Originally Posted by ticwanos
Is something a little later in the timeline like maybe Huret Jubilee a possibility? I'm not trying to keep everything period correct and have something like vintage campy ain't in the budget. I just want to tweak the ride and see what a difference a better derailleur might make. Any and all suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.
I would look for a Jubilee if you're staying with the original narrow gearing, or a Huret Duopar if you want to go to wide-range friction shifting. The Duopars are near-period, have very wide range capability, and almost no overshifting or undershifting. I use one to shift a 7-speed Megarange.
If a Nuovo Record will fit your dropout, a used one might be cheaper than a NOS Duopar. Watch Ebay. Also check out Frank Berto's old book, Upgrading Your Bicycle from 1980 or so. Should be in your public library. He has a great list of available derailleurs and very sound assessments of their fitting issues and shifting performance.
Road Fan