I have changed the wheels, bottom bracket & cranks on my 1950's Frejus track bike. The ones I put on are Campagnolo: period correct for a mid-to-late 1960's track bike, and far better components than the original composite hubs, creaky chainwheel, dicey cotter pins & crunchy bottom bracket. I am running tubulars, by the way. I have some uneasiness about this, but I love to ride the bike & found the original stuff was making the experience a lot less pleasant. When restoring a race car with some history, you are faced with the issue of which period in its life to bring back. Race cars, like bicycles, are modified during their competitive life to run in different events and classes. They are also fitted with later components, taking advantage of better materials & engineering. No decent race car ever finishes its life unmodified from its original state. Likewise, well loved & ridden frames are often upgraded long before they become classics. It seems appropriate to return a bike to strictly original specs if it isn't going to be ridden: a show bike, e.g. Changing to more functional parts which were available during the time the vintage bike was not considered vintage seems to me in line with the basic idea of restoring classic bicycles.
Also...
I don't want Mark Howard to take this personally, since we all misspell words from time to time, but I love the idea of "Tonsil strength"! Sounds related to hog calling...
Michael Shiffer
EuroMeccanica, Inc.
114 Pearl Street
Mount Vernon, NY 10550
(914) 668-1300
euromeccanicany.com