>>20132586 speed is where even HG freehubs might actually not be compatible, that’s the era of 130vs135 hub spacing and when HG really became a standardized thing (there is a first-generation “HG” freehub that ONLY fits 7 speed cassettes, and the next iteration of HG that fits literally everything up to 12-speed HG)
Personally I wouldn’t be surprised if a brand new 26” velocity wheel with modern HG is a comparable price to whatever else you’re thinking, that’s what I did for my 1996 cannondale