Something about silk purses and sour's ears??

I'm in the middle of the 'rennovation' project with the old Airfix Russians. The plan was to re base them for the 20mm Spearhead project, and as I did so, they'd get a touch up with the paint brush, and a Citadel wash to brighten them up.

The figures have huge nostalgia value, I painted most of them in my teens (40 years ago). These are the same Russian figures (well the same manufacturer, anyway) that appear in Charles Grant's
'Battle'. The nostalgia factor here is huge.

BUT..

I've misjudged just how badly they were painted 40 years ago, and how much wear and tear they have accumulated over 40 years of gaming. Truth to tell, if this were about creating a nice 20mm Russian mid-war army, I wouldn't even start with those old Airfix figures.

However it IS about re-using these long forgotten figures (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, as they say), but I can't help feeling just the slightest dissatisfaction with what is coming out as the finished product. The words silk purse and sour's ear keep running though my mind. There is a nice battalion of Brittania metals (Black Sea Fleet marines), but as for the rest??

In the meantime, a huge Modern Spearhead project is looming, unplanned, unanticipated, not even vaguely on the horizon until last Friday night... stay tuned!!! There'll be more anon.