Repairing Joysticks vs Replacing Joysticks: Is repairing possible?

Hey guys, as I mentioned in another thread I decided to break my questions up instead of having one thread with a million questions in it. I just got a dedicated SF2CE cabinet in the mail, and it has a regular 8-way joystick in it, but it's not plastic, it kind of looks like these: http://www.retroblast.com/photos/joysticks/rotary_full.jpg , only minus the rotary mechanism and 40 dollars. These joysticks are the same you find on a dedicated MK cabinet, where instead of all plastic it has a little black plastic nub at the top, then the rest is all some type of metal. These joysticks have been beaten to holy hell, and are completely rusted. Is there any way to salvage these joysticks instead of getting new plastic ones? I like keeping my machines as close as I can to dedication (it's the same cabinet as this http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/8951/914b12sbfj0.jpg , see how the joysticks are? Where that chrome is is completely rusted) but it doesn't make sense if you can't play the game. I can't even find a place to buy new joysticks that style, let alone repair these.

Thanks in advance!
Shmenge

OK I'm gonna go out on a limb and say there's no hope for these joysticks. You can't find them anywhere, plus the ridiculous pile of RUST they leave behind is unphathomable. So as much as I hate to do it, I guess I'm going to have to go with the newer, all plastic competition joystick.

Oh,you can get those sticks and in different color tops..

They have the solid chrome stem..They are the same that come originally in Neo Geo MVS US cabs..

I actually got a set off Ebay awhile back..

But there is a company that sells them..

I'm going to see if I can find it via a search..

Before I locate the company I noted on..

How about these?
http://cgi.ebay.com/JOYSTICK-BLACK-OVAL-FOR-ARCADE-VIDEO-GAMES_W0QQitemZ180031553160QQihZ008


And:or
http://www.ultimarc.com/ultrastik_info.html
http://www.ultimarc.com/JShopServer/section.php?xSec=2

Thanks! I could definitely pick a couple of those up. I wonder how they perform compared to the happ competition ones...

Better find out if they will support 8 way or not.

It says they are "Ms. Pac Man compatible" which to me means they are 4 way sticks. Pac Man & Ms. Pac Man tend to freak out if you use an 8 way stick.

Yeah, I think I'm just going to order the competition joysticks. I use those for all the other games in my room, and especially considering I'm going to have street fighter tournaments I cant miss a beat. I'll get competition joysticks for them and try my best to repair these. Even the microswitches on these things are busted.

happ super joysticks, iirc (youd think i would since i have 6 of em) have a plastic cover for the stick, but its otherwise metal. so you could get those and leave it off.

I wonder if you could use the handle from a happ super on with the competition mech, cause I first got the competitions after reading a review that they were superb joysticks. I also dont want any surprises like being able to take the ball top off, as these machines will one day be in an arcade, and if the kids can take top off, that would suck big time. (Something I noticed about the Ultrastik) I might go with the happ supers then. Figure SF2 is going to get played, a lot, and it needs to be accurate. So as long as it plays as good as the competition, I'll be fine. Outside of the price, how about those SlikStik replacement handles? http://www.slikstik.com/detail.aspx?ID=99