which is why i suggested the suntour "winner" system...or maybe i'm thinking of the heliomatic system, which was basically, a cassette body that threaded onto a normal hub, and used proprietary cogs. they're still available some places on the internet, and they show up on ebay with a fair amount of frequency, hell, i'm pretty sure we've got a couple hanging around my shop somewhere.
my point was that it was do-able without having to buy all new 9 or 10 speed shifters, a new rear derailleur, a new rear wheel, and a new cassette. my way, while more labor-instensive would end up saving the customer money (not that any shop anywhere would ever actually do it), 2-3 hours of labor, with rates at $50/hour vs. all new drivetrain components + a rear wheel, which puts it into the $300 range.
it'd be possibly to do it yourself if you have all the parts: lowest end campy ergo shifters (hell, i bet some places still have old 8 speed ergo shifters), the suntour winner (or heliomatic) freewheel system, a bench grinder or a dremel, and a few handfuls of patience/free time and some spare cogs and spacers in case you messed up, and then some spacers to take up the empty space on the inside of the freewheel body. i'd do it if i had a reason to. i think it'd be a really nifty setup.
at any rate, the original poster seems to have lost intrest in this topic...