have projects in various states of rebuilding in the workshop.
I was drawn to it by the Isle of Man course, several fellow members of my local motorcycle club have competed in the TT or Manx races, one very successfully but sadly one losing his life.
What an interesting machine it will make.
Please show us the finished machine, whenever that may be.

[john t peterson]

The American TV show "60 Minutes" ran an episode on the Isle of Man TT race last Sunday: https://www.iomtt.com/news/2023/10/22/t ... us-tv-show

It's an insane race.

J Peterson
Cycleless, USA

[pennymachines]

...several fellow members of my local motorcycle club have competed in the TT or Manx races, one very successfully but sadly one losing his life.

I also knew a wonderful fellow (friend of my sister) who lost his life there. He was an adventurer who'd already burned through eight of his nine lives.