You are correct that old-iron is wonderful, but only ever so many were made and fewer and fewer of those to be found every year.
That was why back in 2007 I bought my all iron and steel, new-production Made-in-India 12/1 Lister CS clone engine.
They could annual make more as a continuous supply.
Then two? years later bought a Made-in-China nearly all iron and steel Chang’fa clone of a 1930’s German engine. Hurrah! Electric and crank handle starting.
The American Greenies put a stop to any new importation of these diesel fuel engines as of 2010. So no more new engines for expanding usages. And without a demand then, no easy finger click to get parts.
So JoepK. just hippy-skippy past engine that could be made to work for 3000-7500 service hours and “move-forwards” to new production engines you can get 1500-2500 hours services out of. And as new production, affordable, made by the 10,000’s to 100,000"s . . . just acquire three to make the same long service life’s
Ha! And then leave the early 20th Century hopping, shaking, problems behind.
Woo-woo, want-to-believe better engine pursuers . . . only WHEN an engine reaches real production levels of 10,000 will I ever even begin to show an interest.
I am used in current culture too much as an involuntary beta tester to go seek out more holes in my pockets. Life become short and allows for only so many ooop’sie mistakes.
S.U.