RTP-area local music and culture

[grady AT ibiblio.org]

Tape deck? Car? Yikes. I *hate* to be one of those disposable-culture 
people--I mean, really--but at the same time, by the time you yank it 
out of there & take it somewhere (assuming you can find somewhere) and 
pay to have it fixed, you will have paid 2-3 times what a new car tape 
deck would cost you.

If you're really anti-disposable-culture (yay you!) and it's a stock 
radio (i.e. came with the car) then head over to Wagner's or your 
junkyard of choice, and trade them for a working one of the same 
model/vintage. They'll probably charge you like $30.

Having said all that, and wracked my brain suitably, I can't think of 
anyplace that would voluntarily want to work inside a car stereo, except 
maybe ALR in Chapel Hill (intersection of 15-501 and Smith Level Road, 
south of town). They seem suitably crazy.

I guess I should also ask: what kind of slight difficulties? Eating 
tapes? Running slow/fast/warbly? You're gonna want to clean the capstans 
and rollers, which is, yes, a pain in the ass with a car tape deck. So 
though I wouldn't normally, I might suggest one of those cleaning tapes.

Or you can do the alcohol/Q-tip thing, but keep in mind that the alcohol 
loves to eat the gunk off the heads/capstans, but it also loves to dry 
up & destroy the rubber rollers, so you don't want to get it on them, 
which is why it's such a pain in the ass.

Good luck,

Ross

J. Loftis wrote:

> My car's tape deck has been having some slight difficulties lately. 
> Can anyone recommend a place that repairs these things?