That's a matter of opinion. I'd been using workarounds for years, and I was doing a lot of miles on that bike. The original paint job was sadly in need of redoing, and due to years of abuse there was some brazing that needed to be done anyway - including a new rear bridge.

Don't forget that the price included a complete Campag groupset as well. The only parts that weren't replaced apart from the frame were the handlebars and stem, saddle and pedals. I've lost track of the miles I've covered on that bike since, but it's a good few thousand. Part of the reason for doing it was that I needed reliable daily transport, and all the workarounds weren't really doing the job. As I said before, I knew it wasn't an economical proposition. However, the frame had already survived one major collision, which wrecked the front wheel and landed me in hospital, completely unscathed, so I reckoned it was probably a deal tougher than a modern aluminium frame. I could go on, but you get the point, I hope.