"you did strip offythe decals and repaint everything including the lugs a generic white, reducing the coolness factor to next to nothing imo, and making me very very sad."

Since the bike doesn't have NJS stamped somewhere on it, the coolness factor is low anyhoo...

I'd love to own a sixties/fifties Stella; along with a Mondia, a dream bike of mine.

I, too, would have left the original paint, perhaps doing touch up where needed. You've taken some of the uniqueness of the bike away. It is, however, your bike. Ride it, enjoy, take care of it.