Hello, and welcome to the QB,
I too am of the opinion that you shouldn't strip this. The machine and cabinet are not as bad as you think. Those of us who love these old gals take much care in the refurbishing, doing as little as it takes to bring them back to working condition. Trying to bring them back to new condition is a shame as it is an old gal with a history and that history, even though we usually never know what it is, should always be allowed to show. I think you should give it to someone with a love for these old machines and let them bring it back to working condition. Just my 2 cents.
Cari