In a similar, but lest wasteful way to replacing the tanks entirely; after years of use, stripping and repainting, or just touching up or over painting, the metal figures seems like a reasonable idea.
As part of maintenance like on any project.
Metal figures with chipped paint, fallen off weapons, damaged basing, just like a classic car, just need to go into the workshop for either maintenance or a complete overhaul.
Nothing wrong with that.
While the tanks are destined for burnt out terrain at best, your metal figures can shine again, so to speak.
PS
It's interesting that people complain about the "limitations" of metal, like paint loss and damage, when perhaps most people are yet to realise that the maintenance/overhaul I mentioned are just part of the hobby, as much as buying and initial painting.
People don't seem to complain about it when buying second hand figures. Possibly because they may already be stripped!
This also gives you the option to do a better paint job than you did a decade before, or even pay someone else to do it this time around (hint, hint).
Also you can do a completely different colour scheme, like a new marine chapter, or skeletons in black and red instead of blue and white, so on.
It's all part of the hobby.