TBH the modern Records like that one aren't the best examples, but I don't see the point of swapping it for another new plane. Personally, I really don't like the knob/screw arrangement for locking the lever cap - very slow to use and prone to dig into the palm in longer sessions (older planes had a low profile cam/lever arrangement - the point about speed is that in some circumstances, such as trimming oak which rapidly blunts the edge of the iron - or MDF for that matter, you can find yourself repeatedly removing the iron to give it a quick home then replacing it) and I know I'm not alone in disliking the arrangement. But you already have it, so the easiest thing is probably to tune it. You need to flatten the sole, then regrind the cutter, flatten the back and finally home the cutting edge. Do you know how to do this? Have you got the necessary equipment?
The adjustable front sole, sometimes called a skate, is there to allow you to control the mouth opening when planing with the grain and if set finely with the iron set for a thin shaving it helps reduce the tendency of the plane to spit the timber - that can be very handy for dealing with rowed timber, reversing grain, etc (BTW it makes little difference when planing end grain as the waste tends to be very friable in any case)