Well, this thread has described my experience to where I'll come out of lurking and introduce myself. I ride a FUSO that I dearly love, and I too updated it a couple years ago with modern Campag Chorus. It is a great bike for hammering with the local race crowd, while still maintaining a classic look and feel. It feels like it was made for modern 9-speed components even though it's far older than 99% of the bikes (and probably some of the riders) that I ride with. My wife rides a Vitus 979 which we have updated with 7-speed RSX. She feels about it the same way I feel about my FUSO, even though it is aluminum. Classic ride with modern conveniences.
Last year, wanting to indulge my interest in classic components, I bought a Heron Touring frame from Riv, and have built it up with a fun mix of Mavic, Simplex, Sachs, Campy, Suntour, Brooks and other old-fashioned but functional and beautiful parts. It's nowhere near as fast as my FUSO, but I totally enjoy the ride, interacting with the parts like I used to years ago (I know, sounds like Grant P.) and changing things around over time. Lurking on this list (and Dale's web site) has been a fantastic resource for me in figuring out what's out there, how it all works, and scheming for more parts and bikes.
By the way, I hope to send my FUSO to Brian Baylis for new paint this winter. What does the group think; since the frame's already been spread for 130 rear spacing, should I have Brian replace the top tube cable guides with under the tube cable stops, or should I leave it as is?
Hal "Oops, I reached for my downtube shifter when I should have pressed a button" Simmons