Look at the power dip as a teething problem, not a deal breaker. The newer biofuel models are getting way better output than even a year ago. Sticking with old gear is just kicking the can down the road, lol.

Isn't it amazing what old handwritten stuff can do? I found a box of notes from my grandma and just got hit with all these memories. Really get what you mean, @palmer.kevin, it's a special feeling that's hard to explain.

Yeah when you mentioned the melted plastic housing, that's the heat from resistance in a bad connection. It's not just the outside getting hot, the metal itself is heating up from the poor contact. Spot on about it sneaking up on you though, @faithcampbell.

Train new techs on old gear to save that intuition.

$75 for a repro with a modern zipper is straight-up robbery. Polyester lining in a leather jacket from the 70s would have been rare, so that's a huge red flag. Shops pulling this stuff make it hard to trust any vintage claim anymore.