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I guess I figure if you're worried about "50-year-old" solder joints, then you'd better suck and re-solder ALL the joints under the set, not just the capacitor leads. 50-year-old solder either works or it doesn't. And if you're worried about 50-year-old solder, then you should worry about other 50-year-old metal as well, so you should remove and replace all the components, not just the capacitors. And if you're worried about 50-year-old metal, then you'd better re-bend a new chassis. And what about the 50-year-old wood? Better get the tablesaw out and make a new cabinet.
It's a question of restoring vs. "remanufacturing" to me.
I restored cars for ten years in the 1980s. People are really anal about originality in cars. If you put the wrong battery-terminal on one, you can lower its value a thousand dollars. Even if the replacement terminal works better. So I approach radios the same way. Do the least destruction as possible. Soon as you put your own style of lead dress or wrap on a terminal strip, you undo the original technician's intent and style. You change its history. Leaving the assembly work as untouched as possible, doing the least damage to the original intent and creation, is what matters the most to me. Clipping the capacitor lead at the cap body, leaving the original joint as it was originally placed, and installing the repair part as unobtrusively as possible, supports this philosophy the best.
That being said, we are talking about under-chassis solder joints. The most important thing is that the things conduct electricity, before looking "tidy" or "neat". I always Ohm my joints out with a VOM. And like I said on the other thread, it always works, and looks fine to me. Nothing "lazy" ever crosses my mind. If I were lazy, I'd just go buy a new Sony at Best Buy, and chuck all the old solder joints into the nearest dumpster.
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