Stop in for a cup of coffee

I guess it wouldn't hurt to just do what you say and see how it works. If it isn't good then invest in the other stuff.

Yeah, that's a quick and dirty way to get it working...

Changing over to a Sanden compressor and updating all the mounting brackets, pulleys, lines, etc and get overwhelming and expensive and get complicated...

The R-134 A in the R-12 system with just the basic updates should work ok, just approx 3° - 4° warmer.... No biggie, it will still keep you cool from that heat in the south...