I was looking at the classifieds at 914-4 and thought that would be nice. But I remember that the supply of main bearings had dried up. I looked at Pelican and sure enough, they're gone. I remember an aftermarket co. may have produced them but they may not have been steel-backed and maybe had other issues. So I remember hearing about re-babitting. Googled it, and sure enough, lots of hits. Anyone tried this? Are mains actually gone?

The first part of your statement may be outdated news. Yes, the bearings made in Germany dried up, there was a quality issue with the bearings made in Brazil (I think) but according to Jake who initially wouldn't use the Brazilian bearings the quality issue was corrected. I think they are commonly available. Check the TypeIV Store.