I have three old Treks. The 1987 and 1988 models with Reynolds 531 were in almost "like new" condition when I bought them, except for numerous paint chips and scratches. So, I had them tuned up, and will keep them as "original" as possible. A "poor guy's" Rivendell.

My 1983 Trek has a wonderful frame, but a prior owner stripped the original parts and trashed the bike with DIY spray paint and odds and ends components. So, I converted that Trek to a one speed neighborhood bike. It has no decals and looks like a $10 junker. A crook would never guess it has a hand-made Reynolds 531 frame and fork, and wheels good enough to race on.

The best Trek road bikes made from 1986 to 1989 combined "hand-made" lugged Reynolds 531 frames with light, high quality components. I'd view ANY changes to the original bikes to be downgrades, not upgrades. Virtually every "advance" in road bikes since 1989 has been motivated by marketing, not by the actual needs of recreational cyclists. STI, carbon this and carbon that. Don't need it. Don't want it.

For loaded touring, the best way to go is to get a bike designed for loaded touring. Putting large bags on a bike with short chainstays is likely to lead to a variety of problems, beginning with your heel striking the bags. I have a 1983 Centurion Pro Tour that was designed for tourning...no compromises are necessary. Similar bikes are often on E-Bay for far less than comparable 2005 touring bikes.