Originally Posted by BluesDawg

Are you wanting to switch to the original spec stem because that happens to be the length and angle that will work best for you (smart) or just because you want it to match the original spec (dumb) ?

The bike must have been a bit too long for the previous owner. Looks like he did everything he could think of to bring the bars closer to him. The brifters look just a little high on the bar for my taste, but I realize that I'm kind of old school on that.

It is possible that you may need longer cable housing if the new stem is much longer than the one being replaced, but probably not.

Nice looking bike. Enjoy it.