Those can definitely be considered suicide rims in rain. It's not that you can't stop, just that it can take longer. They didn't seem to mind killing the poorer cyclists back then. But other than that, they are nice and sturdy. If it was me, I wouldn't change them if you don't plan to ride much in the rain. I think looks are important in a collector bike, even a lower end one. Given that, I would ditch that cheap saddle and get a B17. My Raleigh Record came with a Wright leather saddle. A little cheaper than Brooks, but not bad, and pretty good-looking too. I rode it for years.