Beautiful Clean Pioneer RT-909 Reel to Reel Deck - Needs TLC, not running.

Description

Beautiful, Clean
Pioneer RT-909 Reel to Reel Deck
for PARTS or Refurbishing.
complete with the original Owners Manual (marked in hand-writing:
Purchased 24 Jan 81... one year warranty)
Needs TLC, not running.
Wow! I discovered this unit in a second-hand store about two weeks ago. "Love at first sight!" ... LOOK at that thing... awesome!
Upon "second sight", I saw that the two pinch rollers are deteriorated, gummy black and sticky. After a little research, I see that there is one drive belt inside the unit that we KNOW must also be rotten and useless. One of the pinch rollers is missing its plastic hubcap, too. - SEE THE PICTURES... THAT is the unit you are buying.
I see that eBay has individual pinch rollers available, as well as a Pinch-Roller & Belt kit. ... I was sorely tempted. I spent the last week watching "refurbish the RT-909" videos on YouTube. ... In the end, I have decided NOT to tackle this project. I am pretty good with VCRs and Cassette decks, but this "diamond in the rough" deserves more than my fumbling fingers can deliver.
The unit is very clean... only a few light rubs and scratches... and NONE that you can see as you look at the face of the unit... it's beautiful. ... At the last moment, while trying to take a picture of the Serial No plaque, I found where someone had scratched a number into the rear panel near the serial number... see the photo... it is not an obvious flaw as I had been looking at this thing for a couple of weeks and never saw it until today. The image in the photo is exaggerated with light and contrast so that you can see the skritchs.
I plugged-in the unit and the counter and face panel light-up. The Fast Forward and Rewind functions work well. The tape counter works. I did not try to "Play" because I can see those rotten pinch rollers... and I DO see a touch of black goo on one of the capstans.
You do get the two plastic 10" Reel adapters... they are clean and nice.
The tape-tensioners are a concern. They are very stiff. In the videos I see that these seem, almost, to float gently... but on THIS machine, those tensioners are very stiff. ... I DID run some sound through the machine. I connected a line-in from a CD player and a line-out to a receiver. The "Monitor" button is a bit dirty and I had to touch it a few times to get clean clear sound through both channels... but it works. ... the rotary balance knobs (split for left and right channels) do rotate but are stiff with age. The pinch-roller mechanism that lifts the rollers up to the capstans is free to move... seems perfect.
I have carefully examined all of the screw-heads that I can see on the outside of this unit and I find none that look "used"... I can believe that no one has ever taken the covers off of this machine.
SHIPPING... I suppose that I can ship it. This unit, sitting on my table, weighs 46 pounds! ... To carefully pack and ship it will be expensive. I will pack and ship it via US Postal Service Priority Mail.
I can ALSO deliver it within a two-hour driving range from my home in Kingman AZ. I can meet you in Henderson/Las Vegas, NV... or in Laughlin, NV... or in Flagstaff, AZ... or in Wickenburg, AZ... or Lake Havasu City, AZ and even in Needles, CA.
Good luck on your bidding... You will LOVE this thing!
-- Eric