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Although your modification is far superior from a technical standpoint it certainly raises flags as to how far one should go with the repair of an antique set. Because if you start to modify or "molest" an original chassis it may become a slippery road. Kind of like a judgement call attempting to figure out, just where do you stop? Personally, I would replace bad parts with authentic parts (and from the appropriate era) if at all possible and I would stay away from redesign of the chassis unless you find no other way. In addition to this, I would also keep all the tubes with the set making certain someone later has them to plug in if needed. IMO a lot of the nostalia of owning an antique is simply to witness how it was originally built. I have already seen some older tubes on ebay that are going for big money even though they don't work. The 5U4 you crushed may become like that someday, who really knows?
But that is just how I feel about it, others may feel differently.
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