Kaaaaaaandries' pursuit for the ultimate vintage roadie!

am I the only one who doesnt mind a few cm here or there?

Depends. You've had a few bikes and think you know what fits you, so it does seem odd.
Even more so when your criteria is so wide (a pre-90s steel rode bike).

Personally I'd go for STI's because ultimately having brakes and shifters just makes sense. I'd also go 10speed because there's lots of second hand choice (as well as well priced modern replacements like cassettes) and because 10 is... well more. Although lots of people swear 8sp is much more durable.

As for modern groups, I think other than gear numbers, the big improvement for me is brakes. They almost always seem to improve. Well set up shimano STI's from the last decade seem to shift plenty well enough for most people (I haven't used campag). The other consideration with vintage groupset is cost. If you read dammit's serotta thread, one of the main reasons he gave for modern ultegra
was cost/VFM vs a vintage campag.

Hi Kaaaaaandries,
Why not consider a mix of modern and traditional?
My favourite bike is an 18year old Raleigh clubman with 9speed downtube shifters, a 105 rear and front mech. I also use a modern Shimano dual pivot brakeset. The bike marries old and new and is so comfortable with the 531 frame. It is a joy to ride and I set it up for light touring duties.