The main issue I can see here is that pitons tend to degrade with time, so when it was first placed, it probably was as good as a bolt (certainly as good as the rubbish that was called bolts in the 80s).
A ring, however, really does spoil the look and feel of the climb.
How about replacing it with a stainless-glue-in-carrot? This still gives quite a "trad-feel", but it doesn't have to be replaced every 5-10 years.
A hangerless "carrot" also gives that "80s Arapiles" feel that you want from a route like this one! |