We need to remember sometimes that these are just old bikes!
IMHO, you are well within your "rights" to do a mod. like that. There are, of course, certain reworks that we might think of as "blasphemous," but the reality is that if you own it, you can do as you-know-what-well-please to it!!
Greg "OK, I haven't ever defiled any Confentes or Hetchins, I admit it" Parker A2 Michigan
In a message dated 7/5/01 8:50:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time, mpetry@bainbridgeisland.net writes:
> I may be pitched off the list for saying this but I own (and enjoy riding) a
> bike so adulterated. I bought Wizard 13
>
> http://www.petry.org/
>
> from Ed Kinney and the frame was updated to 130 mm OLD and revised cable
> routing etc as part of a repaint by Mr. Baylis, altho Brian did the work
> under protest. I then further defiled the machine by installing a "modern"
> Record / Chorus triple gruppo. Now I have a really fabulous bike with the
> feel of steel and state of the art great shifting and braking. It's
> probably my favorite bike from a "handling" standpoint.
>
> So, have I violated the rules of Classic Rendevism by committing this
> unspeakable act, or is an update like this (which I regard as a "friendly
> trade" akin to putting a modern 350 small block in a classic Vette that I
> intend to DRIVE) an acceptable deviation for a collector who also has
> several truly authentic vintage rides?