Embrace the friction dude. If you don't have at least one friction shifting bike I think you sort of owe it to yourself as a guy who bought a vintage bike to friction shift at least one bike.

If you modernize this enough it will just be just like your Airborne....just heavy and old.
I kept mine heavy but now it sports some 80's Shimano 7 speed SIS, so its not like I haven't modernized mine.