I am about to buy an 1/4 AMPEX ATR-102 for about 700$ CAD, which I think is a pretty good deal.
The thing is that it has been in storage for a couple of 5+ years in a warehouse, where there was no heat (it's getting -20C here in Quebec!). At least, it's been standing on it's stand all this time and haven't suffered for intense heat and humidity.
So, I am quite familiar with old Ampex stuff like 350 and 440 transports which are quite simple and not as "high tech" as a ATR-102. I know there is kind of a computer in it. I've clean it but haven't done anything else yet. Everything seems fine inside except of the crumbling foam at the bottom of the machine. The heads look almost new.
So, before I ever put the machine on, is there anything I should check? Should I use a variac or will it damage internal components?
Here is a picture of the beast:
THANKS A LOT FOR YOUR HELP!
Guillaume