The 80-8 came out in the mid-70's...the dbx is a separate unit that interfaces with the machine.These were fairly bullet-proof.I would take it to a tech(someone who knows this machine) and have the heads checked and get it aligned.They are really easy to do this after an initial alignment as the settings are in the front.The electronics are on cards accessable through the bottom of the machine.They sounded great for their time.I had one of these as well as a model 15 mixer.I still have my Tascam 38 which still works great although you have to run it with the bottom plate off in order the get all the syncs to work(jiggling a card makes this happen....the multipin connections are OLD)...I have loved all my Tascam gear...just remember that this is a recorder that might be as old as 28 years or so and could be as cranky as an old man...the sync,the motors and the heads are what you need to have running in great condition in order to make this a good deal.

I will say that recording drums on tape and then dropping them onto a digital system while the tracks are still fresh(not many passes over the heads), and then using the digital processing makes for a BIG drum sound.Of course bigger tape makes a bigger sound, and the tape availability right now is at an all-time low.At a premium price.

i agree Dave. on my bands new demo we tracked all the drums in a cathedral-style room onto a 24-track studer, then immediately dumped them in PT to align them with the other tracks.
my buddy's band who went into the very same studio a week later had bad print-through problems with the tape. this concerns me, and IM just not sure I want the headache of worrying about broken motors and expensive tape.
but man, the drums sound Bonham-esque on our demo. it really is sweet...

...then again, the multiple lunchboxes of API's, Neve's, the rack of LA's, and the million-dollar SSL board might have helped a little too...

;)