I've read the bottom bracket nightmare stories. My cotter pins came out with a lot of coercing, but they weren't happy about it. Into the bin with them. I was able to unthread the BB by hand. The bearings were all there, and dry and dusty. I cleaned them and the inside of the frame, then greased them up and whacked them back in. It's a hack job, but until I figure out what to do with the bike, I figured it's best not to start replacing stuff.

So here's my question, which is related to the one in the previous post: Is there any reason to try to keep the bike original? Do I modernize the drivetrain, or try to keep it intact as it came from the factory? Suggestions?

Cheers.