Mclaren Clockwork Submarines

The eternal question, to restore or not to restore? I acquired this superb 1910 submarine by Fleischmann the paint is in good condition however, the motor is shot and there's a 10mm hole rusted through the hull. I can easily repair and restore this boat but in the process I will loose the 100 odd years of patina and paint hence the dilemma. My solution is the U54 this boat is my repro of the original, the plan is to see if I can replicate the paintwork on my effort, the end result will determine if I go ahead with restoring the original. To avoid confusion my reproduction is the one with the bow pennant and rudder!