Yes, I figured this was what I will have to do, and that is OK.  It is not something I will be recording with on a daily basis.  Only for special projects - so this is something that I will do when necessary.  It will probably only take me 10 minutes to get everything hooked up and back each time anyway.  Not a huge big deal, and the back is very easily accessible.
 
I may see if I can get creative with patch bays to permanently plug everything into, so to prevent unplugging all of the time, and to make connections that way, when I fire up the old beast.
 
Thank you all for your help on this!!!

The Presonus pre amp looks good, I like the Phantom power in pairs option. 
Only thing is now your dealing with a raw mike signals with no options to EQ or add a gate or compression. I guess that will have to happen in the digital world instead. You'll have to record at lower levels with the kick ,snare and bass. 
I used to like to slam tape and use the compressor to catch the peaks, even analog can distort in a nasty way. That's pretty narrow tape per track surface on that machine. 
I guess you could use your Dangerous Pre amp still. 

Yeah, I was planning on just recording the raw tracks with the Reel and then importing into the DAW.  I will then record remaining tracks and to do all mixing/processing/production.  So that means I am on target with this setup!  I do have some HW compression available I can run through if need be that I will set up via patch bay with these Presonus units, so no worries there.  I'll use them if I have to.  But who knows, there may be that occasional time I just want it to be nasty. ;)

The Dangerous 2 Bus is a summing mixer, and not a pre amp, so is on my back end.  It does all of the summing for me, so I don't use my master bus.  I send my submixes to it (which are routed in a special way through it - but that is the subject for another thread), and then record my finished mix in real time back in the box. I can also patch in some of my vintage hardware processors to the signal which is a lot of fun as well.  It is incredible how much my mixes have improved using the unit; like an Audible difference.  I got the idea from Mixerman and was skeptical, but now I am a convinced convert.
 
As far as the track width worries, it is what it is.  Back in the early 1990's, I recorded at a pretty busy and popular recording studio in Palo Alto CA - known for recording many MANY of the upcoming indy bands and punk bands throughout the 1980's in the SF bay area.  They used a 1/2" 16 track tape machine (Fostex B-16 reel-to-reel through a 20 -track Tascam M-520 soundboard), in fact, I still have a couple of the tapes from my sessions.  I plan on running them through this machine to hear me and my friends playing in 1991.  Like a time capsule.  They have been stored well and are in great shape - I am well aware of the "sticky tape" scenario and may even consider baking them prior, but I just don't know if it will be necessary.  But anyway, the sound quality was really good, and frankly, that's what I'm looking for here.  A little bit of vintage sound as a recording option - I'm sure it will never be me primary, but WHO KNOWS?!  Options are nice.

Here's the story on that studio from back in the day:  http://houseoffaithrecording.com/story_metro.htm

Cool.  I'm glad that is working for you - esp. the Presonus preamp units.  My only concern w/ the preamps rather than the A&H is fader control, which would be nicer than using only the inputs on the preamps (not to mention the A&H would perform a lot of patching, and good EQ, etc.).  But it seems as if you know that if you've used a tape set up before.
 
@

Well, the inputs on the preamps have volume control, just like using any fader for volume control.

I believe there is more than 1 way to skin a cat, and as long as I can get good clean analog signal into the tape machine, I will try a few different ways of "skinning".  It is certainly a hybrid setup, which is my intent, and also taking up a small footprint, rather than having a traditional studio setup with a big desk.  I bet those Presonus preamps sound better than some desks used in some studios back in the day.  I'm not worried about EQ as I'll be able to adjust that in my DAW after recording.  A different workflow, and an obvious advantage to the old days.  Remember, I'll be turning this analog recording into a digital recording by recording what is on tape into my DAW, but hopefully, I'll get a good representation and character of that Analog and Tape flavor into these recordings.
 
I know it is a different way of thinking about the whole process, but I enjoy that. Most importantly, customers these days are REALLY digging analog gear and recording, and if I can incorporate that successfully into my little Project Studio (which I am now calling a Boutique Recording Studio), that will be nothing but good for business - especially if the results I produce are stellar; which is of utmost importance.

I see it as a nice way of working - to analog then digital for what it does best.  And if I'm not mistaken you are recording out to analog again w/ the 2 Bus.  Anything tasty on that part?
 
@

Exactly AT.  Just can't see adding a simulator when you can have the real thing.  Remember, the 2 bus is NOT a recording unit, but a SUMMING unit.  So all of my monitoring is through it, and that thru signal will also be recorded in the DAW for the final print as well.  Yes, it is EXTREMELY tasty.  I have better width, depth, warmth, fatness than ever before!

Of course.  I just didn't know if you had were running any outboard analog comps etc. on the stereo signal before you brought it back in.

I hear you.  Well, I'm looking for a good stereo compressor for that final "mix bus" print (suggestions under $1k?).  I am running HW comps and EQ / verb on individual tracks if need be, but am still using VST's in the box of course.  It's just fun using hardware, and I actually have fun tweaking - and seem to achieve really good results using them.  I usually end up printing the individual tracks (bouncing with fx) once I get them sounding where I want them (before mixdown) - because it would be just about impossible to reproduce that if a remix was necessary.  LOL.