So while I'm still editing the main Predicta tandem resto video here's a couple of short exerpts that stand on their own and have broader application.
Enjoy.
https://youtu.be/IzIjyqWA3Rw

The first of the main restoration videos premiers at 8PM central.

https://youtu.be/psH2d8xExc0

The second half of the main restoration videos premiers at 8PM central.
https://youtu.be/1tsFuEi55ZY

your box is full half the time, so, i'm gonna post this here :P

https://i.imgur.com/3evkiXO.jpg

this is the sad SAD state that my late Dad's UHER R2R deck is in, just took the top off.

he was an engineer, but NOT very good with electronics, and got it in his head to re-wire it at one point, and it really never worked right, since, well, it was given to him NOT really working right in the first place.
he made it worse.

I will NEVER understand why he used simple twisted pair wire for the play heads and shielded for the record, that makes NO sense at all.

I do not know it will EVER work right again it does pay, poorly

recording may be hopeless.
I just cant get parts, :(

It sucks it got that messed up. Since it's an heirloom if it were mine I'd probably try to track down another one of the same model to get the parts to put it back together right...I already do that for things I like and feel are worth the effort of making a good set out of multiple bad ones.
RTRs are fairly fun to fix when they died of age instead of monkeying...
I know of the voice of music site has some tape parts (mostly rubber ones)...