Changing from stand alone furling gear to headstay

[John Jamieson]

Hello,
I'm considering purchase of a Cape Dory 28. The owner replaced the existing headstay with furling gear. I've always liked a simple headstay and hank on headsails. I do not trust such a rig and would want to replace the gear with a beefy headstay and the necessary hardware. Is this a difficult or expensive modification?