Restoring GBA SP paint work & ports

[MikeyW]

I got this pretty little GBA SP today from a flea market for a fiver.



Trouble is the paint work is all a bit mash-up in places, especially on the front.





You can't see on the pictures, but this also includes some relatively deep scratches in various places on the console.

Is there any way to repair such damage without altering the colour of the GBA, and if not, is it worth changing it's colour? I have some fie sand-paper and metallic blue spray paint that I've been keeping for use on my Dreamcast, but I thought it may come to use in this instance.

I've not much experience in console modding of any kins so any advice would be appreciated.

EDIT: after playing a bit of Pokémon in it and trading a bit I've found that it doesn't always load the game up properly. Sometimes it doesn't boot at all and sometimes it just makes some strange garbled sounds. With trading, sometimes it doesn't detect the other player and sometimes the connection is interrupted during trading. The ports look filthy with grit inside them. What's the best way to clean these out? Rubbing alcohol and cotton buds?

[noiseredux]

all the links you posted = Sign in to Gmail with your Account

[Krooner]

You'd have to fully dismantle it to paint it but use a good vinyl dye it, actually impregnates the plastic rather that sitting on top like paint and you can get it an a shade of blue almost identical to that.

[noiseredux]

you can also buy replacement cases from places like dealextreme.

[MikeyW]

After a little use of the thing I've found a few more problems. I've stuck these up in the original post.

[Hobie-wan]

Cotton buds usually don't work too well in cart slots. Without an appropriate cleaner cart, you can use a piece of cardboard. perhaps with a paper towel wrapped around it. Take the battery out of the system first, then use the carboard dampened with alcohol and insert/remove several times, getting a new clean piece or clean spot on the paper towel as needed. Let it completely dry for a while before putting the battery in. If you can have a fan blowing lightly at it, it will dry quicker.

[CRTGAMER]

Is there any way to repair such damage without altering the colour of the GBA, and if not, is it worth changing it's colour? I have some fie sand-paper and metallic blue spray paint that I've been keeping for use on my Dreamcast, but I thought it may come to use in this instance.

You'd have to fully dismantle it to paint it but use a good vinyl dye it, actually impregnates the plastic rather that sitting on top like paint and you can get it an a shade of blue almost identical to that.

Here is a sample of that vinyl paint from a previous thread.
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 78#p244078

[MikeyW]

I'll pick up some rubbing alcohol from my local pharmacy on the way back from uni today and give it all a good clean. As for the vinyl plaints, do they need to be a specific kind of paint so that I know what to ask for when I go down town to get some? Like I said, I've some spray paint, but if vinyl paint will restore the colour to a better extent, I don't mind splashing out on it.