I don't know that there's a right answer to this question, but I'm curious what you guys think about modding a rare amp for safety and/or ease of use? For example, if an amp still has the original two prong power cord, is it OK to have that upgraded to a grounded cord? Is it foolish NOT to? Same sort of question with older McIntosh amps that have an RCA input jack and use a terminal strip for output: Is it OK to change these to 1/4" phono jacks, or does one make do with adapters?
Case in point: After 2+ years of looking, I recently scored a McIntosh MC100. Woo hoo! I'm psyched! I want to have some basic maintenance done to it -- I assume the caps need replacing, for example, and it still has the stock two prong power cord, which should likely be upgraded for safety's sake. If the amp weren't such a rarity, I wouldn't think twice about also having the same mods done to it that Jon S. had done to his MC50 (toggle power switch, dedicated input and output jacks, etc.) But it is a rare beast, and I feel a certain amount of stewardship towards it. I intend to use it, but at the same time, I don't want to screw it up. I assume the safe answer is to upgrade the power cord, replace old caps and drifted components as necessary, and use adapters for the input and output connections. But I'm curious if there's a standard for this sort of thing?
Dilettante - sounds nicer than "hack"