Hi MF,
I had thought of that myself but I guess the only way to find out is to get two machines side by side and thus compare apples with apples as they say. As there always is with Asian copies there are some minute differences that get in ones way of doing that.
Also the other point is all these replacement parts that appear on eBay and the likes that are being sourced from many different suppliers are all originating from China I'd say and their steel quality is questionable as well. A few bits and pieces though are being made here in Adelaide I've noticed on a small scale basis in a backyard operation up in Blackwood.
As far as taking items from 1970's machines as you suggest is probably a tad fruitless as you're better restoring that original machine in the first instance and end up with a better standard of product. For every part you remove from an original SB chassis you'll render it useless and that's pointless from where I sit.
Cheers,
BB.
