Delete Old sub-panel?

[ChuckTH]

Hi, I'm just wondering if it would be a smart thing to have this old panel removed...? We recently purchased a 50's vintage home. It has an updated 200A service in the basement but the upstairs lighting/outlets are still on this old panel upstairs... -- I know it would likely involve re-wiring the lights/outlets... (I could do a lot of that) - --- It all seems to be 12 awg wire but with those old thin grounds (silver in color - aluminum??) - (The grounds are visible and hooked up in the fixtures but don't seem to come to the panel...?).... OR.... should I consider just "updating" the sub-panel where it sits?
I like things to be "right." What should I be thinking about/considering...?
Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[Megawatt]

Hi, I'm just wondering if it would be a smart thing to have this old panel removed...? We recently purchased a 50's vintage home. It has an updated 200A service in the basement but the upstairs lighting/outlets are still on this old panel upstairs... -- I know it would likely involve re-wiring the lights/outlets... (I could do a lot of that) - --- It all seems to be 12 awg wire but with those old thin grounds (silver in color - aluminum??) - (The grounds are visible and hooked up in the fixtures but don't seem to come to the panel...?).... OR.... should I consider just "updating" the sub-panel where it sits?
I like things to be "right." What should I be thinking about/considering...?
Thanks for your thoughts!

Chuck welcome to the forum and it seems to me either way would work but if you abandoned the up stairs panel you just have 5 circuits to bring out of your 200 amp panel. If you up grade the upstairs panel the feed coming from the 200 amp panel will need to be replaced with a 4 wire cable instead of a 3 wire and at least you can get rid of that old cloth cable. Good luck

 

[norcal]

Those XO breakers have been obsolete since at least 1960, and even a bit earlier, so getting rid of those would not be a bad idea, and heed the advise above.