Noel:
I have vintage wood rims on my 1938 Paramount track bike and so far they have stood up to my 200+ pounds, but I have to admit, I really don't ride the bike that much. As far as using caliper brakes on wood rims, my late friend, Dave Staub told me that in years gone bye he ruined a pair of wood rims by using caliper brakes. I don't know if it was a heat build up that the wood couldn't handle, but both of his rims developed cracks and ultimately because unrideable. If you have 70's NOS wood rims, I'll guess that they're the Italian Ghrisalla" imports. I don't know if they're built of a better grade of wood than the vintage rims, but I wouldn't risk it. Wood rims are basically from the fixed gear era and should probably be treated only as such.
Bill (just south of you) Curtis
Costa Mesa, CA