well, more like strong suggestions. These are good rules of thumb if you want to retain the value (or slow the depreciation) of your vintage frame.

I posted these in a post in Mechanics forum in response to someone wanting to convert a 1973 Paramount.

in the end, your the owner of the frame, so you can do with it what you want, but it is truly a shame when I see the derailleur hanger hacked off a Paramount, PX-10, etc.

1)DO NOT HACK/GRAND ANYTHING OFF THE FRAME.

1) Keep everything you take off and keep on what you can. Clean the removed parts, and put it in a box somewhere where it won't decay. Later in life, you may want to restore it to its original setup. You should find lots of Campagnolo parts, and Cinelli handle bars on that bike.

2) Use high end componets. This is one of the best bikes of its time, and is still a very nice bike. It deserves the best. Think about a Phil Wood BB, and Campagnolo pista cranks. Keep the headset/stem/handlebars/brakes on the bike. They will look fantastic after you clean them up.

3) Keep the original paint unless its too far gone. If it can be salvaged, keep it. It would be a shame if you bead blasted and powder coated a 73 Paramount.

4) If you don't like the sound of this, please please consider selling the Paramount and buying something with less value to convert, like a Univega, Nishiki, other schwinns, and on and on. there are thousands of frames out there just waiting to be "fixed".