OK. You have done your research, and had many suggestions of what to do. Now, it comes down to only three courses of action as I see it.
1. clean them, and keep them as they are
2. strip off the wrap, and rewrap in your choice of finishes
3. strip off the wrap and paint the shells in any color (I think that an auto painter would be best)
Some people would do a fourth option that I think rarely has an attractive result. If the shells are stripped, sanded, clear-coated or stained, they will almost always look like some amateur stripped, sanded, clear-coated, or stained an old drum set.
